My life has changed drastically since dental
school. When I think back to those days,
I remember countless hours in the library,
studying for exams, and in the faculty lounge,
chasing signatures for graduation. My time
and energy was focused on meeting those
requirements and checking off all my boxes.
When I left dental school I quickly realized
there were no more checklists or set rules to
follow. The real world is far too variable.
Such a change can be incredibly overwhelming
for a new grad. If you add on the responsibility
of your first full-time job, student loan
repayment and trying to understand how
people plan for retirement, it may leave you
feeling like you want to bury your head in the
sand. The thing that got me through the
challenges of those first few years (a nd
beyond) were a group of caring individuals to
took the time to help me navigate my way.
Teachers, advisors, friends. You can call them
what you want to call them, but for me I think
the best word would be mentor. It started
with my professors at my AEGD at Temple
University. I would not be where I am now
without them. That one year was the perfect
blend of autonomy in practice with the safety
net of eight or nine well-trained experienced
dentists who knew dentistry in the real world.
One of the best things they taught me
was how to talk to patients; how to really
understand their wants and then how to
explain to them the realistic expectations of
what we could achieve in their mouth. This
lesson saved me so much heartache at the
end of very complicated cases and gave me
the confidence to win my patients’ trust.
One of my professors at Temple stands out as
a true example of what a mentor should be.
He engaged us six residents on the clinical
floor, but he also took the time to get to know
us outside of school. He had us out to his
private practice in Narberth, out for drinks and
even hosted us at his house for a barbecue.
He gave us his personal email and encouraged
us to pester him with questions (advice I maybe
took too literally.) He is the first person I went
to when I was thinking about buying my own
practice and I can happily say he is the reason
I found the practice I am at today. This particular
dentist was described to me as someone
“who still considers being a dentist to be a
privilege,” and I am fortunate I have had the
privilege to get to know him.
After school, my mentors came in varying
forms: my boss at my first associateship, lab
techs that took the time to go over cases with
me, my seasoned assistants and EFDAs. In
April 2015, I purchased an existing practice
from a retiring dentist, and that’s when my
learning went into hyper drive. I found myself
in a position, as owner, that I had never
expected to be in and quite overwhelmed
by all there was to do. What surprised me the
most was how willing other dentists were to
help me.
I had always been a member of PDA, but that
was almost entirely just because I like getting
mail in my mailbox. I had never been to a
meeting and was very confused about districts
and counties and exactly where I would fit in
or what it all meant. Becoming an actual
contributing member has opened the door
for me to meet even more amazing dentists
and specialists. This past year alone, because
of the connections I made through organized
dentistry, I had the opportunity to moderate
a lecture and have lunch with someone whose
articles basically made up the curriculum of all
my implantology courses in school, share in
the joy of Give Kids a Smile Day, understand
some of the challenges our profession is facing
and make new friends. That last benefit might
be my favorite of all.
I joined a few of these new friends at a PDA
speed mentoring event for Pennsylvania dental
students at The Inn at Penn in September. This
event marked my first time on the other side
of the table: the mentor side. I was worried
I might not be able to answer all the students’
questions, but by the time the night was over
my voice was hoarse. It was invigorating to
connect with all the bright eyed students who
expressed some of the same fears I myself had
just a few years ago.
Connections Mentoring Program
Looking for a mentor or want to become
a mentor? Through PDA’s Connections
mentoring program, dental students or
new dentists can request mentors based
on criteria such as practice location,
practice type and specialty. Mentors are
contacted if they are a suitable match
based on a mentee’s request.
Enroll now
at www.padental.org/connections
by signing in to the website and
submitting an enrollment form.
Please contact Andrea Hoover at
[email protected] with questions
about Connections.
Mentee testimonial
“I loved my experiences with my mentor.
I felt like I had a friend in him from the
beginning. He really is an outside source
of inspiration and guidance for me. I am
thankful I can go to him with successes,
concerns, questions, and not feel judged
or belittled. It is really freeing.”
– Travis Tucker, DMD, Chambersburg
Mentor testimonial
“Through the PDA’s mentoring program,
I was able to meet a recent grad and
help her start her journey into private
practice. It was a pleasure interacting
with a young colleague, and as a result,
we both have made a new friend. I
would strongly encourage all seasoned
dentists to reach out and do the same. It
was a rewarding experience.”
–Shari Leavitt, DMD, Philadelphia
The passion for our profession connects us all.
I hope that I can continue share with the next
generation of dentists what my mentors
taught me. It is a privilege to treat the patients
we see. It is a privilege to be part of a
profession that tests us and pushes us to be
better than the day before. Simply, it is an
honor to be a dentist.
MARCH / AP RIL 2017 | P EN N SYLVAN IA DEN TAL JOURNAL
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