As a newly minted dentist, transitioning from being in school to working at a practice can be intimidating. In addition to the clinical challenges of caring for patients with a variety of dental needs, you’re also navigating the ins and outs of a real office. You may have had leadership experiences in dental school, but those don’t necessarily translate to a busy office.
The more doctors I watch make that transition, the more I realize how crucial the onboarding process is. A new doctor journey that incorporates hands-on learning, online courses, networking and mentorship will set you up for long-term success.
Walk before you run
The experience I had when I joined Aspen Dental showed me what it should look like to equip new dental professionals. I started with a two-week cohort onboarding program, and during that time, we explored the basics of the business, but we also learned soft skills, such as emotional intelligence. The immersive, in-person onboarding helped jumpstart my integration into the organization.
After a few months, there were additional touchpoints and follow-up courses. These trainings were accompanied by mentorship, which helped cement what I was learning. The onboarding process was instrumental in supporting my transition from operating as a student to leading at a practice, with all the responsibility that entails. My journey was organized into stages, so that I could walk before I ran. By getting the basic clinical skills down pat, it was much easier to graduate to the next level of responsibility and leadership.
Laura Sage leads the doctor learning and development program at Aspen and champions the process behind the scenes. "We are providing new doctors the skills they need to be successful as quickly as possible. We have a really curated approach, with multiple angles of support, to make the transition from school to practice as seamless as possible."
Mentorship is essential
Never underestimate the power of mentorship. Throughout my onboarding, I took advantage of the large network of mentors available. It’s one thing to learn something in a classroom; it’s another thing entirely to perform a procedure on a live patient. Having a mentor helps build confidence and keeps you from getting stuck. Anytime I’m faced with a difficult case, I can reach out to someone who is a master in their craft with decades of experience. Having that mentorship on call is incredible.
Laura and the larger learning and development team recognize the importance of mentorship in the new doctor journey. Strategically, new doctors are partnered with one of Aspen’s clinical team members to provide both clinical and soft skill training, like how to build relationships and become an integral part of the office without feeling like an outsider. She says she wants new doctors to feel like leaders from day one, and that is true of my experience.
The journey never ends
The doctor journey isn’t something that ends after a six-month touchpoint or a follow-up course. With access to a wealth of mentors, courses and immersive experiences, your journey is never really over. You’re always learning, and there’s always room to grow.
For example, I recently went on a service trip to Guadalajara, providing free care to underserved populations. I worked alongside extremely talented oral surgeons, prosthodontists, periodontists and other specialists, and I learned so much during that four-day trip that I have since incorporated into my practice back home. By embracing all learning opportunities, I’m growing into a better doctor.
Even as we grow from new doctors into more seasoned professionals, there’s still more to learn. Laura and the team have set up the Aspen new doctor learning journey such that education is tailored so that each doctor can learn at the right place, at the right time for both professional and personal development.
Embrace lifelong learning
It’s important for new doctors to embrace onboarding opportunities. Whether you’re working at a small private practice or a large DSO, take advantage of all the learning and mentorship you can. By immersing myself in the new doctor learning journey offered at Aspen, I’ve been able to accelerate my career growth beyond what I thought possible. I feel ready to start my journey as a practice owner in September.
As I grow in my career, I will be sure to continue to take advantage of all the learning opportunities and mentorship I can, as well as foster that same immersive environment for all the new doctors that come after me, so we can all learn and grow together.
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Marco Gargano, DDS, graduated from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Dentistry in New Orleans in 2023. After joining Aspen Dental as an associate, he quickly rose to managing clinical director, and will begin ownership of the Lee's Summit location in September of 2024.