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I wanted to start a thread to give people ideas on how to go about reaching out to dentists and find "unlisted" or "word of mouth" opportunities once they graduate. As we all know, when if comes to general dentistry, "It's not the grades you make, but the hands you shake." Networking is how you'll find the great jobs where you'll learn a lot. I started my junior year thinking that there were absolutely no opportunities in the area I wanted to practice, but this was not the case at all. I'll explain how I found the offers I have been given. I should mention that I was not involved in many extracurriculars, and I performed in the bottom half of my class for academics (but towards the top of my class in clinic).
I also invite others to share how they came to find their particular opportunity.
Let's start with corporate:
-You don't need to do much to get hired by Aspen, Heartland, Pacific, etc. Many of these companies will do lunch and learns at your school, selling you on the idea of making a guaranteed salary and paying off your student loans. I sent a resume to Aspen and got a phone call the next day with an offer. These are the easy jobs to get, and they will have their available positions listed on their websites. If you want to make money and get fast, there is nothing wrong with going this route. Just make sure you aren't compromising your treatment philosophy.
FQHCs:
-These clinics will often visit your school your senior year and give you information about working in a community clinic. Good way to pay back loans, and are often a "sure thing" if you can't get another job. In my state, many require a 3 year contract, and will pay $30k per year for 4 years towards your student loans. They typically pay $80k+, in my state it's closer to $120k. For someone like me, who wanted to own a practice as soon as possible, the 3 year commitment made this a no-go. I would never forgive myself if the perfect practice went on the market in the middle of my commitment.
Private Practice Associateships:
-If you aren't tied down to one location, you options really open up. Companies like Dental Placement Pros work with established dentists seeking the right associate for their practice. I heard about this company through Mark Costes, so you can bet that the dentists using this service have a successful practice. I personally did not go this route, because I am tied down to one area.
-Dental Town has classifieds, but make sure they are recent posts - I've seen ads over 2 years old.
-If you know the area to want to practice in, get on the state's ADA component website. (Mississippi Dental Association, Florida Dental Association, etc). They will usually have a classifieds section. This is a good place to start. I went one step further and contacted someone from my state's dental association and asked for an email list of everyone in the district dental association that I would be practicing in. I emailed everyone 60+ years old with a cover letter and my CV, and got a few responses that way. You can also just send a letter and CV via post mail to these practices.
-Brokers. Find out who the brokers for you area are and contact them. Some of their sellers may be willing to bring you in as an associate with eventual buy-out.
-Shadow. I took time off school to shadow at least one dentist every month. I chose to shadow dentists that were at least 60 years old. If your school has pictures of old graduating classes, take a look at the dentists that graduated in ~1974-1980 and reach out to some of them to shadow. Take this opportunity while you're still in school and not seen as a competitor. Ask the dentist about their what their ideal transition out of practice would be.
-REPS. This was THE MOST beneficial relationship I have made so far. I contacted the 2 Patterson reps in my area and met them for drinks one evening. They each provided me with a list of their dentists that were looking for associates or looking to retire. A combined total of nearly 20 dentists in my area. I could have contacted the Schein reps as well for more opportunities, but did not go that route. The reps even offered me a chance to ride around with them all day stopping by all their dentists offices. Very friendly, helpful people. Please, please make use of your reps. It's win-win, if you work for or buy out one of their clients, you'll be their client as well.
Don't accept the first offer you get just because you think you won't find another one. I was considering working or corporate back in June when I thought I wouldn't find anything else. But since then, I have spoken to reps and brokers, and dentists have emailed our school asking for 4th years to go meet them. These offers will come eventually. Don't accept the first one, but also don't wait until May to sign a contract. The longer you postpone signing anything, the more leverage the employer has, knowing that you're desperate.
For other 4th years that have a job lined up, or for recent grads, please share how you found your job so other students can get an idea which avenues to pursue when searching.
I also invite others to share how they came to find their particular opportunity.
Let's start with corporate:
-You don't need to do much to get hired by Aspen, Heartland, Pacific, etc. Many of these companies will do lunch and learns at your school, selling you on the idea of making a guaranteed salary and paying off your student loans. I sent a resume to Aspen and got a phone call the next day with an offer. These are the easy jobs to get, and they will have their available positions listed on their websites. If you want to make money and get fast, there is nothing wrong with going this route. Just make sure you aren't compromising your treatment philosophy.
FQHCs:
-These clinics will often visit your school your senior year and give you information about working in a community clinic. Good way to pay back loans, and are often a "sure thing" if you can't get another job. In my state, many require a 3 year contract, and will pay $30k per year for 4 years towards your student loans. They typically pay $80k+, in my state it's closer to $120k. For someone like me, who wanted to own a practice as soon as possible, the 3 year commitment made this a no-go. I would never forgive myself if the perfect practice went on the market in the middle of my commitment.
Private Practice Associateships:
-If you aren't tied down to one location, you options really open up. Companies like Dental Placement Pros work with established dentists seeking the right associate for their practice. I heard about this company through Mark Costes, so you can bet that the dentists using this service have a successful practice. I personally did not go this route, because I am tied down to one area.
-Dental Town has classifieds, but make sure they are recent posts - I've seen ads over 2 years old.
-If you know the area to want to practice in, get on the state's ADA component website. (Mississippi Dental Association, Florida Dental Association, etc). They will usually have a classifieds section. This is a good place to start. I went one step further and contacted someone from my state's dental association and asked for an email list of everyone in the district dental association that I would be practicing in. I emailed everyone 60+ years old with a cover letter and my CV, and got a few responses that way. You can also just send a letter and CV via post mail to these practices.
-Brokers. Find out who the brokers for you area are and contact them. Some of their sellers may be willing to bring you in as an associate with eventual buy-out.
-Shadow. I took time off school to shadow at least one dentist every month. I chose to shadow dentists that were at least 60 years old. If your school has pictures of old graduating classes, take a look at the dentists that graduated in ~1974-1980 and reach out to some of them to shadow. Take this opportunity while you're still in school and not seen as a competitor. Ask the dentist about their what their ideal transition out of practice would be.
-REPS. This was THE MOST beneficial relationship I have made so far. I contacted the 2 Patterson reps in my area and met them for drinks one evening. They each provided me with a list of their dentists that were looking for associates or looking to retire. A combined total of nearly 20 dentists in my area. I could have contacted the Schein reps as well for more opportunities, but did not go that route. The reps even offered me a chance to ride around with them all day stopping by all their dentists offices. Very friendly, helpful people. Please, please make use of your reps. It's win-win, if you work for or buy out one of their clients, you'll be their client as well.
Don't accept the first offer you get just because you think you won't find another one. I was considering working or corporate back in June when I thought I wouldn't find anything else. But since then, I have spoken to reps and brokers, and dentists have emailed our school asking for 4th years to go meet them. These offers will come eventually. Don't accept the first one, but also don't wait until May to sign a contract. The longer you postpone signing anything, the more leverage the employer has, knowing that you're desperate.
For other 4th years that have a job lined up, or for recent grads, please share how you found your job so other students can get an idea which avenues to pursue when searching.
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