GPR/AEGD vs. Private Practice

[guttapercha113]

Hello everyone,
Any advice is appreciated!! I am a 3rd year dental student and am trying to figure out my plans for post graduation. I wasn't necessarily planning on doing a GPR, but I am worried I won't have enough experience when I graduate. As far as practicing, I would like to do restorations, crown/bridge, endos, and a lot of cosmetic dentistry. I wouldn't mind placing implants but that's not as important to me. I am on here to ask whether you think I should go into a private practice and try my best to keep up for the first few years and learn via CE courses or if I should do a GPR/AEGD. I have wanted to find a good mentor, but realized that is very difficult- as most dentists hiring associates would prefer to take the load off of themselves and not necessarily mentor/teach.

I also am not sure if I would be disappointed in a GPR/AEGD, because I don't think they would teach that much of what I'd want to learn besides endo and fixed prosth. I also have not had as much experience or patients as students in the past may have due to COVID which makes me think I'd need a GPR.

Please let me know your thoughts! I am pretty unsure where to go from here.
Thank you so much

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[Pablo Sanchez]

Hello everyone,
Any advice is appreciated!! I am a 3rd year dental student and am trying to figure out my plans for post graduation. I wasn't necessarily planning on doing a GPR, but I am worried I won't have enough experience when I graduate. As far as practicing, I would like to do restorations, crown/bridge, endos, and a lot of cosmetic dentistry. I wouldn't mind placing implants but that's not as important to me. I am on here to ask whether you think I should go into a private practice and try my best to keep up for the first few years and learn via CE courses or if I should do a GPR/AEGD. I have wanted to find a good mentor, but realized that is very difficult- as most dentists hiring associates would prefer to take the load off of themselves and not necessarily mentor/teach.

I also am not sure if I would be disappointed in a GPR/AEGD, because I don't think they would teach that much of what I'd want to learn besides endo and fixed prosth. I also have not had as much experience or patients as students in the past may have due to COVID which makes me think I'd need a GPR.

Please let me know your thoughts! I am pretty unsure where to go from here.
Thank you so much

I'm personally going straight out to work. There are definitely some benefits to doing an AEGD/GPR. More structured environment. You still have lectures. Access to specialists who are there to teach you.

But what I personally feel is that a large majority of these programs don't really teach you things that are relevant to clinical practice. Learning to work in a hospital doesnt really transfer over much to private practice, and they're still doing a lot of basic bread and butter dentistry in these programs. Why make $60k per year doing bread and butter dentistry when you can make $200k doing the same thing? You're still going to learn and get better with every procedure you do in private practice.

 

[guttapercha113]

I'm personally going straight out to work. There are definitely some benefits to doing an AEGD/GPR. More structured environment. You still have lectures. Access to specialists who are there to teach you.

But what I personally feel is that a large majority of these programs don't really teach you things that are relevant to clinical practice. Learning to work in a hospital doesnt really transfer over much to private practice, and they're still doing a lot of basic bread and butter dentistry in these programs. Why make $60k per year doing bread and butter dentistry when you can make $200k doing the same thing? You're still going to learn and get better with every procedure you do in private practice.

Thanks so much for your response!! Are you going to work with a family member, private practice or in corporate dentistry? Thanks!

 

[Pablo Sanchez]

Thanks so much for your response!! Are you going to work with a family member, private practice or in corporate dentistry? Thanks!

I had options both with corporate and private, but will be moving forward with a private office.

 

[PerioDont]

It depends on how you personally feel in your abilities.

imo a good AEGD/GPR is necessary for someone who is not confident in their dentistry.

Its not about learning implants but rather getting competent at the day to day procedures and seeing 8-10 pts/day.

Otherwise you may learn by fire in corporate when handed a full schedule on day 1