how would u answer this interview question

[Iampredent]

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would you offer free dental work to someone who couldn't pay for it? i would say yes but someone told that schools want to hear know, not sure why tho

 

[Mrbubbles]

saying YES would be a straight up lie.

as a dentist with your own practice (who is allowed the choice to see someone for free)..

u have rent to pay, expenses (supplies) that are NOT cheap, student loans to pay off, need money to pay your stafff...

so..honestly, as much as you WANT to see and treat a patient (ex): a rct + crown = >1000 dollars), you really can't cuz during those 3 hours, u could have treated someone else and made more money...

so that's why schools wnat to hear u say NO. but give a damn good reason why u wouldn't..

if u worked/shadowed a dentist, u will see how busy it can get..and how stressful it is when there are slow days..

 

[Hysteria24]

You can set up a "yes" answer differently. I had a dentist that did free work for kids every Friday morning. They were referred to him though a community assistance program that screened for needy families. Granted he had been out of school for a while and wasn't struggling to pay off school loans. You can say that you would like to setup something like this once you get established. By answering that question in such a way, you can show off both your altruistic and pragmatic sides.

I also worked with a dentist who was only a year out of an expensive school, yet would volunteer 2 nights a month to work in a for free dental clinic at nights.

If you care that much, you can make these things happen.

 

[DDSguyLA]

well, since its my life, my practice and the schooling which I PAID for.. then it would only be my choice. I personally would DO IT, if I was sure the patient had a very hard time paying for it and the work was needed to be done ASAP.

I can't believe some people would... well, whatever... Its their choice as well.


😉

 

[Contach]

saying YES would be a straight up lie.

as a dentist with your own practice (who is allowed the choice to see someone for free)..

u have rent to pay, expenses (supplies) that are NOT cheap, student loans to pay off, need money to pay your stafff...

so..honestly, as much as you WANT to see and treat a patient (ex): a rct + crown = >1000 dollars), you really can't cuz during those 3 hours, u could have treated someone else and made more money...

so that's why schools wnat to hear u say NO. but give a damn good reason why u wouldn't..

if u worked/shadowed a dentist, u will see how busy it can get..and how stressful it is when there are slow days..

wow this is terrible.
if you imagine your life being this bad once you become a dentist.. why are you even bothering?

3 dentists i've known all give apart of their week to do free procedures. and none of them think twice before they do it. I see it as coming with the territory of being a health care provider...

 

[Quattro DMD]

would you offer free dental work to someone who couldn't pay for it? i would say yes but someone told that schools want to hear know, not sure why tho

Well, you could also refer them to a dental school clinic where they only have to pay half price, or refer them to a community health center in their area. You could just do the procedure and take the loss if it was an extraordary circumstance (tax write off????).

I know a dentist who's patient base was up to 40% Medicaid patients. Now most dentists don't accept Medicaid because the reimbursement is so low and you actually lose money by performing the procedures. So he just charged all his other patients more money to make up for the difference. If you truely have a good heart and you really want to help someone you can figure it out. Besides empathy is great quality to have a health care professional.

 

[djeffreyt]

Almost every dentist I know has given away free care at some point...though not always to the needy. The idea that if you give away any free care it is some kind of horrific detriment to your practice is a little silly. Yes, certain procedures can but should not be given away for free...stuff that incurs significant time or lab fees should be charged, at minimum, the expenses of the fees and your assistant and staff time. Other things like simple fillings, it's hard to find a dentist out there who hasn't given away a filling to a friend for free, and it didn't break them.

The key is setting yourself up for doing charity while not destroying the business. The way the dentist mentioned above who worked Fridays for needy kids is an example of a dentist, who after he or she became established, found a way to open the practice up for charity in a way that worked for her or him.

As for an interview question...it's best to just be honest, but to be realistic. Let the interviewer know that at first, right out of school, you probably won't own your own practice and thus cannot just give away care, furthermore, you'll have loans to pay and an initial practice to build. Let them know what you plan to do in the future...though that is individual. If you decide to go into private practice, then let them know what you envision as far as being charitable and whether that includes free or at-cost work at times and how.

 

[doc toothache]

If a ps is peppered with claims of volunteerism and concern for the underprivileged one might he hard pressed to say no to some free dental treatment.

 

[supraman]

If a ps is peppered with claims of volunteerism and concern for the underprivileged one might he hard pressed to say no to some free dental treatment.

So do you work as a "dentist"?

 

[glk2101]

is this not equivalent to saying would you accept medicaid patients?

 

[Mrbubbles]

wow this is terrible.
if you imagine your life being this bad once you become a dentist.. why are you even bothering?

3 dentists i've known all give apart of their week to do free procedures. and none of them think twice before they do it. I see it as coming with the territory of being a health care provider...

im not tryig to be horrible at all..there is such a difference between the OP's question vs "would u treat others for free (children that need selents, fillings..a simple extraction)..of course i would do the latter!! i'm talkin about ONE person who enters your practice with no money, needs an molar rct + crown..that s alot of work my frined. but of course i would set time off ( a day or evening) to do volunteer work outside of my practice, that's what i plan to do when i get out of school...

 

[visbimmer79]

I will say nope.

But, before I say that........I will undergo several steps.

 

[E Nigma]

I would say yes, and then when they ask why, I'll respond with the classic:

The Bible tells me to.


coughpwnedbyjesuscough

 

[doc toothache]

So do you work as a "dentist"?

You mean "work" vs acting like one?