When people talk about rural areas what do they mean?

[TheSandlapper]

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I’ve heard that some of the most lucrative areas are the rural ones. But I’m curious as to what that means. I consider myself as having grown up rural and I lived out in the sticks, if I climbed on my roof I wouldn’t have been able to see any houses. The biggest town in the whole county only had about 3,500 people and the county itself only had about 17,000 people if I recall. I asked on another website if it would be possible to practice in a town with about 500 people but no other dentists around for 20 miles in any direction and was told that was not nearly enough to support a practice. Is this true? Is my idea of rural just what someone else might consider strait up isolated?

 

[Molar Whisperer]

Usually dentists' perception of a healthy dental practice is having about 2000 patients. Starting your own practice in a town of 500 people can be risky since not all of them will come see you. If you can keep your overhead costs down and make the numbers work, you're free to take that risk.

I grew up in a "rural" setting of about 8k people with surrounding farms. Setting up shop can be lucrative due to need and lack of competition. IMO, the biggest obstacles and costs are logistics such as receiving supplies, equipment & lab support, etc. I'm sure many small town dentists have means to overcome those obstacles.

 

[Wahoowah]

Usually dentists' perception of a healthy dental practice is having about 2000 patients. Starting your own practice in a town of 500 people can be risky since not all of them will come see you. If you can keep your overhead costs down and make the numbers work, you're free to take that risk.

I grew up in a "rural" setting of about 8k people with surrounding farms. Setting up shop can be lucrative due to need and lack of competition. IMO, the biggest obstacles and costs are logistics such as receiving supplies, equipment & lab support, etc. I'm sure many small town dentists have means to overcome those obstacles.

This. And making sure it can be staffed. Even in a town of 200k people it's been hard to find quality team members like assistants.

Also, dentist/pop ratios can be really misleading. Based on the area if you have a lot of commuters, for example, they may be traveling to a bigger nearby town to get their dental care. If you're serious I would maybe talk to some of the demographics companies to get a better analysis for the areas you're interested in.

 

[Molar Whisperer]

This. And making sure it can be staffed. Even in a town of 200k people it's been hard to find quality team members like assistants.

Also, dentist/pop ratios can be really misleading. Based on the area if you have a lot of commuters, for example, they may be traveling to a bigger nearby town to get their dental care. If you're serious I would maybe talk to some of the demographics companies to get a better analysis for the areas you're interested in.

You're absolutely right on staffing difficulties especially during the pandemic. My DMO (Medicaid) company have locations in rural areas where they have to shut down due to lack of staffing (no dentists, hyg, DAs). Even desirable locations like mine are having major staffing problems in many industries. The irony is I have the best team in my 24 yr career. Since we're so efficient, we're taking those walk-ins in addition to our full schedules. If I lose any of my staff, I'll just pack up and retire.

 

[Saddleshoes]

My first practice was in a farm town of 2600 with a "draw area" of 7500, so I have some experience in this area.

------Here are some other rules of thumb to consider...
Is there at least one MD in town? (2-3 is better and are they young docs?).
Is there a drug store in town?
Is the there a high school with at least 250 kids?
Towns that are county seats are good.
Does the town have a Ford/Chevy garage?
Has there been a dentist in town in the past?
Does the town have an interstate exit?
Is there a lawyer (or 2) in this town?
Are there at least 3 restaurants/cafes in town?
Does the town have its own police department and/or ambulance service?
AND COULD YOU LIVE IN THIS TOWN?

 

[Molar Whisperer]

My first practice was in a farm town of 2600 with a "draw area" of 7500, so I have some experience in this area.

------Here are some other rules of thumb to consider...
Is there at least one MD in town? (2-3 is better and are they young docs?).
Is there a drug store in town?
Is the there a high school with at least 250 kids?
Towns that are county seats are good.
Does the town have a Ford/Chevy garage?
Has there been a dentist in town in the past?
Does the town have an interstate exit?
Is there a lawyer (or 2) in this town?
Are there at least 3 restaurants/cafes in town?
Does the town have its own police department and/or ambulance service?
AND COULD YOU LIVE IN THIS TOWN?

I encountered a lot of dentists who live 1 - 1.5 hrs away from the small town they work in. My Canadian classmate keeps telling me to do that. His practice is in a small town of 2k where he is the only dentist and he lives an hour away in the border city near Detroit. There can be many variables practicing in rural areas. The wise 2TH MVR witnessed Dental Corp invade those rural areas and they can change the practice dynamics usually for the worse.

 

[Saddleshoes]

I encountered a lot of dentists who live 1 - 1.5 hrs away from the small town they work in. My Canadian classmate keeps telling me to do that. His practice is in a small town of 2k where he is the only dentist and he lives an hour away in the border city near Detroit. There can be many variables practicing in rural areas. The wise 2TH MVR witnessed Dental Corp invade those rural areas and they can change the practice dynamics usually for the worse.

I'm not going to waste 2-3 hours of "Butt Time" in a car to commute to and from work!!!

I happen to like small town life. I elect to become an active part of the community in every way. I want people to know me and me to know them.
Being a cold, uninvolved, distant professional in not for me.

Small town folk will go to a "Commuter Doc" because they have no choice but they will LOVE and RESPECT the home town Doc.

 

[Molar Whisperer]

I'm not going to waste 2-3 hours of "Butt Time" in a car to commute to and from work!!!

I happen to like small town life. I elect to become an active part of the community in every way. I want people to know me and me to know them.
Being a cold, uninvolved, distant professional in not for me.

Small town folk will go to a "Commuter Doc" because they have no choice but they will LOVE and RESPECT the home town Doc.

I hear you. That "Butt Time" can never be recovered/regained unlike lost money/investments. I briefly worked with this out-of-retirement dentist. He had to retake his Boards from scratch because he didn't think he needed to work again and let his license expire. He told me he didn't want to see any of his patients at the grocery store and the like. During the time I was with him, he was a traveling dentist that had to go all over the state. He would never get semi-close to anybody. He doesn't have any kids and I wondered how his home life was like. I understand it can be beneficial to "not bring your work home," but he was the coldest dentist I've ever met.

Having grown up in a small town, I've observed and experienced the importance of community. Often we small town folks get overlooked and underestimated. We need community to piece together our identity. As I referenced before in other posts, it is similar to the movie "Hoosiers" where the whole town supports the HS basketball team.

 

[ElCubanito]

I live in a Rural Area. Small island, middle of the ocean, 15000 people. One Walmart and one SafeWay. Lots of little restaurants and foodtrucks. A tightknit community where everyone knows each other and is related to some extent. Great place to bring up kids, not a great place if you are single and ready to mingle. I would say not to move to a rural area because its more "lucrative" but because you like the small town life and activities surrounding it. Speaking for myself, I like to think I live on paradise...and my freezer full of Silver/King Salmon, Halibut and Crab reflects it.

 

[P7898]

Places where there is a Piggly Wiggly and it is the hottest thing in town.

 

[PerioDont]

I heard one doc tell me when there are more cows than people you are rural.