The rewards of volunteering with Dental Lifeline Network

I began working with Dental Lifeline Network about four years ago. I was introduced into the program by my father who has been a volunteer for many years. One of my Dental Lifeline Network patients was an elderly woman who had been to many other offices without success. She had numerous health challenges and was receiving treatment for… Read More »

Get on that rocket ship to reach new career heights

Blogger Sampada Deshpande, D.D.S., author of the book “Persevering,” earned her dental degree in 2018 from the University of Washington. She is a recipient of a fellowship in the American College of Dentists, American Dental Association 10 Under 10 Award and Academy of General Dentistry 10 to Watch honor. Dr. Deshpande founded and hosts meetings of the New… Read More »

The lingering paradox of Asian American dentists: Reflections on my AAPI heritage

When supermarket aisles were first taped and marked with unidirectional arrows to avoid crowd-crossing during the COVID-19 pandemic, I turned into an aisle without taking notice. An elderly woman bursted in my face: “You went the wrong way; I don’t know if you are sick!” Caught unexpectedly, I was shocked and angry and then realized that my Asian… Read More »

Finding your perfect match as an associate

There is no better feeling or accomplishment than finishing dental school. We all work tirelessly for hours a day just so we can make it to “the good side” or the days of working as a “real” dentist. But is working as a “real” dentist truly “the good side” when you land yourself a horrible associateship? When I… Read More »

The myth of work-life balance and finding your peace

During my journey in dentistry, one of the phrases I’ve heard ad nauseum refers to work-life balance — this mystical and mythical concept of being able to juggle it all. Much is asked of us in this profession. We are expected to be business owners, practice leaders, team players, role models, and that’s before you add in the… Read More »

Identify your values to create the future you want

My fascination with personality typing began in college. I was invited to join a group of fellow student leaders for a session on the “Strengths Finder” book and assessment. We each took the assessment and were presented with our top five strengths. Mine were discipline, analytical, connectedness, learner and positivity. The insight was nice, but more than anything,… Read More »