My New Dentist Life: Quick observations

By | September 25, 2015
Dr. Hobart

Dr. Hobart

Editor’s note: This is the latest article in a New Dentist Now blog series, My New Dentist Life, following a new dentist’s first year experiences out of dental school. The views expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author and are not intended to reflect the views, positions or policies of the ADA or the New Dentist Committee. To read previous articles in the series, visit ADA.org/mynewdentistlife.

Just some quick observations two months into my new dentist life:

1.  It is difficult to come into a practice as a new associate when the previous associate was there for over two and a half years and the staff has already learned their likes and dislikes.  Speaking up and letting your staff know what you like is very important!  It makes life so much easier for everyone. It is also important to make it known that you are not the previous dentist and that “Dr. _____ used to do this” comments are unhelpful and kind of inappropriate.

2.  I saw this meme the other day and I had to laugh out loud because it totally described my life:

Paycheck

Paycheck?  What paycheck?  Even though I am two paychecks in, I definitely don’t feel like I’ve “made it” yet.  Primarily because most of my paycheck immediately goes to pay off the many debts that I incurred before or during dental school or during my waiting period between graduation and starting work. Although it is weirdly satisfying to finally be able to pay your bills.  Is this what being an adult feels like?

3.  Dental school has started up in full force again and it has been a little bittersweet for me.  I am still very mentally involved in dental school being that I have several friends who still attend. I also am still an active part of the American Student Dental Association and try to lend my advice whenever possible as the Immediate Past District 10 Trustee and a past ASDA chapter president. I definitely miss being involved and I am working on being more involved in the SCDA. I also was able to sign up to volunteer at ADA Mission of Mercy, which is during the ADA annual meeting this year and I can’t wait to participate! Please comment if I’ll see you there!

Dr. Emily Hobart is a New Dentist Now guest blogger and an estranged Canadian who grew up in Glendale, Arizona, where she attended dental school at Midwestern University. She is now finding her way as a new dentist in Columbia, South Carolina. In her free time, she loves running, rock climbing, pub trivia, karaoke and traveling!

4 thoughts on “My New Dentist Life: Quick observations

  1. mesadental

    Many Many congratulations for a new life and best of luck for the future as dentist. you might be wondering why people hate dentist until they know them well. after visiting clinic for most of the time in the month. But you know its awesome but irritating too, at the same time. You cannot get away with the excuses of your patient. Your very own regular patient can cause a headache. But please don’t get me wrong. I don’t hate my patient instead I like them very much as they are the reason of my salary that we all get for and make us happy.

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  2. Marvin S. Langford

    A very informative article for both children and adults, including some really simple and helpful tips from selecting a right toothbrush to cleaning teeth in a proper way and how to imporve your teeth health and how to enhance oral hygine and get rid of some really damging habits which are just creating an extra pressure on your teeth and can possibley ruin your health slowly and steadily.

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