Preparing properly

Phil Broughton shows how to get the most out of your career.

Preparation is the name of the game if you want to succeed in dentistry today. Within the ranks of the dental practice, meticulous organisation and attention to detail are essential. Our surgeries are prepared each day for the treatments we are expecting to perform and we prepare each tooth painstakingly before every procedure. Bookkeeping, tax returns, employment law; clinicians are exposed to a minefield of rules and regulations on a daily basis, all of which must be regimentally adhered to.  However, when it comes to tackling the bigger picture, our job satisfaction and future career paths, we begin to venture into unfamiliar territory. 

Dentistry is often a solitary career and dentists rarely get the chance to meet their fellow colleagues, share ideas and discuss relevant issues. Unfortunately, there are too many dentists out there who, for whatever reason, are dissatisfied with the status quo but don’t know how to put their situation right. I’ll be the first to admit that whilst hammering away at the coalface it is not easy to set time aside for personal betterment.  Nevertheless, to really get the most out of their careers, I firmly believe all dentists should spend some time planning their clinical, financial and personal goals, even if the plan only spans the next 12 months.