I can’t help but notice that there is a large percentage of new dental graduates that struggle with their decision to become a dentist. It is commonplace to list debt, poor training in dental school, and few opportunities when they get out. But about every third post on dental web sites concerns stress, burnout, money, and upset patients. A literal hailstorm of catastrophe. They mention that independent dentists, as opposed to a DSO, are unwilling to hire them. They tend to believe that they deserve a job where some senior doctor will mentor them. On the other hand, successful offices shy away from hiring a new graduate because of their obvious lack of clinical training, along with what they believe is a short-sighted belief from new graduates that instant gratification and entitlement are something they should supply. Both parties are wrong but there is definitely something missing in the attitudes and training of recent graduates along with the negative attitudes some practice owners have for the recent dental graduate. This level of discouragement, fear, and lack of competency after graduating dental school seems to be a consistent component of social media sites for young dentists. It’s time to address the 800 lb. gorilla in the corner of the room and talk about this attitude of discouragement and dismay.
Discouragement can be difficult to identify because it often masquerades as something else. It can wear the disguise of frustration, leading us to believe that our best efforts will never result in anything useful. It can cloak itself in fear of failure, making us think that we might try but won’t ever accomplish the things we dream of. Or, it may wear the costume of self-pity, causing us to think that no one has it as tough as we do. How do we deal with such a destructive enemy that hides behind these false fronts? We need to be able to uncloak discouragement in all its disguises and take heart in the fact that the root of a lot of discouragement is how we look at life. It is said that happiness is when life exceeds our expectations. If true, you need to ask yourself why your expectations are in such opposition to the actual situation you find yourself in. Shift happens and change has been the one constant that each of us must adapt to or suffer the consequences. What got you here will not take you to the next level in dentistry.
Now, it’s been over 50 years since I started my career in dentistry, but I can clearly remember the doubt and uncertainty that was never far from my thoughts as I strove to be the best dentist, leader, husband, dad, and friend I could be. I remember the times I came up short, and there were many. In fact, one definition of an expert is someone who has failed more than anyone else in their chosen profession. I can assure you, these lessons were hard, but I wouldn’t change a thing. I can also assure you that in those times when I fell short, but got back up, there were lessons I needed to learn that then catapulted me to being better at anything I chose to attempt.
Sir Winston Churchill, the legendary politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War, once said, “Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence is the key to unlocking our potential.” The way I see it, we can’t rest on our victories; neither can we wallow in our defeats. We all fail, and sometimes our failures can demoralize us. But even in failure there are benefits to be gained and progress to be made. Some lessons can only be learned in failure, and a day is never lost if a lesson is learned. Failure is often a path to success if we persevere. Basketball great Michael Jordan understood this well. He once said, “Failure always made me try harder next time.” It makes me smile when I remember the radio and TV jingle about Jordan: “I want to be like Mike.”
As we encounter our ups and downs, it’s helpful to remember this: “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm”. Winston Churchill.
Too many generations have been conditioned to believe that if we show up late, on time, or just make an appearance we will be rewarded. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Choosing the right path is a process, not a single moment in time. In fact, I believe that there are many paths to success. Things change and life happens. Shift happens, so we need to understand that our part in this is adapting and moving on.
People fail because they give up on what they want most, so they can have what they want now. I believe this sentence is true and very short-sighted when we order our careers this way. Entitlement and instant gratification are the actions of the mediocre trying to look like a winner. Like the many who live beyond their means while appearing to have everything going well. At the beach, you don’t really know who is naked till the tide goes out. It takes the passage of time to be able and look back and assess your growth and quality of the path you have taken. Take solace in knowing that persistence is a game changer. You can’t lose if you continue to act and adapt.
“Life is tough… but it’s much tougher if you’re stupid.” John Wayne
I really don’t like the word “stupid”, but maybe, just maybe, it has a place. I remember that as a third grader it was the worst possible insult on the playground. Its use is not very sophisticated in communicating your angst. You run into someone by accident, and the response from the aggrieved is: “you’re stupid”. It was the go-to adjective for putting someone in their place. With that said, I do believe that intelligent people can be “stupid”, if we define stupid as lacking common sense or being foolish – doing or believing something that is a limiting belief. Some of the most intelligent people in the world could be considered stupid in some areas of their lives. With this in mind, I want to talk about how the dental climate has changed and how few people have made the adjustment in their strategies and practice of dentistry to compensate for a constantly changing dental environment. It is this lack of recognition, and taking the appropriate actions, that will doom most average practices to a mediocre financial future. Basically, you could be like a hair circling the drain, totally unaware that the current is drawing you down a deep dark hole.
One of my favorite movies is Forest Gump. One of his come backs was “stupid is as stupid does”. Let’s take a peek at “stupidity” as it was meant in this movie. The phrase that the protagonist uses to defend himself from the attacks of those who offend him conveys a profound meaning: People are not stupid, but it is their behavior or actions that makes them so. The phrase suggests that it is not enough to simply appear or claim to be intelligent, but one’s actions and decisions must also reflect intelligence in order for it to be genuine. Bottom line is that it saddens me to hear that these newbie dentists are so down on dentistry without even striving to get what they want most in life. This is stupid.
The challenge is understanding that anything worth doing is up hill. It is not going to be easy. There is always a cost to success. Everything in life has an overhead, a price you must pay that, if not paid, leads you to failure. Every plan and action will ultimately have a cost or overhead to executing it. The successful are willing to pay the price. They are willing to look at others and adjust their own trajectory to go beyond those that have gone before.
We’ve mentioned the “Debbie Downers” of dentistry already, but there is the other new graduate on social media. There are those that are “killing it” from their comments and advice but seem to fall far short in actual reality. They have great self-images for no apparent reason. These same people seem to be the ones with the most to say and the least to offer. This creates a “Barbie” mentality: some mystic idea of perfection in the dental arena. All these comments come from some of the most intelligent people in world; dental school graduates. It seems that the current of advice ebbs and flows but tends to move in the same direction from different perspectives. The solution is to be an employee, or don’t be an employee, be an owner, don’t take insurance, be a fee for service office, etc. You get the idea: a pendulum of opinion that tends to stress the idea of totally opposed strategies for success. With anything we do, there should be a way to keep score. A definitive, black and white score card, so each of us can know if we are in the game to win. But not so fast. When we discuss how to keep score, there is an obvious assumption. In any competition or game, there are winners and there are losers. Thankfully, in life, you get to define what is a win, as well as when you fall short. Never compare your score with others.
Let’s talk about how you got where you are now. Good grades, competitive attitude, good schools, and consistent performance got you into college, and you persisted. Then YOU GOT INTO DENTAL SCHOOL. Getting in may have been easier than getting out and making things work for you. Grades got you in, but what got you there will not ensure your success in the dental field. Real success in business is not about grades (that was high school and college), it’s not about being more intelligent than the next dentist. People skills, leadership, some depth of business management acumen, and an entirely different way of pursuing your goals will ensure your future.
Jon Gordon in his latest newsletter explained a positive tip: The #1 Predictor and Factor of Success. “Angela Duckworth, the foremost researcher on grit, identifies grit as the number-one predictor and factor of success. It’s not talent, title, wealth, or appearance. It’s grit, the ability to work hard for a long period of time towards a goal; to persevere, overcome, and keep moving forward in the face of adversity, failure, rejection, and obstacles. Success doesn’t happen overnight. Along the way a leader and team will face countless challenges and will need Grit to find a way forward, and this begs the question. If Grit is so important and individuals and teams really need Grit, then what is it? And, if Grit drives us, what drives Grit?”
This may be your path to success: Grit, what is it?
It’s driven by love. Inspired by vision and purpose. Fueled by optimism and belief. Powered by faith and hope. Revived by resilience. Kept alive by stubbornness. And if we are honest, includes some fear of failure and a desire to prove oneself.
Michael Abernathy DDS
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972.523.4660 cell