Dental school graduates commonly bear debt amounting to 100k-300k. Loans are due 30 days after graduation. Many choose to consolidate and extend payments over 30 years, much like a home mortgage. This debt cannot be liquidated by bankruptcy.
Many states will suspend the dental license if payments are late.
The pressure is great to find a job and start paying off the loans. Credit history is immediately at risk.
The recent graduate was eager to graduate and earn the degree of Dr., but
reality comes home with every mail that comes in from the banks.
A car, a house, a spouse, how do you face the American dream?
The corporation has offered the recent graduate a lifesaver in the form of an opportunity to practice the profession without worrying about office overhead. Just make and receive compensation as directed by the regional supervisor (who is not a dentist).
“Our dentists earn 200k a year,” he says. “Register today and rest assured that you will have a bright future with us.”
These were the words they said to me. I bought my dream job. Just to find out was an illusion. Instead of not sleeping because of debt, I couldn’t sleep because I refused to
about diagnosing, about treating and buying in the corporate model.
They paid me 28 percent of my production. I was evaluated throughout the day and at the end of the workday, as well as weekly, monthly, and quarterly.
The regional supervisor (who was a dentist) advised me twice in three months and told me that I was not getting enough crowns. He informed me that my crown to fill ratio was unacceptable. He informed me that I should make 4 crowns for each filling. This means that he was asking me to over-treat and diagnose. They wrote to me and gave me instructions to “stick with the program.” They told me that if my numbers did not improve, my future with this company was questionable.
Not long after, I contacted a practice broker and found a private practice to buy.
Now I am in private practice and I sleep like a baby. I am proud to have made a difficult move, but I do not regret it.
Unfortunately, corporate dental offices keep popping up everywhere and it will take some time for them to disappear. People will discover for themselves that the corporate model does not have their best interests in mind.
I am happy to share this article with you and hope you pay close attention as you are your own advocate. Trust your intuition, if it doesn’t seem right, it’s okay to seek a second opinion. Ask for detailed explanations and diagnoses, then do your research on the internet.
Best wishes for you!
