3 Tips for New Grads Looking for Their First Opportunity in Dentistry

Today’s blog post is an article shared with us by Larry Dougherty, D.M.D.  I have known Dr. Dougherty since 2010 when I placed him with a group practice in San Antonio.  He has since gone on to own and operate a successful private practice, Rolling Oaks Dental, with his wife Ana Ferraz-Dougherty, D.M.D.  Both doctors graduated from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL.  Dr. Dougherty is an active member in the ADA, TDA, and the San Antonio District Dental Society.  He is currently the Chairman for both the TDA’s and SADDS’s Committee on the New Dentist.

Dr. Dougherty regularly publishes articles on his blog for new dentists to gain insights and tips.  He has been gracious to allow us to share one of his recent articles on our blog. 

-Carl Guthrie, Senior Dental Recruiter, ETS Dental, cguthrie@etsdental.com  

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Original article found at “3 Tips for New Grads Looking for Their First Opportunity in Dentistry.”

Congratulations to everyone that is graduating dental school this month. You’ve worked hard and earned the privilege to be called a doctor. While it feels like an ending, it is truly just the beginning. Now is when the fun really starts. Many of you have chosen to do a residency, join the military, or join a family member’s practice. I didn’t do any of those things so I don’t have much to comment about any of those paths. Personally, I graduated from dental school and started replying to classified ads on Dentaltown. That was my first step, and it landed me my first opportunity. In future blog posts I’ll get into more details on my thoughts about corporate vs. non-corporate opportunities. For now, let’s just focus on a few basics that apply no matter which route you take.

1.  Find a Recruiter

There are recruiting agencies that help offices looking for dentists find them, and you need to be in touch with them. I ended up here in the great state of Texas with a little help from Carl Guthrie at ETS Dental. You tell the recruiters what you’re looking for and they help you to find it. These people are highly knowledgeable about what is out there and can provide some valuable advice. It also saves you a lot of work. The best part is you don’t pay them a penny, the recruiting dentist is the one who pays for the service...

Click here to continue reading the full article on Dr. Larry Dougherty's blog