How long have you talked about change without really getting anywhere? That used to be me. All I did was talk, talk, talk about how I wanted to find a new career, or quit dentistry, or finally be happy and have fun in my life. I was all talk and no action. I didn’t know what to do or how to do it. No matter how often I googled “other jobs dentists can do,” it never led me anywhere. The problem was I was too scared to take even the tiniest baby step forward. Playing it safe kept me stuck...
Want to know my best tip for finding alternative careers for dentists? Stop asking everyone else what they do outside of dentistry! I know that sounds counter-intuitive, but the truth is, the question never works. Instead, you end up with a list of ideas, none of which sound good at all. I see this happen all the time in my Facebook group and with my clients. Plus, that used to be me when Google was the only resource available. I would find myself on the endless roller coaster, vacillating between obsessive googling of other career options and deciding to settle...
How long do you need to stay stuck in indecision before you decide it’s worth changing? I had a conversation with a friend the other day about the idea of “thinking about it.” She was wanting to make some changes in her life, and when faced with an option, she said she wanted to think about it. The thing is, she’d been thinking about it for years now. She was in a constant state of indecision. Our discussion got me thinking about a time when I was stuck thinking about things in my life. The timeline is impressive– and maybe...
As I was nearing the end of my daily morning walk with Nolabees the other day, I thought, “I can’t wait to be done with this walk.” I was a little shocked by it, and I immediately became curious. What was going on with me? I love my morning walks, especially in the summer. I get to start the day with some movement, fresh air, quality time with my dog, and the freedom to listen to any podcast that I want. It’s my time that is truly dedicated to taking care of myself. Besides, early summer mornings are so full...
You’ve heard me say it before… many dentists often believe our skills are so limited, that we can’t even imagine starting a side hustle. Something happened to us in dental school that made us believe that. We started getting tunnel vision. The only path we could see moving forward was the traditional full-time gig, practicing clinical dentistry. We thought that would give us the picture perfect life: freedom, respect, and being of service. That’s great when it works out, but for many of us, we get here and realize something is missing. By that point, we’ve invested so much in...
Read about the one and only NEXT Dentist Career Design Conference on March 13th 2021 to help you explore non-traditional or non-clinical careers! If you’re like many of the dentists I know, you may have wondered what are some alternative careers for dentists. I’ve been searching for this answer for years. It seems to be the elusive question that no one in our industry can answer. Even now if you search this on Google, there is no clear cut answer about what options we have outside of clinical practice. The ADA has a list of different ideas, but even if...
Because my training in dentistry was so specific, I have no other skills. Have you thought that before? I have, and I hear that all the time from other dentists! I thought it for much of my career. This thinking kept me stuck for years. It made me believe that I had no creativity and no options. Over time, I learned that this belief wasn’t true at all. After working with a career coach, getting therapy, and doing a lot of personal development, one day it hit me like a ton of bricks! I suddenly realized the truth: Dentistry is...
My favorite part of dentistry was always creating the positive and fun relationships with patients. In fact, the good relationships may have been the only thing I liked about practice. I’ve always enjoyed connecting with people. Unfortunately the actual practice of dentistry got so hard for me that I lost sight of that for a while. Now that I get to help people while filling my own bucket, I remember how important connecting with people is to me. Since I’ve begun coaching, I have had the chance to connect and get to know the most incredible people– mostly dentists, of...
When I look back on my career in dentistry, the parts I loved the most were networking and creating relationships with other dentists. Working in private practice was not that fulfilling for me. I always felt burdened, like I couldn’t do enough to please my patients. That left me feeling empty and unappreciated. But when I went to the Pankey Institute to try to save my career, I absolutely loved the learning environment and the friends I made. When I got involved in the local dental society, I loved the sense of community that brought. Now that I am hosting...
In January of 2018 I started a new series of interviews titled Celebrating New Beginnings. Each week I featured a dentist or hygienist who had an innovative dental career or made a career transition outside of the traditional roles in private practice. It was really fun to highlight how other dental professionals were finding career happiness. Life got in the way, and I had to shift gears for a bit, but now we are back! I often focus on dentist career changes, and today I’m excited to highlight a hygienist’s career change. Welcome my guest, Amy. Amy grew up in...
