Two years ago we interviewed recent graduate, Dr. Khash Gharavi, who was working at three practices and pondering what the future might hold for him. Like many young dentists, he was keeping himself open to many opportunities. He’s still open to options, but he’s starting to narrow his focus.
Dentistry provides a world of possibilities.
When I was president of the Federation of Canadian Dentistry Student Associations (FCDSA), I got exposed to a world of possibilities and learned from incredible leaders across the country. In a sense, organized dentistry inspired me and made me realize that I’m the captain of my own ship. I graduated from dental school with that exact mindset.
When you start to practise, your hunger for exploration only increases.
You can work as much or as little as you want, and where you want, discover the procedures you enjoy and are good at, consider a residency, look at practice ownership, perhaps move to a smaller community, or explore other options entirely.
Your second year is when the picture becomes clearer.
Dentists find where their niche is, where they want to be in five years and how they can contribute to the community. A lot of my friends are starting to look at longer-term goals and do the planning they need to achieve them.
It’s also a time to re-find your balance.
Dental school is not the healthiest time of your life, physically or mentally. After that whirlwind, and my first year working at three practices, I’ve been able to take more control of my time. It’s been great to reclaim some balance in my life, which is very important to me.
Being open to possibilities has led to something unexpected—and exciting!
I’ve been working at a practice where the principal dentist is great about showing me how the business is managed. We started looking at ways to improve our patients’ experience and access to care, which led to a business partnership where we’ve developed a new online platform called Brilliant.dental.
We’re improving access to care while increasing efficiency for dental offices.
Brilliant.dental is a cloud-based platform that empowers dentists to create and manage their own membership plan and offer affordable dental coverage directly to their patients. In addition, patients can go online anytime to see available slots and book their appointments. It’s great! Patients can also use it to pay electronically, and for dentists, managing a recurring subscription revenue has never been this easy. The beta phase with about fifty practices is nearly complete, so we’ll be introducing it to the wider market in the fall.
There are three things that are important to me in evaluating a future path.
- Will it be meaningful and enjoyable?
- Will I have an impact beyond my own satisfaction?
- Will it be scalable? Short-term projects may be interesting, but not ultimately rewarding.
With Brilliant.dental, I’m meeting all those yardsticks… and more.
A lot of young dentists think a financial plan is just for retirement.
Being open to opportunities means you’ve got to have your financial ducks in order. I worked with an advisor from CDSPI to create a financial plan. I told her my goals and how I felt about risk. She put together a plan that gives me the flexibility to pay off my student loan while investing. I definitely recommend a financial plan for younger dentists—it’s a lot easier to look ahead when you’re standing on solid ground.
I continue to value my relationship with CDSPI.
CDSPI is always taking the pulse of the dental community. Currently, I continue to contribute as a member of their national Advisory Panel. When I was president of the FCDSA, I valued CDSPI’s continuing sponsorship. Now that my career is progressing, I rely on them for investment advice and insurance. It’s a trusted relationship that I expect to continue for a long time.