It is often said that being a dentist is a commitment to life-long learning…i.e. your education doesn’t stop when someone hands you a diploma at graduation. With the readers’ permission, I would like to amend that thought as follows: Upon retirement from practice, your obligation to educate extends to mentoring those who follow. Webster’s dictionary cites the definition of doctor to include “a learned or authoritative teacher.” I believe that obligation is ours forever.
When I sold my practice and moved into the purchaser’s practice, I kidded that I now have Staple’s button that doesn’t say “That was easy” but rather “it’s not my problem anymore!” That may be true for the administrative issues of running a practice, but I am “all in” when it comes to education, and even before I sold my practice, I was always involved in education whether from the podium, webinars, podcasts, writing, having students “shadow me,” or working with recent graduates.
Today’s young practitioner spends too much “screen time” on education and is not involved in enough with “over the shoulder” or peer-to-peer education. I am a firm believer in “live” education and enjoy working as a preceptor in my local hospital’s General Practice Residency (GPR) program. In my situation, I meet weekly with four talented young dentists that are seeking additional training as they embark on what I see in them – a successful career. Practising for over 49 years has taught me many valuable lessons far beyond rudimentary and necessary dental school education. The brief time we spend in a formal dental school education is just not enough but certainly a necessary beginning. My humble view is that dental school teaches us vocabulary, residency teaches us how to form sentences, and that upon completion one moves into the private practice setting whereby you can now have a conversation.
For those contemplating leaving the private practice sector, I would ask you to consider some sort of mentoring position. This position can be through a post-doctoral program at a dental school or a GPR program. Consider offering to host a breakfast meeting, lunch and learn, or cocktails and conversation session in coordination with the local dental society, alumni association, or dental fraternity. The interaction with those most recently educated, and those of us with years of experience, can be quite rewarding for both parties as well as the patients we serve. Your legacy should not be the last filling or crown you placed, but rather helping to shape the future of oral health by guiding those who will continue to impact the patients we serve.
What I have learned from family, friends, and colleagues is that the secret to maintaining a sound mind and body is twofold: physical exercise and mental acuity. How better to help yourself than by helping others at the same time? Whether as a volunteer, or paid a stipend, consider giving back to the community by fostering the next generations of practitioners and sharing your learned wisdom. Perhaps you will benefit most if they become your dental health provider!
About the Author
Dr. Glazer is a Fellow and Past President of the Academy of General Dentistry and a former Assistant Clinical Professor in Dentistry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY. Most recently, he received the Irwin Smigel Prize in Aesthetic Dentistry, presented by the New York University College of Dentistry for “Distinguished Achievement in the Art and Science of Aesthetic Dentistry.” He lectures throughout the United States, Canada, and overseas on dental materials, cosmetic dentistry, forensic dentistry and patient management. He maintains a general practice in Fort Lee, NJ, and is the Deputy Chief Forensic Dental Consultant to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner, City of New York.