Everyone Needs a Mentor

In the 15 years I have been in Rowley, there has not been one time when I have wished I lived anywhere else. My wife is from Indiana, and every time we go out there to visit, the scenery has changed. The population has grown tremendously over the 20+ years I have been going out there. And the stores……you would not believe the amount of shopping plazas there are. I always wonder how so many stores can survive with all of their surrounding competition. Everything is new, there are tons of golf courses, the church is much more active, etc. However, I still always love coming back to this area and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.
It is the same for my profession. Despite the many challenges of this profession, if I could do it all over again, I would still choose to be a dentist. I didn’t decide to go to dental school until late in my senior year of college. People ask me all the time, “What in the world made you decide to look inside of mouths every day?” Believe me, I asked myself the same question when I decided to apply to dental school. It was a last minute decision. When I am asked that question now, I tell people that I don’t look at it like that. I guess it is my approach. I see myself as an educator and a health care provider who wants to help people decide to what level they want their health to be.
For a dentist, and for that matter anyone in any profession, to be successful, they must know themselves and have standards they are able to communicate with passion and energy. One thing is very clear, behavior, with its impending results, is a choice. We make choices every minute of every day. What we choose to do with the paths presented to us is a choice. Being frustrated with your job, trying to copy others instead of discovering yourself, as well as dental care, is a choice.
All dental care is elective. There is nothing that you have to do. That is what makes this profession the most fun and rewarding for me. If you are a dentist who worries about how much of a particular procedure you do or tries to sell dentistry as a commodity, you will become frustrated. That is why there tends to be a high burn-out rate in this profession. It should be about education. It should be about people and caring about their health. If you care, they will come.
If you, or if you have kids in high school or college who are wondering about what to do with their life, introduce the possibility of a career in dentistry. Ask your dentist if they would talk to you or them about the profession or even do mentorship.
Having said that, I had someone ask me recently if my son (a high-schooler next year) showed any interest in dentistry yet. He has not and really needs more education and life experience to think about what to do with his life after school. Although I would not discourage him from choosing dentistry as a profession, I am forcing myself not to push him in any particular direction.
Mentorship and internship are important for every person considering a profession. Just as choosing the dental care you receive, the more information you have, the better it is for you to make a decision about what is right for you as an individual.
I mentioned this in a column a while ago, but if you a high school or college-age student who needs help with direction, there is a great program to consider in Scottsdale, AZ. For more information check out www.youngandmotivated.com.