Column Word of mouth with Dr Paul O’Dwyer


Advice to all new graduates


I


t’s that time again. The black gown and coloured hoods have been carefully returned to the outfitters – in my time it was McGinley’s on Bandon Road, which is still open and


providing robes to UCC graduates. With the recent changes to the


foundation training year, Irish graduates are finding opportunity in the UK almost impossible to access. With that, they are looking further afield at Canada, Australia and even Singapore. However, no matter where we end up


practising, there are some key pieces of advice that are core in starting out. I chatted with some colleagues recently (in advance of this column) and asked them for their ‘top tips for new graduates’. There seems to be broad consensus that


regular breaks are essential. Take a day off every six weeks or so. I was told this by my own first principal (a regular reader of this column). It’s good advice – if you can stick to it. How many of us book off an afternoon, only to find a ‘denture ease’, a ‘crown fit’ or occasional ‘pain’ slipped in? Once the red line is through the day – leave it there. Another piece of advice – regular health checks. The job is hard enough without failing to take care of yourself. We often focus our whole attention on our own patients, and rightly too. However, we serve neither them nor ourselves if we let our own health and wellbeing decline. Most older dentists will complain


of back pain, and a recent lecture on physiotherapy at the IDA conference highlighted this point. The dental chair gets a lot of attention in each surgery – not so much attention is focused on the operator’s chair (or indeed the assistant’s chair). Take the time to look at these, your back will be grateful. Other nuggets of advice include that


three-letter word we are all embarrassed to mention – tax. How many of us have worked hard, paid


off student debt, bought a new car etc, only to find a significant tax demand some ı2 months later? This is where self-discipline comes


into play. It is unlikely that, after years of student living, new graduates will have the discipline to save for tax. But, if you are reading this, do it – you’ll thank me. You can end up in that Dante’s third circle of hell – borrowing for tax – which is a difficult cycle to break. Just ask any dentist over 40. The mundane advice is also very pertinent. Sickness benefit cover is hugely important. I remember one of my own classmates was in practice only four months and went on a ski trip. He returned with two broken legs and was out of work for three months. Having this cover was vital. There are many products on the market – have a look at them all. It will provide an income (however limited) which will allow you to pay bills. We all know CPD is vital. This will


become ever more pertinent with the upcoming Dentists Act. I do realise that the last thing new dentists want to do is study again. However, aside from CPD, the meetings/lectures provide a social network with colleagues. One of the hard things to get used to in starting practice is the availability of friends and colleagues to bounce ideas off (clinical and otherwise). Gone are the days of being surrounded by 35 would-be dentists. Get to know the staff. Your entire future


is dependent on team work. Sometimes this is lost in training at undergraduate level – where the focus (rightly) is on clinical excellence. However, in general practice, particularly in your first job, getting to know reception and nursing staff


Ireland’s Dental magazine 17


is key. These staff members have usually been at the ‘coal face’ of dentistry for a long time. They will provide insight into patients, their histories, their expectations and will also provide a good barometer for the practice as a whole. Final piece of advice, which I will


address in another column: buy a dental camera. Having a pictorial record of the unusual is essential. How many dentists have told stories of cases where the most dramatic condition presented, only to see it lost to follow-up and with no pictures? I bought a Yashica Dental Eye in 2000. Some 6,000 photos later, I have a library of the weird and the wonderful. It provides a great opportunity for lectures and talks – but also for educating patients who believe that they have “…the worst mouth ever…”. I wish the class of 20ı4 the very best in


practice – and look forward to seeing them at conferences and lectures in the months and years to come.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52