This article is in addition to our previous article talking about the questions you need to ask for your Dental Job. This is a guest article from Carl Guthrie, our friend and a dental recruiter from ETS dental since 2007 elaborating on few more important questions you need to ask your employer. Read about Carl's experience below.
1. What are your (employer's) treatment philosophies?
This is key to a successful relationship with your employer. If your philosophy and the practice’s do not mesh then you are doomed to fail from the beginning. Is the practice conservative in its treatment planning or do they try to get a crown on every patient? If you are a new dental grad you are still developing your overall philosophy, but look and listen for things that may not fit with your goals or beliefs.
2. What would be expected of me as an employee; what role would I be expected to fill; would I be limited to certain types of cases, such as endo or pedo, etc.?
Knowing your place in a practice at the very beginning can save you from a world of heartache in the future. If the practice owner (or senior doctor) gets first pick of the high production work and you get the fillings and kids then it is not going to be a fruitful nor long-term relationship. Make sure you can benefit by receiving an equal share of the work in the practice.
3. Tell me about your patient base: families, geriatric, pediatric, etc.
Important because you want to know if the dental care you enjoy providing or are competent in providing is a good fit. Families are the most popular because you get to be a true General Dentist. Geriatrics will involve mostly extractions and dentures. Pediatrics will include lots of sealants, pulpotomies, stainless steel crowns, and extractions. Not to mention behavioral issues you as a dentist will need to have the temperament to deal with and control.
4. What demographic changes have occurred with your practice in the last ten years? What changes are on the horizon?
The population of the U.S. has shifted all sorts of ways over the last hundred years. Is this practice in a developing suburb with a strong influx of new families with young children? If so you have a population base that will be stable and grow over your career.
5. Do you actively market or depend on referrals?
This question is great to follow how many new patients do you get per month. A healthy practice needs at least 40+ new patients per month per doctor. If the practice is only seeing 40 new patients per month then Marketing is vital. Find out if the practice will market. Also, don’t forget to ensure that the practice pays for the marketing!
6. What kind of equipment do you use?
It is a good question, but not one to necessarily base your decision on. Equipment can be bought, updated, replaced, etc. I have never seen a doctor quit his/her job because the practice didn’t have digital x-ray. He/She left because there was a bigger issue with the owner/management.
7. Where do you see the practice in five or ten years? What are your personal and professional goals? What are your goals for the practice?
An owner/company with vision is one you want to be with for a long time. If there is no vision or goals then there is no plan. If you start working there you will probably leave in the next 6 to 18 months.
8. Are you referring a lot of certain types of case out of the practice?
Great question because if you excel in any service that is not currently being offered you can almost instantly build production for yourself and the practice. The best example I encounter on an almost daily basis is molar endodontics. Most “older” dentist never got into molar endo. However, they are willing to jump at the chance to bring aboard a doctor who has that skill set. Other highly marketable skills are implant placement, pedo, orthodontics, and impacted 3rds.
9. What specific things are you looking for the new Associate to bring to the practice?
This question helps to make the interview all about what the owner/company needs/wants in an Associate. The worst thing you can do in any interview is be self centered and self serving. Make sure you are always focused on the practice and how the practice can benefit from having you aboard.
Thanks a lot Carl.
MedAbroad wants to thank Carl Guthrie for this guest article.
Carl is a Regional Account Executive and Dental Recruiter for ETS Dental.He has been serving as a Dental Recruiter since August 2007.
Carl has B.A. in Marketing and Legal Studies from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Carl has placed over 100 General Dentists across the Western United States, and has counseled thousands of dental students, associate dentists, and practice owners.
Contact information: 540-491-9104 | cguthrie@etsdental.com | www.etsdental.com
