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The route from 1st year BDS till the 4th year BDS is nothing less than the effort that is required to cross a mountain without any gear.
By the time 4th year finishes the youthful exuberance of being a doctor gives way to the stark reality of the situation that we find ourselves in. Options get really very limited. Either one has to do PG and then open a clinic or straight away one has to start the clinic.
Though one would ideally like to believe that the success and failure in the field of dentistry is based on merit (and of course there are cases like that) but most of the time it depends on the pedigree rather than the talent. Government seats being so less in number, the students who get through real merit for MDS are in few hundreds. Private sector seats are almost charging now 7 to 8 Lakhs per year. So, for the students not without a strong financial background, it’s a tough position.
As soon as a dentist graduates, he/she is faced with a tough decision. Obviously the best scenario is in being able to pursue a PG degree. But, this is not always possible as mentioned above.
So as soon as plan A (PG seat) is not feasible one needs to shift to the plan B.
Whether it is going for government service or setting up a private practice is something you have to thoroughly think about before reaching the crucial conclusion.
But getting a government job also requires a certain period of preparation.
A bachelor’s degree with that one-year internship should have prepared you for the vagaries of being a dentist. Some of the best dentists are the ones with only a bachelor’s degree. They have reached the pinnacle of their profession through the dint of hard work & constant self-examination.
But many a times its not possible as not all the students in BDS colleges get equal amount of exposure to various treatment modalities. And even if a few lucky ones do get a chance to look some important procedure being done by staff, its of practically no use unless they get a hands on experience on the patient themselves.
So in all probable cases its always preferable to go through short term courses aimed specifically at targeted clinical practices like Implants or Cosmetic Dentistry. That in a way gives idea, confidence and the requisite skill to start a clinic with courage.
In case funds are low to do the short term courses then one could try senior internship or working under someone who has an established practice. This way you can prepare yourself for the road to your own practice. Of course it might take some time as it all depends on how much the senior doctor is sharing with you and how much you are able to gather.
Finally the day comes when you r all ready to set up your practice [at least mentally Image may be NSFW.
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Once you do decide to set up your own office, there are certain things that should be kept in mind >>>
1) Location
2) Investment
3) Partnership or Individual set up?
If you have been to any of those business seminars that are constantly going on, you would have become familiar with the importance of location. The marketing gurus are right. A good location does give your clinic a fair amount of visibility. That always helps because in the early days of your practice you want to be able to reach as many people as possible. Once you have got the location scouted the next step is investment, easily the most important consideration.
A really entry level good set up will cost you around 3 – 4 lacs (INR). This is inclusive of the chair, x-ray equipment & other normal armamentarium. One thing that has to be kept in mind is that there has to be plenty of room for you, your staff & the patients to move about. I have been to clinics where the space is so congested that the dentist himself cannot move. So keep plenty of space to have a pleasant environment. A visit to a dentist is considered very stressful so having a pleasant ambience should get rid of the butterflies.
Finally, keeping in mind the exorbitant costs of upkeep, you should consider taking in a partner. This is purely a personal decision. But having a partner will lessen the initial financial burden that you will have to work under. Most people do prefer opening the clinic in partnership. But personally I feel that its better to open a personal clinic 1st and when it catches up speed then start consultations. But some other dentist may have some other idea. These all keeps changing along with the situation.
Once the clinic picks up speed door opens to make more money like tie ups with pharmaceutical and dental material companies.
One needs to treat the dental set up as any other service providing industry and always keep the business sense tight and smart (of course with a little bit of heart!)
A private dental practice, no matter where the set up, is a pretty lucrative one. And the satisfaction that you get out of administering a successful treatment is immense. Work towards building up a good reputation for yourself, that way you will be able to attract patients, no matter what the rest of them say.
Last but not the least, life as such is very stressful now a days. Society is getting highly competitive & as is human nature “ more & more selfish”. This all puts tremendous pressure physically as well as mentally. So learn to be content & love your family members & get love from them. Also as time proceeds, start doing social causes. All these social ventures (that is done without the hope of any gain) will give you immense happiness as you start aging. Also pick up some hobbies & learn them.
So that’s in a nut shell every thing and yet at the same time nothing about setting up a practice. We may write as much as we want about dental practice but in the end we need to get down in the water to learn how to swim? !
I am not an expert my self. Am just 26 Years old doing my final year MDS. And in no way am an expert in managing a clinic. But I had the luck of interacting with many successful students & dentists. And through these interaction one picks up many points that are valuable. So , to all my fellow dental warriors , start your journey and make good memories along the way.
My sincere wish that we all have a day like the one in the picture below : ) Hallelujah … Show me the money : )
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