POV: there’s no such thing as YOU’RE JUST…

May 20, 2024

I had a conversation with one of my past hygienists. We stay in touch, though our partnership has ended. She wants to grow into other opportunities in and out of the clinic, but kept saying, “I just have…” as she reviewed  her “limited” credentials and experience. That’s the way some of her colleagues made her feel. Mind you, she is an amazing hygienist. 

What do you do if someone addresses you with a statement that starts with, “You’re just a…?” What if you say it to yourself?

> “You’re just a dental assistant.”

> “You’re just a dental hygienist.”

> “You’re just a front desk person.”

> “You’re just an associate dentist.”

Unfortunately, this is common in dentistry. It happened to me, once upon a time. I was heading operations of a large practice, practicing dental hygiene as needed, coordinating the in-house laboratory and managing a full technological overhaul (on top of other responsibilities). During salary renegotiations, I was told  “You’re just the front desk.”

For me, there were only two options: be bullied into submission or turn it into an opportunity to change my situation.  I chose the latter. Choosing the latter was not an easy decision. Admittedly, there were times when I thought, “I’m just a dumb hygienist. What do I know about…”

The latter choice meant taking on new responsibilities, getting education outside of dentistry, networking, offering to manage events and training, learning new technology, researching new industry products and walking away from the familiar and secure.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to enriching a clinical career or transitioning out of the clinic. There are some key pointers though.

> Do you want to stay in the clinic and enhance your experience? You'll have to put in the effort: learn new technology and products, stay in touch with your community and take on new responsibilities to sharpen your soft skills. 

> Do you want to get out of the clinic? My answer is the same.

Next time someone tells you, or you tell yourself, “You’re just a…” remember it’s only true if you allow it to be.

With new partnerships in bloom (it’s May after all), I look forward to what lies ahead.