What Young Dentists Need to Know about Private Practice

May 17, 2017

Robert Pick, D.D.S., M.S., is the principal of Progressive Periodontics & Implants, as well as the dental consulting firm, the Pick Group. Pick has made his career in dentistry by becoming a dental entrepreneur. As a result, he's learned a few lessons along the way. In this clip, Pick explains what young dentists who are entertaining the possibility of private practice need to know.

Interview Transcript (Modified for Readability)

“In my first year of practice, the biggest lesson was dental school does not prepare you for the business world of dentistry. And I’m one who went straight into my own practice with a partner. I never was an associate. We did it cold. I made every mistake in the book financially, business wise with my team. You are unprepared. My advice to young clinicians is, be an associate for a couple of years. Learn the ropes. If you’re going to go out and become a dental entrepreneur, hire the right consultants and find the right mentors to get you where you need to go.”

“My lecture today was [titled] Powerful Secrets. Somewhere in the middle, a slide comes up, ‘Here’s what most dentists read’ It’s Dentistry Today, Dental Economics, The Journal of the American Dental Association, The International Journal of Periodontics and Restorative Dentistry. And that’s great. You have to keep up with that.

But we’re running a business today. And there’s business journals and motivational journals that also have to be read. I believe Harvard Business Review is absolutely fantastic. Right below that, Success. Success Magazine is absolutely amazing, you will never be disappointed. Every one of my team members gets it. I bought it for them as an annual subscription.

Below Success, Money. And it goes from there. There’s Entrepreneur, Fast Company. These business journals, if you read them, you’re going to gain a lot just by reading it. And your whole practice elevates.”