Alternative Career Paths in Dentistry

1. Alternative Career Paths in Dentistry What if I don’t want to own a business? Eric Childs, DDS

2. Who Am I? General Dentist in Coldwater, Mich. Private Practice owner Aspiring Marathoner Husband and Dad

3. What have I done? • High school teacher • Associate dentist • Dentist in a Federally Qualified Health Center • Private Practice owner

4. Options… • Residency programs • Research • Dental Education • Associateship • Indian Health Service • Public Health Service Commissioned Corps • National Health Service Corps

5. Residency Programs • AEGD or GPR • Most are tuition free with a stipend of varying amounts • Some require taking call and working weekends • Many are in based in hospitals or clinics • VA: http://www.va.gov/dental/residency.asp • Can use Match or apply directly in some cases • Some states use the residency year as a qualification for a dental license

6. Residency Programs • Specialty Programs • Vary in cost and time • Many are competitive and require using the Match service. (http://www.natmatch.com/dentres/) • Fewer positions available

7. Dental Research • Most commonly require an advanced degree in addition to a dental degree • Lab research • Tied to grants at a university • Expected to pull in monies for the university • Clinical research • Generally tied to university, but not as significant as lab research • Harder because typically the researchers have little or no formal training

8. http://careers.dentalresearch.org/jobseeker/search/results/ • http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/CareersAndTraining/CareersinDentalResearch/

9. Dental Education • Job market is vast, but many positions require a PhD or specialty degree • Pay is low if not full time, and even when full time • Part-time pay is low • Sometimes classified as “courtesy faculty” • Difficult for a new dentist with low pay (one source said $40,000/yr for new general dental faculty)

10. Dental Education • Tenure Track • A set amount of time to “prove” you are significant to the university • Publishing, research, academically • Evaluated at end of time limit. If not approved, can be terminated

11. Dental Education • Clinical Track • Less demand on research • Salary can be low • Contractually agreed upon appointment • Time spent in teaching, research, and service • 60% teaching, 20% research, 10% private practice for example • Benefits provided vary widely

12. Associateships • Vary widely in pay, expectation, opportunity, and structure • Buy in/buy out • Employee • Production vs collection • Salary • Some work well, others do not

13. Indian Health Service • Federal health services for American Indians and Native Alaskans • Loan repayment up to $24,000 per year for a two year commitment • Only health professions loans • http://www.ihs.gov/dentistry/

14. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps • Uniformed public service position • Similar benefits to military personnel • Two year commitment, possible loan repayment • GI Bill at termination of service • http://www.usphs.gov/profession/dentist/

15. National Health Service Corps • Loan repayment program available • Two year commitment at an approved site—usually in shortage areas at FQHC or other community clinics • Awards depend on HPSA score (healthcare professional shortage area) • http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/

16. Family Health Center of Battle Creek FQHC Eligible for NHSC loan repayment http://www.fhcbc.org/

17. Other options • Group practice • Corporate Dentistry • Hospital Dentistry • Humanitarian Dentistry • http://www.who.int/employment/en/index.html • http://www.medmissions.org/ • Many other opportunities

18. Questions?

19. Thank You!