Johnny Minford is the principal of Minford, specialist dental accountants and members of both the National Association of Specialist Dental Accountants & Lawyers (NASDAL) and Association of Specialist Providers to Dentists (ASPD).
We know that almost a third of female dentists are considering opting out of dentistry in the next 10 years – and that’s excluding retirement – according to a survey recently carried out by Minford Chartered Accountants.
Why is this and what can be done to help relieve dentists’ disillusionment, to keep them in the profession and feeling confident about their future?
The challenges ahead
There is no doubt that dentistry is a rewarding career, especially when one is looking to achieve to a high standard but also have the flexibility, for example, to take an extended period of time out for family needs, such as maternity leave. However, there is clearly more going on, since so many women are unsure that they want to be working in dentistry in 10 years’ time.
The challenges are many, but include the rising admin demands as well as the insecurity of a changing world – like the potential for a revised NHS contract. Many a principal – rightly or wrongly – fails to consider the concerns of dentists who need to juggle work and family life beyond what we might very loosely indeed call the ‘9 to 5’.
When put like that, it seems clear, does it not, that there are valid reasons why many dentists are feeling overwhelmed as they struggle to cope with ever increasing work duties alongside relationship demands and meeting children’s needs? Even the idea of trying to find a work/life balance can be stressful in itself!
Because of all of this, in the not too distant future there is a good chance a high percentage of female dentists will choose to leave the profession entirely, some will expand their private book, and others will swap over to practise private dentistry exclusively.
Taking back control
Whilst each avenue brings its own challenges, worries and – not to be overlooked – opportunities, what they all have in common is a need to plan strategically – well in advance – as part of the decision making process, as well as set objectives and monitor appropriate key performance indicators (KPIs) to achieve success.
For example, creating a framework to capture work done on a monthly basis, as well as a targeting and monitoring system that facilitates the management of team members within the practice, can provide the principal with a support structure to give peace of mind that things are under control and on track.
The same goes for putting systems in place to stay on top of the CQC, GDC and UDA requirements, to name just a few of the initialisms weighing on dentists’ minds! This, then, will allow the clinician to spend more time doing what they enjoy − focusing on treating patients. This feeling of being more in control relieves pressure, makes life easier, and avoids many of the situations that may otherwise make dentists want to leave dental practice entirely, which is often an ‘escape’ option rather than a thought through decision.
It is always better to be running towards something than away from it! While we understand that there are many aspects of dental practice that can seem overwhelming, there are definite benefits that other roles just can’t offer the career minded woman looking to balance work and family.
Where else might you be able to direct your own schedule to fit in with the school run and poorly children, and not to forget the ability to dip in and out of your career for potentially long periods of time, for example for maternity leave, without losing too much ground.
There are options to help overcome a flagging career or disillusionment, other than packing it in. For example, why not plan for your future proactively by rejuvenating your clinical career and booking onto new courses, adding a new skill set, moving from associate to principal, or looking into moving from NHS to private practice or vice versa? In addition, as we have touched upon earlier, make sure you organise your working life so that you can have a good life outside of the practice without adverse consequences – sensible plans can make all the difference.
Whatever your position and thoughts, we can counsel and advise, create and analyse the alternatives, and help formulate a personalised plan for you, seeing it through to fruition of the goals.
Professional partnerships
What each of the challenges mentioned here share is that to get the most from your dentistry and home life – wherever you are in your career and personal relationships – you need a professional partner that is capable of getting involved in all sorts of development, marketing, motivational and directional work.
Now is the time for you to take back control and make the most of your talents and education and that’s where Minford comes into its own. We know, for example, that one of the reasons a large number of the ‘want to leave’ dentists are on the precipice is because of the (arguably) uncontrolled and apparently superfluous material that comes their way from somewhere on high, leaving them feeling overwhelmed.
Being able to organise effectively and delegate efficiently to turn ‘unknowns’ into the expected and achievable can make all the difference. If you would like our team of experts who understand from many years of working hand in hand with clinicians’ problems to help you do exactly that, please visit www.minford.eu, email pam@minford.eu, michelle@minford.eu or sophie@minford.eu, or call 01904 414471.