Fazeela Khan Osborne explains how to banish self-doubt with learning.
Self-doubt is common among dentists. One day you’re an undergraduate, the next, you’re taking care of patients, who have put their trust in you, your skills and knowledge.
Nothing can quite prepare a novice for those first few years of clinical practice. There is so much to learn, and yet people will often look to you as someone with all the answers. Imposter syndrome at work is feeling like you don’t deserve to be there, that you’re no good at your job and that anyone who thinks you are has been fooled. A patient with whom you just can’t connect with, who doesn’t say “yes” and/or who decides to make an appointment with another dentist can all be reasons for believing you don’t belong. Being a good communicator is crucial in dentistry, but this doesn’t come naturally to everyone. If you can’t seem to make positive relationships, this can be a major reason for feeling like a fraud.
Imposter syndrome will affect confidence and performance. If you start questioning every decision, this will inhibit your work. Once imposter syndrome has set in, it can be hard to shake off the feeling that you cannot live up to the high standards you have set for yourself, and the expectations of others. Even when you’re having a great week, you’ve got someone out of chronic pain, or you’ve delivered treatment that has the potential to change their life, if imposter syndrome has established itself, you might think, “I’ll enjoy this while it lasts!” Dentistry can be challenging and frustrating, but caring for people is fulfilling and intensely rewarding. We all have bad days, but when you stop enjoying what you do, for a prolonged period of time, it is time to step back, take stock and plot a route away from the spiral of self-doubt and negativity.
If you’re a novice dentist suffering from imposter syndrome, you may give yourself a pep talk, hoping this is a phase that will pass as you get more experienced and self-assured. But imposter syndrome is something that can affect clinicians with many years’ in practice under their belt, too. Perhaps someone in your old graduate class is doing incredible things and making a name for themself, and you are feeling left behind. Or maybe you don’t have the skills to deliver the treatments that people are asking for more and more, such as implant therapies. Maybe you wish you didn’t have to refer so many advanced cases out, and were able to treat more of your own patients comprehensively.
Be proactive in finding ways to improve your confidence. One way is to find a mentor. This could be someone you knew from your time as an undergraduate, or whom you work with now. Dental events can be a great place to broaden your network and make valuable connections, as can professional online forums. A mentor will guide and advise, and can be a sounding board if you need a second opinion about anything from a case, to whether to take a new job.
But the best way to manage self-doubt and banish feelings of imposter syndrome is to boost your skillset and gain a new depth of knowledge via additional training. To my mind, learning how to be an implant dentist will build on the foundation of everything you have achieved so far. You will become an even better all-around dentist, communicator, planner, leader and team player. As well as practical skills and techniques, you will gain confidence knowing that you are able to offer implant therapies to restore health, aesthetics and quality of life in people of all ages. The journey of an implant dentist is one of lifelong learning, as once you have completed postgraduate training, you can progress to an advanced programme to take on complex cases like full mouth rehabilitations.
Returning to study will boost confidence, especially if you find a programme that wants to nurture you and will connect you with a mentor. The implant programmes at The One to One Implant Education take this approach, as well as being delivered by a team of prestigious dentists and educators. Getting hands-on is often the best way to learn, and the courses, which are aimed at novices, with a further advanced programme which delegates can progress to, have a significant portion of live surgery from day one.
Even the most eminent dentists suffer from imposter syndrome! The stakes are so high in modern dentistry that it is normal to occasionally feel that you can’t live up to expectations. The problems come when it inhibits you, leaving you wondering if you made the right career choice. The industry needs motivated, inspired, talented and skilled clinicians. Surround yourself with the right people and keep learning to become the dentist you know you can be.
For more information call 020 7486 0000 or visit https://121implanteducation.co.uk