A Solopreneur's Journey

“It was as though the pain was never there!!”

Remarks like this from a patient smiling from ear to ear as she said it, are what makes being a dentist SO rewarding, bringing a depth of happiness far beyond anything I thought possible when I was in medical school.

Acquiring an independent practice has been a tremendous learning experience, and it continues to teach me something new every day. Running your own practice comes with total freedom and total responsibility. You could be sweeping the floor, prepping a crown for a patient, extracting a tooth, and filing paperwork, all before 2 PM on a Thursday.

In my research (and this is limited to my personal research only), there are no medical schools that teach the running of a business. We are not educated enough about dental insurances, sending claims or how to run a dental practice accepting insurances. This is why several dentists go on to do an MBA after dental school to educate themselves on how to own and run a business, train staff, and be a leader.

Being a great dentist does not translate to being a successful business owner, and being smart at business does not translate to being a good dental practitioner. There is a constant need to effectively juggle time and effort on the business as well as the professional dental side.

Work-Life Balance

“When you are at work, work as if you have no family. When you are with family, act as if you have no work”.

This philosophy helps me compartmentalize my time and energy balancing a busy work life with my family and kids. I institute a “do not call” policy, so that I don’t get calls from home when I am at work, and don’t get calls from work during my time at home. All of this gets thrown out during an emergency, of course. I’ll come in to open the clinic on a weekend if a patient is in severe pain. Likewise, I will rush home if there is a family emergency. One must always have flexibility and contingency plans in place.

Preparation

The best productivity hack that I’ve found is being prepared. Taking the time today to be prepared for the next day. Whether it is a complex procedure for a patient or a family event, I like to take the time to do my prep. Preparation reduces fear and stress and switches the mind to performance mode.

Asking for Help

We are very powerful human beings and can achieve amazing things, however, asking for help is a strength and not a weakness.  I have realized that burnout is very real unless we get the required help from the right people as and when needed.

Face Your Fear

Stepping out of your comfort zone is scary. Running a solopreneur practice can be terrifying at times. But every day, I get to face my fears and do my best. Fear is a part of life; it’s a good habit to remind oneself that one still needs to perform under fear. When we do the hard things, life starts to become easier. 

Know Your Why

The philosophy I carry with me is to take care of my patients and trust that everything else will take care of itself. I enjoy interacting with my patients, and always call the next day after a procedure to check on them. But, being dedicated to the well-being of the patient also means saying a very respectful but hard no to their requests sometimes, if it is not right for them from a medical perspective.

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