Mindful starts: navigating work for new graduates
Many new graduates will be embarking on their first weeks in dental practice, with a range of emotions – excited, scared, anxious and hopeful. It’s important to remember that this is a path well-trodden – every dental practitioner who supervised you at dental school, acted as a mentor or who is now your employer – embarked on this same journey.
Of course, knowing that doesn’t make it any easier for you. But sometimes it’s reassuring to know that you are not alone. And you won’t be, with perhaps close to 1000 new dental graduates commencing their professional life this month.
Here are some tips to help guide you through these first few months:
Focus on quality – it’s easy to fall into the trap of the numbers game – how many patients per day or dollars per week. But if you focus on achieving good quality outcomes for your patients (the reason you became a health professional in the first place), then these others things will come in due course.
It’s a marathon – this sounds a bit trite, but it’s true. You have your whole career ahead of you, and you will continue to build your skills over time. There is no requirement to get fast quickly.
Time management – even though you shouldn’t focus on speed, it’s still important to manage your time. Running late will just cause you anxiety, so be realistic about how long it takes you to complete procedures, and try to manage your appointment book accordingly.
Take regular breaks during the day – these first few months can be intense and overwhelming, and you will be seeing more patients in a day than in dental school. It’s important to remain fresh and focused, and a couple of regular breaks throughout the day will help.
Eat well and stay hydrated – this is important for your physical and mental wellbeing, so make sure you take a lunch break and have something healthy and nutritious.
Ask for help – this is a good sign of strength and maturity, not weakness. You are not expected to know everything straight away. Asking for help is important for life-long learning, and also to help avoid mistakes.
Find time for fun – make sure that you take some time at the end of the week to get away from dentistry and relax.
Focus on sleep – sometimes worry about a patient or procedure the next day can cause anxiety and a sleepless night. Establishing and maintaining a good sleep routine means that you will be fresh for the next day.
Try not to compare yourself with others – either at work, or with your classmates. The only competition that you should have is you, and that competition is only about improving yourself. Comparison is the thief of joy – constantly worrying how you compare to others robs you of enjoying the things that you are actually achieving now.
Define what success means for you – it might be mastering a clinical procedure, taking a holiday or buying a new car. Measure yourself against your goals, not anyone elses.
Embrace the unknown – turn the tables, and be open to the new challenges and experiences that are waiting for you. This is a great mindset to foster resilience and lifelong learning, both essential to a long career.
Prioritise your mental health and wellbeing – don’t be afraid to seek professional help, and do the things that help you recharge and avoid burnout.
Remember that work is there to support your life, and not the other way around. Ensure that you establish boundaries early on in your career, and have a clear vision of what work-life balance looks like for you. Your identity should be more than just being a dental practitioner. And most importantly, make sure you enjoy these first months of your exciting new career.