By: Shannon Patterson, CPR, CMSR
Kolbe Certified™ Consultant
Director of Practice Opportunities
Our first “Residents-Only Live Webinar” was a huge hit! We interviewed Dr. Nic Bisig and he provided exceptional insight and guidance to attendees regarding associate opportunities. He explained the different types of practices/models, income expectations, production-based incentives, digital platforms, and most importantly how to engage with a team to ensure your success. If you didn’t have the opportunity to attend, we hope you will be able to join us next month. We wanted to share Dr. Bisig’s final thoughts and career advice from the webinar with young doctors as they are job searching as we feel it is spot-on for a successful orthodontic career!
Dr. Nic Bisig’s Words of Wisdom
1. Find a mentor if possible. One that is a strong clinician and one that is a leader. It doesn’t always have to be an orthodontist.
2. You don’t need to be a trailblazer. Come in with ideas, but be prepared to practice similar to your employer.
3. Focus on your craft! Learn to get consistently great finishes. The first five years out of residency is still a residency. Trust me when I say “you can barely do anything when you graduate”. The first five years post of residency will determine if you will be a great clinician or an average/subaverage clinician.
4. Be humble. No one cares you’re a doctor except your parents. Be nice to everyone around you.
5. Serve everyone around you. Your patients and your team are always above you. Remember “you eat last” make sure everyone on your team is taken care of before you serve yourself.
6. Pick your leadership style because not being a leader is NOT an option. I chose to be a servant leader/coach based on my personality type and past experience with sports. Use every snap/rep/clincheck/appt to be a learning opportunity for you and that team member. Team members want to do a good job, and they need clarity to do a good job. Don’t be afraid to tell them why you want something done and make sure they understand and move on.
7. BUILD UP EVERY PERSON ON YOUR TEAM. One of the biggest things I’ve learned since being out is the more you raise everyone around you, the easier your day will be. I believe in having seven “mini orthodontists” in the clinic with me at all times. It’s a little harder to work with me, because I insist that our team members understand everything that is happening clinically and why we do it that way.
8. Constantly praise your team! Praise them in each appt, each morning, and each interaction with a patient. Remember that you are only one person and the brand of the practice you are in is more than just the doctor. Team members spend more time with patients than you.
We hope you will join us for the next “Residents-Only Live Webinar” with our special guest attorney, Dan Sroka, in June. Dan will discuss associate contracts and what you need to know before signing one. We will limit this live event to 100 attendees so be sure to mark your calendar. Registration details will be coming soon, so watch your email! This is will be a “live” event, so if you register, we ask that you attend and if you are unable to attend that you let us know so we can offer the spot to another attendee.