Lydia Chan shares her experience of working for mydentist and why she wishes she’d taken advantage of their early career support as soon as she finished foundation training.
For many young dentists, taking the leap from being an early career dentist to confident clinician can be daunting. Especially without the right levels of support and guidance.
As one of the UK’s leading recruiters of dentists at the start of their careers, mydentist is investing in the unique support it can offer to clinicians at this all-important stage of their career. This could mean anything from developing new ways to communicate with patients through social media, to getting up-to-speed on the latest treatments and technology.
Early on, mydentist set the stage for success for me. The clinical introduction from the academy was a solid foundation and a great refresher. Bernard, who provided me with my training via the mydentist academy, gave me invaluable insights and made my start to working at the Formby practice feel very seamless.
Lydia Chan
Dentist, mydentist Formby
Dr Lydia Chan, dentist at mydentist Formby, joined mydentist to progress her skillset and tap into the wider clinical network and fulsome training resources available. Lydia said:
There was always a point of contact available to me if I needed it, and I was offered a wealth of knowledge through the academy, which gave me a great insight into what my future at mydentist would look like. Before I joined mydentist, I was working at a local practice in my childhood home of Southport. I was initially trepidatious about leaving a practice where I had so much support, but the team at Formby welcomed me with open arms and I haven’t looked back since.
When discussing building her productivity and range of treatments, Lydia highlighted:
There is so much subsidised training provided by mydentist – whether it be clear aligners or smile makeover. Beyond that, there is also lots of guidance provided by the wider team, so I always felt supported in my role as a young associate.
Finding balance
As more and more clinicians look to boost their private growth, Lydia is looking forward to continuing to strike a balance between achieving this and maintaining her NHS focus. She said:
Since joining mydentist, my private earnings have grown substantially. I have gone from doing the odd private composite and whitening treatment to providing {my}options check-ups and treatments on a daily basis. While I remain heavily focused on providing my patients with NHS care, I still have the freedom to provide private treatments, which is supported by my team.
On a personal level, Lydia is also trying to maintain a work-life balance. This is something which became more important to her during the pandemic. She commented:
One of the biggest advantages I have found working for mydentist is the flexibility. The company fully supports you as a self-employed clinician, making it easier to take leave when required and alter your hours as needed, also allowing you to pick up more hours or days, too. For someone who loves travelling and having a work-life balance, this has been perfect for me.
Personal development
Looking ahead, Lydia remains committed to her development and further honing her expertise, commenting:
My practice manager is extremely supportive when it comes to development, always encouraging me and our team to attend courses. One of our TCOs has also helped me to learn how to use the intraoral scanner, as this is new technology to me. Having access to LMS and the vast range of e-learning that mydentist offers has ensured that I can stay up to date with relevant CPD with ease.
She added:
The toolkits available to clinicians are invaluable – they provide a step-by-step process and advice for many treatments, such as aligners and whitening. Working for such a large company with so many different specialists means that it is easy to refer patients on to specialists to allow them to get the best treatment possible. The role of TCOs also means that our patients’ journeys are seamless, making our lives as busy clinicians both more rewarding and seamless.
While approaching the next step in your career can be a daunting task, it can also open avenues for you to find your passion. Offering advice to young dentists taking their next step, Lydia concluded:
Prior to joining mydentist, I was sceptical of ‘dental corporates’ having heard mixed stories whilst being at university. However, I now wish I had joined mydentist straight from foundation training, as the development opportunities they offer to young dentists are so vast, and the clinical support is unrivalled.
If you’re looking for guidance on where to start your professional dentistry journey, visit the mydentist early careers page.
