Dental students spend less than 2% of their classroom time on practice management and marketing, according to an analysis performed by the Levin Group Data Center.
This statistic shouldn’t really come as a surprise. Students go to dental school to receive the clinical training necessary to become dentists. There just isn’t enough time to become proficient as a clinician and master the business aspects of practice ownership.
A decade ago, business training for dentists wasn’t as important as it is now. Doctors could leave dental school, open a practice and be reasonably successful . . . without knowing much about management or marketing. Today, that is no longer possible.
Attracting patients now requires more effort. Competition is increasing for all services. Dental students are graduating with far more debt, meaning that they now have to get off to a faster start in their careers. Where can dentists, both new and established, get the business training they need to be successful?
Fortunately, doctors have access to a plethora of business resources, including:
- Practice management books, articles, blogs and whitepapers
- Materials from the ADA, AGD and other dental organizations
- Seminars and webinars
However, to accelerate their business and leadership training, dentists should also consider working with practice management experts. This is the best way to close the gap between what they know and what they need to know.
The business of dentistry continues to grow in complexity. Those dentists with the best clinical and business skills will enjoy the greatest success in the new dental economy.
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