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Working As An Associate But Principal Keeps Taking Away My Work.


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Okay, I apologize in advance that this is going to be a long post, but I really need to get this out there. So, I've been working at a private dental office now for many months now since graduating dental school, and it's not been a positive experience.  I feel like I am being taken advantage of. A lot of times when I would diagnose and discuss treatment plan with the patient, many times the front desk would schedule the treatment with the principal rather than with me. This doesn't happen all the time though, but it's been happening a lot.

 

 It just depresses me because I miss out on big treatment.  For instance, I treatment planned 3 crowns during a hygiene recall, and after I had discussed everything with the patient, I found out later the front desk had scheduled this patient with the principal.  I think that is very unfair because the person who actually diagnoses and discuss treatment with patient should be the one who does the treatment.  I remember speaking with the office manager who told me that it is up to the patient to decide which doctor they want to see, and that they don't compel the patient to see the doctor who diagnosed them.  But how do I know that the office/owner is not screwing me over by delegating patients that I treatment plan to the owner? I understand in certain situations such as if the patient has been seeing the owner dentist for +20 years, they're going to want to see him and not some new grad. 

 

There are 4 assistants, and I am having difficulty with working with one of the assistants, and she has an attitude towards me. She is sometimes in charge in scheduling patients deciding if they go to me or to the principal. I remember her saying to me out of the blue "You're not my boss. You're my co-worker. Dr. "A" is my boss".  She was laughing when she said that as if it were a joke, but I just thought that was very inappropriate for her to say.   She also gets annoyed when I ask her to do certain things during a procedure. For instance, there was one instance where I was performing molar endo on a patient, and I requested a radiograph.  The assistant had a difficult time taking a radiograph on the patient because patient was gagging with the rubber dam on.  She right away told me that we should re-schedule this patient with the principal because he does not use rubber dams for endo, and it would be easier for the patient to tolerate radiographs without a rubber dam. I told her no, we're not going to waste any time and that we're finishing the procedure today (and we did after I suggested another way to take radiograph without patient gagging).   It's like she has no faith in me and tries to divert all the work I do to the owner. There are other instances I have problems with her on but I will not go into it.  But the thing is, I can't really complain about her because she's been there for +25 years as a dental assistant. I don't really have any leverage to complain to the owner because I am a new person to the office, and he will probably take her word over mine.  

 

 

I've also noticed now that my schedule is way lighter than the principal. He is booked at least a month in advance! Whereas, my schedule is often light with a lot of gaps and sporadic, and I am booked a lot of times at the last minute with procedures that aren't worth a lot (i.e. recementing a crown, denture adjustment, etc.).  It's like he gets all the "good stuff", but I get stuck with the "leftovers".

 

I work 4 days, and I found out a month ago that the owner hired another associate to work the 5th day at our clinic.  The other associate works part-time at another office for 2 days, and I think she approached the principal to work the 5th day.  The owner dentist never told me anything about the other associate. And now some of the work that I am treatment planning (crowns, restorative) is being funnelled to the other associate which I felt livid about. Front desk claims the patient can only come in on the day the other associate is in, so they booked them with her.

 

I gave my notice 2.5 weeks ago, and am seeking elsewhere for work and have had a couple of interviews.  I feel very much relieved. Have you guys been in a similar position as an associate where everything you tx plan goes to the owner?

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Okay, I apologize in advance that this is going to be a long post, but I really need to get this out there. So, I've been working at a private dental office now for many months now since graduating dental school, and it's not been a positive experience.  I feel like I am being taken advantage of. A lot of times when I would diagnose and discuss treatment plan with the patient, many times the front desk would schedule the treatment with the principal rather than with me. This doesn't happen all the time though, but it's been happening a lot.

 

 It just depresses me because I miss out on big treatment.  For instance, I treatment planned 3 crowns during a hygiene recall, and after I had discussed everything with the patient, I found out later the front desk had scheduled this patient with the principal.  I think that is very unfair because the person who actually diagnoses and discuss treatment with patient should be the one who does the treatment.  I remember speaking with the office manager who told me that it is up to the patient to decide which doctor they want to see, and that they don't compel the patient to see the doctor who diagnosed them.  But how do I know that the office/owner is not screwing me over by delegating patients that I treatment plan to the owner? I understand in certain situations such as if the patient has been seeing the owner dentist for +20 years, they're going to want to see him and not some new grad. 

 

There are 4 assistants, and I am having difficulty with working with one of the assistants, and she has an attitude towards me. She is sometimes in charge in scheduling patients deciding if they go to me or to the principal. I remember her saying to me out of the blue "You're not my boss. You're my co-worker. Dr. "A" is my boss".  She was laughing when she said that as if it were a joke, but I just thought that was very inappropriate for her to say.   She also gets annoyed when I ask her to do certain things during a procedure. For instance, there was one instance where I was performing molar endo on a patient, and I requested a radiograph.  The assistant had a difficult time taking a radiograph on the patient because patient was gagging with the rubber dam on.  She right away told me that we should re-schedule this patient with the principal because he does not use rubber dams for endo, and it would be easier for the patient to tolerate radiographs without a rubber dam. I told her no, we're not going to waste any time and that we're finishing the procedure today (and we did after I suggested another way to take radiograph without patient gagging).   It's like she has no faith in me and tries to divert all the work I do to the owner. There are other instances I have problems with her on but I will not go into it.  But the thing is, I can't really complain about her because she's been there for +25 years as a dental assistant. I don't really have any leverage to complain to the owner because I am a new person to the office, and he will probably take her word over mine.  

 

 

I've also noticed now that my schedule is way lighter than the principal. He is booked at least a month in advance! Whereas, my schedule is often light with a lot of gaps and sporadic, and I am booked a lot of times at the last minute with procedures that aren't worth a lot (i.e. recementing a crown, denture adjustment, etc.).  It's like he gets all the "good stuff", but I get stuck with the "leftovers".

 

I work 4 days, and I found out a month ago that the owner hired another associate to work the 5th day at our clinic.  The other associate works part-time at another office for 2 days, and I think she approached the principal to work the 5th day.  The owner dentist never told me anything about the other associate. And now some of the work that I am treatment planning (crowns, restorative) is being funnelled to the other associate which I felt livid about. Front desk claims the patient can only come in on the day the other associate is in, so they booked them with her.

 

I gave my notice 2.5 weeks ago, and am seeking elsewhere for work and have had a couple of interviews.  I feel very much relieved. Have you guys been in a similar position as an associate where everything you tx plan goes to the owner?

 

Not in Dentistry, but I am wondering if you have considered speaking to the owner directly about these issues? 

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I recently left a position where this happened more than I was comfortable with. I was still making a good income and was decently busy but I was essentially a restorative and pediatrics monkey.

 

Stand your ground. You have the same degree as your boss does and you need to find someone who recognizes that and treats you as an equal. Humility is a rare resource in our field, but it is out there. I didn't encounter quite the same adversity you did, but when I did bring up the issue of work I treatment planned going to the principal if it was high-yield or high-income, while I was stuck doing the more plentiful but lower billing procedures, my boss said it was a matter of a few instances where I was much more conservative than she was in my willingness to do certain work. I have learned now that I can afford to be less conservative and at times I was being far too cautious, but the response of the office booking things with my boss or another associate rather than with me simply because then it would "get done" was a backwards situation I didn't desire to be in. It was essentially a veiled way of saying "Your decision-making is not as valid as mine."

 

So I went through essentially the same thing you did; got a job that I enjoyed for many parts, disliked heavily for others. Be picky. It is difficult to find a job where your boss supports you, you make a good income, you learn a lot, you like your staff, you're not too tired, etc. But they exist. Also, I would prioritize having people who support you over making money or doing a variety of procedures, because the second can change through many avenues (organic growth of the practice, your own treatment planning & comfort level, etc.). The first normally cannot.

 

The first few years of associating can be a trial by fire. Some people get really lucky and fall into a single full-time job that reaps all the benefits. Others such as yourself and myself will take a while to hop around and find people and places that fit. 

 

Also, things can change in an instant. One week I may be thinking "Wow, I really dislike this, this, and this. I wish it was different," and the next week I suddenly have more opportunity, more choices and the future is looking rosy. Think long-term, think big picture.

 

[Edit] Also there aren't quite that many practicing dentists on this forum who post very often (I am posting less and less admittedly). If you want a resource where you can chat casually and bitch and moan with fellow DDS's (and several Canadians), PM me and I'll point you somewhere. Not dentaltown.

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