Dentist Burnout & the Comparison Trap: How to Stop Being Miserable | Dr. Alan Stern
October 28, 2021
Do you have "PMD," perpetually miserable dentist? Dr. Alan Stern did. In his 50s, after serious business and financial mistakes, he hit his version of rock bottom. He talks about how he climbed out, why dentists are so hard on themselves, and why the comparison trap starts in dental school. He shares how to find your people, why your colleagues aren't your competitors, and the one missing ingredient in a happy practice. In this episode: - 40 years in dentistry, and the blunders that shaped him - "Perpetually miserable dentist" and the comparison syndrome - Why dental school teaches us we have to be perfect - Starting every morning huddle with "Whose life did we make better?" - No one has the perfect practice - Mental health in dentistry, and getting help from a great therapist - Finding your people: study clubs, CE and online groups - Colleagues, not competitors - Advice for new dentists with big debt: live below your means and get a good financial planner - The missing ingredient: love 📰 Plus dental news from October 2021: HIPAA and vaccination status, EIDL advances and SBA loans, COVID vaccines for ages 5 to 11, and the ADA's ethics statement. Recorded in October 2021. The show closes with a tribute to Dr. Carlos Tayo and Dr. Todd Ehrlich. Dr. Alan Stern graduated from dental school in 1981, completed a GPR, and opened his own practice from scratch on the central New Jersey shore in 1987. He is the founder of Better Richer Stronger, a coaching business and Facebook group for dentists, and an author. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US). Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:54 What the hosts did this week 8:32 What we're drinking 10:00 Better, richer, stronger: tonight's guest 11:04 JB's glass chair mat 12:25 News: HIPAA and vaccination status 14:27 News: EIDL advances and SBA loans 19:26 Don't be afraid to invest in technology 20:38 News: vaccines for ages 5 to 11 21:42 News: the ADA's ethics statement 25:21 The Nice Guys of Dentistry: introducing Dr. Alan Stern 26:40 40 years in dentistry, and the blunders that shaped him 28:32 Fitter in his 60s than ever 29:28 There's no one right way to practice 30:41 Why he started coaching 31:06 "Perpetually miserable dentist" 33:30 Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in dentistry 34:32 The biggest mistakes dentists make 36:04 Dental school and the pressure to be perfect 37:52 "Whose life did we make better today?" 39:29 No one has the perfect practice 40:14 Men's health month and mental health in dentistry 42:08 The therapist who helped him 43:35 Why dentists feel like they're on an island 44:31 Finding your people 46:13 Colleagues, not competitors 48:45 Financial stress for new dentists 49:46 Live below your means 50:42 Paying off debt fast 52:24 The missing ingredient: love 54:04 Closing 57:41 Remembering Dr. Carlos Tayo and Dr. Todd Ehrlich 🎧 Listen to the podcast: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dentists-in-the-know/id1543254763 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Elfj6LX0hCUyp0AgdTsij 📺 Make sure you subscribe to catch new episodes live every Wednesday at 8pm ET! https://www.youtube.com/@dentistsintheknow 🌐 Check out our brand new website: https://dentistsintheknow.com 🌟 Stay up to date on all the latest dental trends when you follow the DINKs: https://fanflet.com/dinks/social-2
