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Navigating Dentistry: Dr. Ronnetta Sartor's Journey
16 Plays21 days ago
About the Hosts:
Dr. Ronnetta Sartor is originally from New Jersey and raised in Eutawville, South Carolina, is a first-generation college graduate who pursued dentistry. She completed her dental education at the Medical University of South Carolina and a General Practice Residency at Prisma Health Richland Hospital in Columbia, SC. Her career began in a private, group practice before she acquired her own practice two and a half years ago in a rural setting similar to her upbringing. Dr. Sartor is passionate about providing comprehensive care to her community and values the mentor and peer relationships that have supported her career.
Episode Summary:
In this episode of "Beyond Graduation," hosted by Dr. Savanah Craig, listeners delve into the inspiring journey of Dr. Ronnetta Sartor from a small town in South Carolina to establishing her own dental practice. Dr. Sartor's story is one of perseverance, community commitment, and a lifelong love for dentistry that began in her childhood. As a first-generation college student, Dr. Sartor emphasizes the importance of mentorship and continuous learning in her career.
Dr. Ronnetta Sartor shares her trajectory into dentistry, which was fueled by her early intrigue with dental care and solidified through shadowing experiences in high school and college. Her dedication to practicing in rural areas stems from personal experiences of traveling long distances for healthcare, giving her a unique perspective on patient needs. Dr. Sartor has navigated various practice settings, including a private, group practice, before taking the leap to purchase a retiring dentist's practice. She underscores the value of building patient relationships, community, and providing excellent care, which are central to her professional ethos. The episode wraps up by aligning the goals of the IgniteDDS community with these personal and professional values.
Key Takeaways:
- Dr. Ronnetta Sartor's early experiences with dentistry and rural healthcare access inspired her career path.
- The impact of mentorship in shaping Dr. Sartor's dental journey highlights the significance of professional guidance.
- Dr. Sartor values community building and patient relationships in her dental practice, aiming to leave patients better off after each visit.
- Participation in IgniteDDS aligns with her vision of improving dentistry and supporting fellow dentists' growth.
- Dr. Sartor is a multidimensional individual with interests in gardening and literature, which she shares on her social media platforms.
Connect with Us:
- Savanah Craig, DDS: @savanahcraigdds
- Ronnetta Sartor, DMD: @dr_sartor
- FutureDentists Beyond Graduation: @futuredentistsbeyondgraduation
- FutureDentists: @futuredentists
- IgniteDDS: @ignitedds and www.ignitedds.com
Elevate your understanding of rural dentistry and the power of mentorship by tuning into this episode of "Beyond Graduation." Dr. Ronnetta Sartor's narrative offers invaluable insights for aspiring and practicing dentists alike. Stay engaged with future episodes for more enlightening discussions from the world of dentistry.
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Beyond Graduation'
00:00:00
Speaker
Join Drs. Savannah Craig and Renetta Sartor as we navigate life beyond graduation. Real conversations about forging our own paths in our early years in our careers.
00:00:10
Speaker
There's a reason it's called practicing dentistry.
Dr. Renetta Sartor's Journey
00:00:13
Speaker
All right, welcome back to another episode of Beyond Graduation. this week is all about Dr. Renetta Sartor.
00:00:21
Speaker
um so we'll get to learn a little bit about her journey and how we ended up on this podcast. All right, Renetta, tell us it all. Where are you from? Where are you now? All the things. All the things.
00:00:35
Speaker
Okay, so I was ah originally, my childhood started in New Jersey, so in the cold, like um Ohio, but we moved to South Carolina, a very, very, very rural and small town called Utahville.
00:00:49
Speaker
You mentioned finding it on a map or trying to Google it. um Same thing with Utahville. Very small. I've been there. Remember? One time randomly? You have been. Yeah. Surprisingly. It's like you drive through it and then you're out of it.
00:01:03
Speaker
Mm-hmm. We don't even have a stoplight. So very humble beginnings. I'm a first generation college student, a doctor, all the things.
Practicing Dentistry in Rural Areas
00:01:14
Speaker
I did really well in high school then went on to college at um USC Upstate in Spartanburg. And then i did dental school at MUSC and then went on to do my residency at Palmetto Health, which is now Prisma Health, um Richland and Columbia, South Carolina.
00:01:34
Speaker
always knew that i likely was going to practice in an area that was rural and similar to where I grew up. And so that's what prompted me to do the residency at Prisma or then Palmetto more so because I was the kid that if we had to go to the emergency room or we had to go to the dentist, it was getting in the car and driving, you know, some time to get
The Role of Mentorship in Dentistry
00:02:02
Speaker
there. So um i knew what that was like and I wanted to be able to provide as much as the care as I possibly could to any of the patients that I was seeing. Yeah.
00:02:14
Speaker
um I did a little bit of time in private practice, a group practice. And then about two and a half years ago, i went out on my own and purchased a practice from a dentist that was retiring.
00:02:29
Speaker
And um I've been learning a whole lot. um It's so much to learn in dentistry. But overall, i'm I'm grateful for all the mentors that I've accumulated it along the journey and all the friends and everything because you can learn from
Inspiration and Early Interest in Dentistry
00:02:45
Speaker
everyone. So when did you decide it was dentistry? I didn't really know at first, because, you know, in high school, they're always like, you know, what do you want to be when you grow up? You need to figure out what you're going to do because it's time to apply for colleges.
00:03:00
Speaker
um And I remember we had to job shadow and I job shadowed my dentist. I always enjoyed going to the dentist. Yeah. which is weird for like some people. um And I think I should have known it when like, when I was really young, I went to private school and you could get like sent home from school for like anything. If you say your stomach hurt, you you could go home, but like I would have loose teeth and I would like wiggle them out. So it was low key um young Dr. Sartor in the making.
00:03:31
Speaker
um but I did that as well. You did? Yeah. Yeah, it was like so cool. I wasn't scared. um Yeah, I was like ready. I'm like, okay, it's time to come out. Let's do it.
00:03:44
Speaker
So parents, if you're listening and your kids are pulling their own teeth, might be a sign. Right. um Send them our way. We have things to talk about. Yeah. I would interview a little six-year-old on this podcast about loose teeth. That'd be so fun. It'll be the best.
00:03:59
Speaker
It'll be the best. I think it'll be the best. um Just their perspective on what they think the dentist does, yeah I think will be pretty cool.
Motivation and Patient Relationships in Dentistry
00:04:07
Speaker
I think it really wasn't until undergrad when I started volunteering at a free dental clinic where I met one of like my first mentors in dentistry that I really was like okay I could see a future in this and he kind of took me under his wing and I did a internship at his offices and um i got to see what it was like to practice in a rural area but also in like a really affluent area too because he had multiple practices
00:04:31
Speaker
Oh, that's interesting. Yeah. the The rest is history from there. So what would you say is your why? That's a really good question. It's a really good question. I would say more so, like you said, leaving patients better off than when we let them, lamon when they first came in. So um If they come in and they're in pain, being able to help alleviate some of that pain.
00:04:56
Speaker
If they come in and like you said, they've got a lot going on in life, whether it's just a listening ear or sometimes it's giving them words of encouragement.
00:05:06
Speaker
Like if they come in and they've got stuff going on in life or something. If they come in and we found another cavity, but their oral hygiene has improved, you know, celebrating the wins with them and
Vision and Community Support
00:05:19
Speaker
everything. And I think that's what I love about general dentistry too, is that, you know, you can literally grow, you know, you grow older with patients and their families. And so, you know,
00:05:31
Speaker
Over the years, I've been out almost eight years now. So some of my patients have had children yeah and their children are now old enough to start coming to the dentist. So I think um just the longevity and the relationships, probably the biggest thing that keeps me going.
00:05:47
Speaker
Yeah. And the you're building your own little community. which Yeah. affected That's awesome. How does Ignite and this podcast and all of that fit into your why and your vision? Because obviously this is time out of our lives and away from our people. And I think we both really enjoy it. But what is that?
00:06:06
Speaker
How does this Fill your bucket. I think it's just what we just said, the relationships for sure, um the community.
Personal Interests and Hobbies
00:06:14
Speaker
and that's what Ignite is. i mean, we have so many team members that are all over the world and we come together for the sole purpose of bettering dentistry and helping dentists, whether they are dentist or dentists that are on their way out of the profession,
00:06:31
Speaker
um The heart of it is, you know, making Dennis better, but also making ourselves better to end up in, you know, where we see ourselves in our self-determined future.
00:06:44
Speaker
Where can the people find you? They can find me on Instagram at Dr. Underscore Sartor. And I know that's a weird last name. So it's S-A-R-T-O-R. ah You can see things about Renetta's practice and hear about the podcast, but also her gardening life.
Concluding Thoughts on Gratitude
00:07:01
Speaker
So check her out. It's probably the most interesting thing on my page um because books, I love books too. But yeah, my my gardening wins. It's very near and dear to my heart.
00:07:14
Speaker
We just have to figure out how to ship them up here to Ohio. That's awesome. People, if you know about shipping vegetables, let us know. but Yes. Yes.
00:07:26
Speaker
All right. You want to close this out? Sure will. So some words of wisdom and words that younger, that maybe, maybe words that I would have gave the younger six year old Dr. Sartor Wiglund her teeth out yeah are to live in the present and be um grateful and express gratitude and start with gratitude every day Life is hard.
00:07:54
Speaker
Dentistry is hard. But as dr Savannah said it best, we're extremely blessed to be able to you know, care for our patients and care for ourselves and everyone that's in our circle and our bubble.
00:08:09
Speaker
And we're just so happy and grateful to have you guys along on a journey with us. And so with that being said, we will see you next time.
00:08:20
Speaker
But if anything in this podcast resonates with you, please let us know. We'd love to know what makes you you and anything that has resonated with you.
00:08:32
Speaker
Until next time. Thank you for joining us for this episode of Beyond Graduation. If you enjoyed this week's episode, be sure to share it with a friend.
00:08:48
Speaker
And remember, you are not alone on this journey. Thank you for listening to Beyond Graduation brought to you by Ignite DDS and Future Dentists. This episode was sponsored by Ignite DDS Coaching. We build self-determined futures. For more information, please reach out to the Ignite DDS team.