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Celebrating Wins!
23 Plays3 months ago
About the Hosts:
In this episode of Beyond Graduation, we're introduced to Dr. Ronnetta Sartor and Dr. Savanah Craig, two dentists navigating the early stages of their careers post-graduation. Dr. Sartor graduated from dental school in 2017, completed her GPR residency in 2018, and has experienced various roles—from associate to practice owner—since then. As of August 2022, she acquired a practice near her residence and has been working towards its development and growth. Dr. Craig is an alum of The Ohio State University, class of 2022, and completed a GPR residency in South Carolina. Shortly after, she began working as an associate in a large group practice, where she continues to cherish the collegiate environment and collective expertise.
Episode Summary:
Join us on this episode of Beyond Graduation as Dr. Savanah Craig and Dr. Ronnetta Sartor dive into the victories and lessons of their early professional journeys in dentistry. With Dr. Sartor celebrating one year of practice ownership and Dr. Craig marking six months as an associate, we gain unique perspectives on what it takes to forge a successful path in the dental industry.
From the nuances of transitioning from schooling to professional practice, to the growth that comes from facing the challenges of practice ownership, they share insights on patience, learning, and adapting to change. Dr. Sartor reflects on the importance of pacing oneself and the pressures associated with rapid progression. Dr. Craig emphasizes the significance of a strong support system and the openness to ongoing learning and asking for help.
Key Takeaways:
- Taking ownership of a dental practice can bring transformative changes and growth, both in the physical space and within the team.
- The transition from residency to associate position is enriched by a supportive environment that fosters collaboration and continuous learning.
- The importance of trusting the process and not rushing through career milestones cannot be overstressed.
- Building and relying on a strong support system, both inside and outside the office, is crucial for personal and professional development.
- The journey in dentistry is ongoing, with mentorship playing a key role in supporting one's career trajectory.
Resources:
- Dr. Ronnetta Sartor's Instagram: @DoctorSartor
- Dr. Savanah Craig's Instagram: @SavannahCraigDDS
- Ignite DDS Website: IgniteDDS.com
- Ignite DDS Instagram: @IgniteDDS
- Sponsored by Dental Residency Guide and Beyond Graduation eBooks found at: https://ignitedds.com/ebooks/
Experience the entire journey of both Drs. Sartor and Craig by tuning into the full episode as they share their valuable experiences and insights. Stay connected with Beyond Graduation for more compelling conversations that shine a light on the pathways of dental professionals beyond their educational milestones.
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Transcript
Navigating Post-Graduation Careers
00:00:00
Speaker
Join Dr. 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. There's a reason it's called practicing dentistry.
Career Milestones and Achievements
00:00:16
Speaker
Alrighty, so to round out season one of Beyond Graduation,
00:00:22
Speaker
I think we've got to celebrate some big milestones in each of our careers.
Renetta's Journey to Practice Ownership
00:00:27
Speaker
So for me, pretty much around this time is me celebrating one year of practice ownership. And yeah, I know time flies. And then for Savannah, she has a big milestone that she's celebrating as well.
00:00:45
Speaker
six months as an associate. So different places. Um, but we wanted to take the time to let you guys know some of the things that we've learned on our journey, um, for practice ownership as well as, you know, associateship. Yeah. Um, give, give the people a reminder of sort of your path, dental school until, till now, how'd you get where you are now?
00:01:13
Speaker
Sure. So I finished dental school in 2017 and then I did a GPR residency. Um, that was one year and I finished that in 2018 and then from 2018 until 2022, I was an associate in a group practice, um, private practice.
00:01:39
Speaker
And I thought that that was going to be my home and where I was going to buy in as a partner in that office. But that wasn't the case. And I ended up acquiring a practice from a dentist that was wanting to retire, that was closer to where I live.
00:02:05
Speaker
in September of 2022.
Savannah's Path from University to Practice
00:02:10
Speaker
So when you all listen to this, it might be closer to my two year anniversary and I'll probably have a lot more wisdom to share at that point, but it's been a while ride and overall I'm really excited that I have embarked on a journey of ownership and I'm learning so much each day
00:02:33
Speaker
Um, but overall I'm super happy with my decision. Okay. So now it's your turn Savannah. Let's let the folks know your journey and you know, cause you kinda.
00:02:45
Speaker
or kind of all over the place in terms of states and that sort of thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I graduated from the Ohio State University in 2022. Then I did a one year GPR in South Carolina, the same program. And then finished that in July of 2023, and then started in private practice shortly thereafter.
00:03:14
Speaker
So I'm in a large group practice with several other dentists, so it's really cool to, you know, sort of kept that residency mentality alive of sharing ideas and bouncing ideas off of each other and sharing the load. So I really have enjoyed that a lot.
Pacing, Goal Setting, and Stress Management
00:03:35
Speaker
I would say one of the main things that I've learned and I'm still learning is to trust the process and to not rush the journey. And so I think us as dentists, a lot of us are really type A and we have checklists of all the things we want to get done. And we want to get it done right now.
00:04:00
Speaker
we don't want to wait. And sometimes that creates a lot of pressure. Yeah. On us. And so part of it is there's nothing wrong with having your checklist. There's nothing wrong with it, but pacing yourself. Yeah. And not feeling, you know, that you have to have everything done right. This moment is one of the things that I've learned because you know, it's,
00:04:31
Speaker
In one year, like we've accomplished so much, like the office looks completely different than it looked when the previous owner owned it. Our team looks completely different. We've gone from only having myself and three other team members to now myself and six other team members. Just the way we do dentistry entirely,
00:05:00
Speaker
and our patient focus and everything has changed tremendously in just one year's time. And it was a lot of stress and pressure on myself along that way. But that's no way to live, like putting so much pressure on yourself that you don't want to burn out. It's just like, it's the same thing with associateships.
00:05:30
Speaker
any part of dentistry, just trust the process, you know, set goals and do your best to accomplish them. And if you don't accomplish them, it's not the end of the world. It's just an opportunity to learn and to do better next time.
Support Systems and Continuous Learning
00:05:50
Speaker
That's a really healthy perspective. This is looking back on all these stressful days and nights and
00:05:59
Speaker
you know, asking myself, why, why am I, why am I putting so much pressure on myself? Like, yeah, it's my practice now and I plan to own it, own it for as long as I can. So like, yeah. Yeah. It's a whole journey in that. And I don't have to rush things, let things happen organically, but do everything in my power and in my team's power for right now to help push us forward in the direction that we want to go.
00:06:28
Speaker
even if it's just one step that's better than where we were last week, yesterday or last month. That's really good. What would you say a piece of advice or the biggest thing that you've learned in your six month journey as an associate has been? Yeah. Um, wow, there's so much that I've learned. Um, I think,
00:06:59
Speaker
think the most, you know, as far as like advice, I think is just surrounding yourself with a good support system inside and outside of the office and being not being afraid to say I don't I don't know, or can you help me?
00:07:22
Speaker
make this better or more efficient and I'm very fortunate to be in a practice that like encourages that and allows that and I don't take that for granted but relying on you know people like you and my other mentors to help help me continue to grow in this journey and know that you know
00:07:50
Speaker
just because I have a job and I'm not in residency anymore the learning is not over and I don't think it ever will be and yeah just allowing myself to have my people and know which people to go to for which things you know when you've had a just a tiring day you're not going to go to your boss and be like
00:08:14
Speaker
I'm so tired. That's what my husband is for. And I'm not going to come home. I mean, I'm sure I still do, but come home and complain about an insurance narrative to Adam or ask for help. You know what I mean? Just knowing who your people are in your corner and who
00:08:33
Speaker
Who can help get you further down the line in these specific areas of your life? And I think it's just good to have a big support system and not rely on any one person to hold it all. And also not making yourself hold all of those balls at once. Very great points.
Mentorship and Learning in Dentistry and Beyond
00:08:55
Speaker
And I think the thing that's so beautiful about our key takeaways from our milestone
00:09:03
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journeys is that pretty much what you said and what I said applies to both of us and anyone in any career, but especially in the profession of dentistry.
00:09:18
Speaker
It's okay not to have it all figured out and that's why we're doing this show is a constant reminder. I think it'll be super cool to see in another year, five years where we both are and how this episode will be fun to look back on.
00:09:40
Speaker
It sure will. And, you know, like you said, mentorship and learning to trust a process and everything. And if you all are looking for us or looking for any type of support, Ignite BDS. We love to help anyone in any way, in any part of their journey. Yeah. In their dental career. So reach out to us. You can find,
00:10:09
Speaker
You know ignite yes on our website, or you can find us on instagram at ignite DDS you can find me on instagram at Dr underscore star tour and you can find Savannah.
00:10:22
Speaker
at Savannah Craig DDS. We look forward to seeing you guys next time and we're so excited to have you along this journey with us and we are happy to be along the journey with you all too. 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.
00:10:45
Speaker
Connect with us on social media at Savannah Craig DDS and at Dr. Underscore Sartor. And remember, you are not alone on this journey.
Gratitude and Further Engagement
00:10:56
Speaker
This episode was sponsored by the Dental Residency Guide and the Beyond Graduation eBooks. These eBooks can be found at IgniteDDS.com slash eBooks. Thank you so much for listening to Beyond Graduation brought to you by Ignite DDS and Future Dentists.