Building Your Professional Network: A Guide for Aspiring Dentists

Networking probably isn’t top of mind during dental school, but building strong professional relationships early on may open doors to mentorship, job opportunities, and long-term career growth. 

Here are some professional networking tips to get you started.

Building Professional Relationships in the Dental Industry

1. Attend Dental School Events

Take advantage of every opportunity your school offers. Guest speaker sessions, career fairs, and alumni panels are a great way to stay informed about industry trends and job prospects, but they are also the perfect time to connect with professionals in the field.

2. Attend Dental Conferences 

Dental industry conferences, whether local, regional, national, or even virtual, are packed with learning opportunities. Along with gaining insight into the latest tools and techniques shaping the profession, you’ll meet dentists from different specialties, at different stages of their careers, and in different types of practices. Networking with the attendees, educators, and vendors at these conferences may help build relationships that open doors later. 

3. Join Professional Organizations

Start by joining as a student member in associations for general dentists. Later, you can become a full member of groups like the American Dental Association. If you choose to continue your education with a specialty program, you can join a specialty-specific organization like the American Academy for Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) or the American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS). Membership in these organizations provides many benefits, including peer-to-peer networking opportunities. 

4. Seek Mentorship

Mentorship can be a game-changer in your professional development, and dental school is the optimal time to actively seek experienced dentists who can provide guidance and support in everything from professional skills to resume building and interviewing. Reach out to professors, dentists you admire, or mentorship programs offered by dental organizations. 

There are also opportunities for following a mentorship-to-ownership career path. These positions often evolve informally through networking or active work positions, but you can pursue associate dentist positions that explicitly emphasize mentorship and offer a path to ownership.

5. Leverage Continuing Education Courses

After graduation, continuing education courses aren’t just for license renewal; they’re a chance to meet like-minded dental professionals and expand your circle. Introduce yourself to other attendees, exchange contact information, and stay in touch after the course ends.

Establishing Professional Community Connections

If you already know where you’ll be practicing, you’ll also find it valuable to create connections with other professionals in that community. These community connections may lead to referrals, connect you with future patients, and generate goodwill. Here are a few places to meet other professionals in the community:

Connecting with other community healthcare professionals, like physicians, pharmacists, and dental specialists, helps you understand local healthcare dynamics and builds a trusted network for making and receiving patient referrals.

Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, and other professional and civic groups provide the opportunity to network with individuals from various fields. You may meet other medical professionals who may serve as referral sources, but may also make connections with attorneys, lenders, accountants, and other professionals who may be able to help you in the future.

Offer free oral health workshops at schools, senior centers, and community groups to position yourself as a knowledgeable, trusted resource in your community.

Key Networking Tips

Effective networking starts with being approachable and open to conversation.  To build genuine connections, focus on listening more than speaking. Even when introducing yourself — with a prepared, concise statement — always follow up with questions about them. Finally, always look for ways to provide value, whether it’s a resource, helpful insight, or introduction to someone else.

Make the Most of Your Career

As a dentist-in-training, the work you’re doing today is setting the foundation for a bright future. Professional networking while still in dental school helps set the stage for success as a practicing dentist.

You will continue to have opportunities to make the most of your career, including choices about any advanced or specialty services you want to offer, where you’ll practice, if practice ownership is an interest, and how to safeguard your livelihood.

We invite you to learn more about insurance planning and other ways to optimize your financial future here.

About Treloar & Heisel

Treloar & Heisel, an EPIC Company, is a premier financial services provider to dental and medical professionals across the country. We assist thousands of clients from residency to practice and through retirement with a comprehensive suite of financial services, custom-tailored advice, and a strong national network focused on delivering the highest level of service.

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