Interview Essay

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Interview Essay

Dr. Lee Drahos DDS a professional dentist provided me with critical information on the anticipated challenges, opportunities, and issues that are characteristic of the dentistry profession. The interview was highly effective and successful in providing me with adequate information on the issues that one should anticipate when joining the dentistry profession. He critically noted of the need for prioritization, resilience and maintaining individual focus on the objectives of the course, and more so the ultimate goal of successful graduation and accreditation as a professional dentist in the United States (Dr. Lee Drahos).

When asked about politics in the dentistry profession he responded, “Dental practices are under scrutiny every day. The dynamics the dynamics of the public, media and regulators create less possibilities for influence over a practice and continue to challenge a dentist’s ability to provide” (Dr. Lee Drahos). In addition, he noted of the presence of new challenges, which are characteristic of any developed society. he noted that the opportunities in existence and likely to be present in the future make oral healthcare as one of the most challenging, exciting and highly rewarding professions in the united states and more so around the world (. For acceptance into an American dental institution, a candidate should hold at least a bachelors degree and exceptional scores on the prerequisite courses (Dym and Ogle 35). Furthermore, he also noted of the importance of motivation, scientific curiosity, high intelligence, ambition, and social consciousness for successful completion of the dentistry program.

Dentists are highly educated and sophisticated professionals who provide a variety of healthcare services, enabling patients to achieve optimal comfort and care in their normal lives. They provide a variety of services, which ensure prevention of development of ailments such as tooth decay, periodontal disease, and oral-facial anomalies, which bring about improper digestion, pain and altered facial appearances. In addition, the requirements for entry into dentistry programs can be attributed to the fact that dentists play a critical role in ensuring optimal health of human beings (Dr. Lee Drahos). They play a critical role in identification of diseases such as oral cancer and the various systemic conditions of the human body, which are manifested in the mouth. Furthermore, they are gradually making significant progress in the development of aesthetic and cosmetic properties.

He noted that the initial two years of dental school in the United States is largely focused on didactic education and the various simulation courses. In addition, the last two years also form a critical part of the training and education of dentists as they focus on direct patient care while under critical supervision from trained and experienced dentistry professionals. He also noted that there is a high interaction and overlapping of curriculums in a majority of schools whereby some of the didactic years may include components, and the concluding two years may contain an interaction of both clinical and didactic work.

In addition, in dental schools, it is mandatory that the student pass the Part 1 and 2 of the highly complex National Board Dental Examination, which is commonly referred to as the “Boards” administered by American Dental Association (ADA). Part 1 is usually undertaken after the completion of the second year in dental school whereas the Part 2 is completed after or during the fourth year of the dental program. Upon successful completion of the program, new dentists can earn from USD $100,000 upwards, whereas the experienced professionals earn from as much as USD $ 300,000 and onwards (Dr. Lee Drahos).

This is illustrative that resilience can provide determined and ambitious students with avenues for achieving the desired levels of financial freedom and professional success. In addition, it is also evident that with adequate skills and knowledge, individuals can explore private practices as a means of enabling them to achieve success and their desired levels of autonomy. With the current employment prospects and estimates, the year 2015 and the future may result in the growth of employment opportunities and related benefits by more than 16% (Dr. Lee Drahos). This is illustrative that the demand for dentists is extensive and only available to individuals with a high level of integrity, ambition, and determination for success.

He also noted that dentists are professionals who are subjected to constant evaluations by professional bodies, governmental agencies and more so the public for their practice and levels of ethical conduct. The interactions of the community or public, the media, regulators, federal and local governments provide numerous opportunities for these parties to influence the dentistry practice. The involvement of these stakeholders is critical towards the development of appropriate standards, regulations, and policies for ensuring optimal quality in the delivery of dental healthcare services.

The increase in opportunities in dental healthcare can be attributed to the high intensity in the national need for enhancing the access to oral and general healthcare. Furthermore, the continuous increase in the demand for dental services is gradually exacerbating the increase in demand for dental services. Women and minorities remain significantly underrepresented in the field of dentistry, despite the high commitment by institutions and government agencies to enhance the levels of diversity of this profession (Bennett and Rosenberg 26).

Consequently, he noted of the need for dentists to understand and respect diversity in all healthcare and social settings. This is important towards ensuring the delivery of services to all clients or patients irrespective of biased considerations such as race, nationality, social status, gender, and sexual orientation. This affirms the fact that dentist assume a critical social role in ensuring diversity and respect for all individuals, which is affirmed in the American constitution. Moreover, the need to incorporate cultural tolerance is critical for modern dentist as it enables them to interact with diverse clients and in the process enhancing their respective capacities and opportunities in growing their respective private practices.

He also noted that despite the presence of numerous opportunities for private practice, private practitioners are usually faced with numerous challenges. When I asked him about the best and worst aspects of his career as a dentist he responded, “The good parts are that it is very flexible, good income (“living the American dream”), being able to have happy patients.
The bad parts about being a dentist is the business side of running a dental office. It takes away time in practicing dentistry. Another bad thing is staff issues” (Dr. Lee Drahos). Operation of a private practice presents other challenges such as managerial roles, which impede individual ability to engage in technical practice and interacting with patients. Furthermore, dental practice demands the need for an individual to exercise specific virtues such as integrity, authenticity, honesty, trust and adhering to ethical and professional codes for optimal delivery of quality healthcare to the patients. In addition exercising patience and understanding is important towards empathizing with the patients and enabling them to overcome various problems.

From the interview, Dr. Lee Drahos noted that the personal goals and sources of motivation such as education for his children have enabled him to seek continuous improvement of his professional skills and grow his private practice (Dr. Lee Drahos). It is apparent of the importance of ensuring adopting of ethical and professional values as a means of navigating the various challenges faced by all healthcare professionals in their interactions with patients or clients and more so engagements with other critical stakeholders. The continuous advancement of individual skills and knowledge by pursing new qualifications is critical towards enhancing individual capacities for catering to diverse clientele needs and more so to address the numerous emergent healthcare challenges. Moreover, technological advancements demand the need for dental practitioners to constantly familiarize themselves with new technology as a means of optimizing healthcare delivery for their patients.

Works Cited

Bennett, Jeffrey D, and Morton B. Rosenberg. Medical Emergencies in Dentistry. Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 2002. Print.

Dym, Harry, and Orrett E. Ogle. Handbook of Dental Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier, 2008. Print.

Dr. Lee Drahos DDS. Personal Interview. 20^th September 2015.

Scully, Crispian, and R A. Cawson. Medical Problems in Dentistry. Edinburgh: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone, 2005. Print.