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Things You Should Have Learned in Dental School and Never Did

Dr. Friedman is Professor and Associate Dean for Administration, Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, Room B308, Boston, MA 02118; pkf{at}bu.edu.

The stated purpose of this book is to educate dental students and dentists about the importance of interpersonal communication in clinical practice and how communication impacts professional success. The author includes a sub-theme, disclosing to the readers (dental students and dentists) that another purpose is to make "your teachers" (presumably educators at academic dental institutions) aware of the importance of including education in communication in the dental curriculum.

The paperback is organized into six chapters: Goals, Marketing, Case Acceptance, Communication, Hiring and Firing, and It’s Your Choice (career options). The author includes thirty-six references at the end and an additional list of ten recommended reading suggestions from top-ranked social scientists/organizational behavior authors. The writing style is conversational; one can imagine the author recording lectures and having them transcribed or speaking into a dictation device for subsequent transcription. The style is also avuncular—that of a wizened practitioner instilling well-intentioned life lessons to a younger, less-experienced colleague.

The book contains many practical tips and suggestions for the novice and experienced practitioner and is a quick read. However, the text seems to be in search of organized content and an appropriate audience. It purports to be instructional on the art and technique of communication, yet seems to combine efforts at practice management (patient and staff relations, case presentation, the importance of smiling), leadership, scheduling, communication skills, career options, and marketing strategies. Only snippets of information, including personal anecdotes, are provided on each topic. A glaring omission occurs in the chapter on career options: academia is not listed at all as one of the subheadings for chapter 6 in the table of contents and is only listed as one of many enumerated possibilities towards the end of the chapter. Regarding the target audience, it is difficult to identify an appropriate potential readership for the book; it might be a useful adjunct reference in practice management courses in dental or dental hygiene curricula. It seems somewhat basic in content for a practicing dentist (e.g., p. 15—Have staff meetings start on time and end on time.).

Reading the text is not always smooth because the editing of the text is incomplete. There are numerous typographical, spelling, and grammatical errors. Additionally, the author seems unfamiliar with contemporary curricular content in dental schools; consequently, the title and the content are often misleading. The assertion that practice management is not covered in dental school curricula is unfounded. While it may be true that not all information regarding the establishment and ongoing management in a practice is included in dental school courses, accreditation standards include practice management as one of the required areas of a dental school curriculum. Those who teach practice management in dental schools have observed that it is a topic that often does not gain salience until after graduation.

This book is recommended for career advising for high school students and for students in colleges and universities who are considering dentistry as a profession and want to learn more about the practice management aspects of the profession. It may also provide a quick overview for dental students as one resource in a practice management course and may be a useful reference in a community public library or a medical center library.

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Friedman, P. K. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Friedman, P. K.