Tips for Finding the Red Flag Associateships

As a young dentist, finding a good associateship is among the MOST important aspects of your dental journey and should be on your mind from the third year of dental school on. This will be the start of your dental career many years in the making, so it’s important to be as prepared as possible. Interviewing is a lengthy process, but we are here to walk you through each step of it! 

As with everything, we will start with the ABCs of associate jobs. When you have decided that the time is right to start thinking about your dental career and find positions that speak to your values, you now have to determine the WHY, WHAT, and HOW of each one. The very first step you should take is uploading your resume for free on the Dentist Job Connect site and browsing our hundreds of job opportunities.

When it comes to the interview process, the first question you should always ask when interested in an associate job is WHY the dental practice needs a dental associate. The owner dentist might say that their associate is moving, which is a great answer. This tells you that the open position was not the decision of the owner and was out of their control. If the response is “things did not work out,” this can be considered a yellow flag and requires some digging. Ask them for an example of why the associate was not a good fit for the office. If they say that the associate refused to take CE to broaden their skills, this is a good answer as well as “they did not get along with the staff.” If you are given a vague answer about clinical philosophy, this could be a red flag and may tell you that the associateship is not a good fit.

After you have learned the reason behind the job opening, you should then move on to the WHAT. Figure out what procedures will be required of you. Commonly, they will expect examinations, cleanings, x-rays, fillings, crowns, and sometimes, but not usually, specialty procedures. Learning the position’s expectations will help you hone your skill set according to what the jobs you want most will ask of you. 

Finally, make sure to ask HOW the dental practice owner pays their dental associates. Many offer a daily guarantee as a safety net and/or a percentage of adjusted production or net collections. Some associates prefer to have a daily guarantee for peace of mind, while others do not have a preference. All methods of payment are completely valid ways to compensate workers, but it’s a great idea to ask regardless so that you can prepare yourself accordingly. 

With the ABCs of finding a quality associateship out of the way, let’s cover a great tip to learn more details about the position before committing to it. Ask the owner if you can speak with the associate that is leaving the role to learn more about the position and needs of the team. If the answer is yes, this is a good sign as it shows you that the owner is confident about what they offered the associate. If the answer is no, it could be a problem. This demonstrates a lack of transparency and should be taken into consideration before accepting the position. 

If you’re ready to start the interviewing process, head over to the Dentist Job Connect website and get your resume uploaded for free. Browse our hundreds of job listings and, when the time comes to interview, keep these questions and tips in mind! Following the what, why, and how method of finding the perfect associate job FOR YOU will make your dental life so much easier!