Success starts somewhere

Everyone’s success starts somewhere. Many times, people look at a successful person and only think about what they have and how great it must feel to be in that position. But success comes at a price. Even though I have finished college, passed dental school, and built up my dental clinic, I still face a myriad of obstacles in life. Here I am standing at my front desk, waiting for patients. Business doesn’t come easy. Unlike other convenience stores or restaurants, I can’t go outside and dance to attract attention or give discounts. I pride myself on being a professional doctor who focuses on high quality. Sticking to my principles, these last few years have been especially rough.

I am a millionaire! NEGATIVE millionaire. This is why dental care is expensive in the US, because it takes so much damn money to become a dentist. I get a bit frustrated when patients tell me how much cheaper dental care is across the border (Mexico). I agree it’s cheaper, but that’s also because USA/Canada are one of the few countries where becoming a dentist is highly regulated requires a DOCTORATE degree. Everywhere else, it is a bachelors and the expenses are lower. The dentist in Mexico doesn’t have to charge as much because the standard of living is much lower. If I was a patient, to be honest, I would rather pay a bit more than spend the time going across the border to see a dentist. Money you can always make, time is limited.

As I wait for my business to grow, I think back to all the hard times. When I first graduated dental school as a noobie dentist, older dentists and practice managers would pick on you, give you terrible cases, and cut your pay. It felt like a type of hazing because those people know you have no other choice. I dragged myself through that and was working 6-7 days a week to build up some savings. After 3 years of hard work, I managed to get a business loan to start my dream clinic.

I opened my clinic in mid-2019 and had a rough start. First time opening a dental clinic, there were so many aspects of running a business I didn’t know. From the legal documents to setting up the equipment, I knew absolutely nothing. Nobody is there to help you. I found that many people: contractors, salesman, so-called dental advice professionals, were very ready to take advantage of me when they found out I was a doctor. You suddenly feel very alone venturing down these paths. The obstacles don’t stop there. COVID hit me so hard. The biggest problem I faced was that I built a BRAND NEW clinic in a BRAND NEW building. I had no neighbors in the shopping plaza, so with COVID, people naturally assumed my clinic wasn’t even open. Slowly, day by day, week by week, I am recovering. The business is recovering and the financial bleed is slowing. Now, every time I see a successful man/woman, I no long think about what they have, but what they went through and how proud they should feel.