Remember Hermey, the elf who wanted to be a dentist? It’s safe to say you could easily find that beloved, stop-motion TV classic "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer" on just about any channel this month. Well, the American Dental Association’s award-winning blog New Dentists Now is looking for a few good...OK, not elves. But writers!
Writers who are also dentists, that is. Hey, if an elf can be a dentist then a dentist can be a writer. It’s a smaller stretch, anyway.
Specifically, the New Dentist Now blog is seeking contributors interested in writing about their experiences and insights on the unique challenges facing dentists who graduated from dental school fewer than 10 years ago.
Contributing writers could wax poetic about, let’s say, managing student debt, navigating employment contracts and acquiring a practice. Or how about avoiding burnout, seeking licensure mobility and choosing a career path? The ideas are endless!
The goal of the New Dentist Now, newdentistblog.ada.org, is to be the go-to place for brand new dentists who want to learn from fellow new(ish) dentists on what challenges they can expect after graduation and what they can do to best prepare themselves for a successful career in the field of dentistry.
Contributors must be dentists who graduated from dental school fewer than 10 years ago. New dentists from various fields in dentistry — from associates and practice owners to general dentists and specialists and working in public health and the military — are welcome to submit their stories.
ADA team members can offer guidance on topics, but contributors are encouraged to share insights and learned lessons from their own professional experiences. ADA staff will also be a resource for editing and reviewing submissions.
The blog was conceptualized and developed by the New Dentist Committee of the American Dental Association. New Dentist Now launched in 2013 and was redesigned in 2015. This year, the blog won a bronze award in the digital media-blog category in the annual EXCEL Awards, which recognizes excellence and leadership in nonprofit association media, publishing, marketing and communications.
To view the blog and read other submissions, visit newdentistblog.ada.org/category/guest-blogger.
For more information on how to submit a post for consideration, contact Tera Lavick, new dentist committee director, at lavickt@ada.org.
