My name is Nilay Shah. I’m a General Dentist with a DDS degree from NYU who graduated in 2010.
After going through residency and associateships, I’m finally on my own – two years into my startup office in the saturated area of Bergen County, NJ. Like many of you, I graduated with TONS of debt and contrary to what your professors in dental school may have told you, you CAN come out of debt doing the dentistry you love – with some planning and investing in yourself.
When I first started researching into the process of opening my own office, I read through many websites and forums online that had information scattered all over the place. I found threads in online forums from other practitioners on how they got started. But I realized there wasn’t a comprehensive step-by-step process or a guide that I could follow to help me reach my goals.
So I decided to take it into my own hands to provide a single comprehensive resource to help you achieve your goals. If you’re thinking about going out on your own and you’ve graduated within the last decade, we’re in the same boat. If your situation is anything like mine, you’re also sunk in the sea of debt of $300,000 in student loans, practicing in an increasingly competitive environment fueled by record breaking graduates coming out of schools, opening up of more dental schools, and most horrendously, the growing number of cheap discount plans, DMO/HMO insurances, and reduced dental visits by american adults.
My goal with Dental Startup Academy is to detail everything I did from starting the office to growing the office that fits my lifestyle. I will share all the mistakes I made and tell you what I could’ve done differently. Some mistakes cost me an arm and a leg, but that’s how I’m learning. I want to help you avoid making the same mistakes.
You and I can both agree on the fact that dentistry is no longer what it used to be. But with careful planning during the initial phase of our career, we can come out ahead above the sea of debt. Dentistry is a great profession and it WILL allow you to enjoy your work and make a great living. It DOESN’T HAVE to take the next 20 years to reach that point as you may have heard from talking to older colleagues who have been practicing for 15+ years. You have to believe you can, and do everything possible in your hands to make your work ENJOYABLE.
If money is your only motivation, dentistry will not make you happy and I would not encourage you to read this any further. But if you believe you’ve made the right choice by choosing to practice dentistry, continue reading.
I will be covering everything from constructing, designing and equipping the office to hitting the ground running with all the details of dealing with dental insurances, staff management and MOST IMPORTANTLY, growing the office to become the office of your dreams – one that will shape your lifestyle.
If you’re going to buy an existing office or simply expanding your existing operations, feel free to skip to sections that are most helpful to you.
I want this to be a two-way conversation – so don’t be afraid to leave your feedback and comments. Your feedback is ALWAYS appreciated. If you feel there’s a topic that I haven’t covered, please let me know and I will get you all the information you need. Feel free to send an email and don’t forget to subscribe to keep up with the updates!
Thank you for your time so far.
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