Deborah Ewing shares her inspirational story and offers an insight into her day-to-day life working within a dental group.
I joined Oasis Dental Care in 2007 as a trainee dental nurse in Lincolnshire. Over the last eight years I have worked my way up to lead dental nurse, practice coordinator and practice manager – now I am a multi-site manager and practice manager buddy.
Working for a dental corporate has given me these opportunities to develop my career.
While employed as a lead dental nurse on the east coast of England I was championed by David Leatherbarrow – chief operating officer of the dental group – for the role of practice manager at Kingston. This was only possible because David makes it his business to visit the practices and meet the staff.
Day-to-day variety
The opportunities for career progression when working for a corporate are vast. My current role as a practice manager buddy allows me to travel to surgeries in various locations that would not be possible if working for an independent practice.
My time is currently split between two practices. Each Monday morning I report to our area manager and we have meetings once a month to remain up to date for better collaboration.
A typical day in the office doesn’t exist. There is a full surgery team at each practice I manage, so I might have meetings with the treatment coordinators to stay informed of how the specialists are getting on. Likewise, one-to-one meetings could be programmed in with individual dentists, which involves reviewing their NHS and private patient books and discussing any concerns.
As a practice manager buddy, I also visit various dental surgeries within the group to offer support to other practice managers who may benefit from my experience.
I think the biggest misconception team members have is that they will become just a number in the system with everyone churning out their work without caring. This couldn’t be further from the truth and this is where I come in and assure them that working for a corporate is like being part of a big family.
Support network
One of the main benefits of working for a corporation is the available support. We have dedicated teams for each area and there is help present for every aspect of our jobs from Care Quality Commission (CQC) to recruitment.
Of course there are challenges like any job, but I believe challenge is good. Plus, there are plenty of wonderful opportunities within corporates to work your way up and the support network available is fantastic.
To find out more about the world of ADG please visit www.dentalgroups.co.uk.
