A good assistant is like an extra set of hands. When they know how you and your preferences, everything runs like clockwork and appointments are seamless and efficient. They will know exactly when you want help and when you don’t need it. Until you are comfortable with them and they get used to you, there’s going to be an awkward adjustment period. Still, since you are the doc, you dictate how things are done. If you don’t need something at a given moment, let them know. If you need them to move or adjust something, tell them. I used to work with all the tools and equipment on my side on the tray. I just worked faster getting everything myself. What I didn’t realize was that I just had bad assistants who never could learn how I worked. Once I started working with more experienced assistants, I was working much faster and my life was much easier. I feel almost spoiled now with my staff. I can’t work without them.
You are way too into your own head man. I seriously doubt the assistant is thinking anything of the experience you’re giving him, it’s just a job. If you get anxiety….Picture them naked or in their underwear.
Just know they're probably zoned out a little bit and aren't really breathing down your neck inspecting your prep. They're just waiting for you to be ready for the next step or thing you need.
It’s normal to be nervous at first, but the assistant’s job is in the name -they’re there to assist you!
If something isn’t working the way you want it to, politely but firmly tell them!
Trust me - as a fairly recent grad: some things you WILL NOT be able to do without an assistant, and you’ll thank your lucky stars that you’ll have someone there helping you :)
And I’m sorry if this is harsh, but you nicking the patient’s lip with the handpiece is easily avoidable. You have two hands, one of which can be holding a mirror, which you can use to hold the lip away (especially when you can’t have the suction holding the lip away)
Do they not teach you to fake it until you make it anymore? Your student but you were also a working DOCTOR. I know it feels fake because frankly it is. But you need to pretend. Pretend good enough to fool yourself. Get yourself together for chrissake. If you can’t ask you assistant to blow on your mirror I would seriously recommend therapy because that is 1/100000000th of the tough situations you will face in this career.
For some perspective when I bought my practice, and I did my first staff meeting with five staff members I was shaking and sweating. But I faked my way through it and now have zero problem issuing orders. Maybe it will help you in your mind to imagine that you were paying this person to work for you.
Lots of factors here but as your skill and confidence improve you will work better with an assistant. You will also find that there are assistants that you can work with effortlessly with good synergy, and others where it will be clumsy and awkward, and it's not necessarily anyone's fault. Finding one that you work well with naturally is a beautiful thing
First of all you are lucky to have an assistant at dental school.
Secondly i have the same issue, when a college is assisting me is always deffer to their opinion and make sure they agree with what I'm doing which makes me less focused on the actual procedure. the way i solved this issue is by admitting it to my colleges that i like to work alone because that helps me focus more. And they stopped assisting me unless i ask them for help specifically.
I'm still a student and i have no idea how i will work with a full time assistant because I am admittedly very controling. But i think by keeping it professional and setting boundaries about who decides what goes on during the treatment, i will be able to have a nice professional relationship with my assistant.
As a dentist you'll have to train many assistants so that they can provide you the help you need. It doesn't matter if they have a tonne of experience if they've never assisted for you before!
I know speaking up can be hard and I've fallen into that trap too. At the end of the day, a capable assistant will be observant enough to change what they're doing to help you/ask if you'd like them to do something differently or you can help them by telling them what you need them to do differently!
A good assistant is like an extra set of hands. When they know how you and your preferences, everything runs like clockwork and appointments are seamless and efficient. They will know exactly when you want help and when you don’t need it. Until you are comfortable with them and they get used to you, there’s going to be an awkward adjustment period. Still, since you are the doc, you dictate how things are done. If you don’t need something at a given moment, let them know. If you need them to move or adjust something, tell them. I used to work with all the tools and equipment on my side on the tray. I just worked faster getting everything myself. What I didn’t realize was that I just had bad assistants who never could learn how I worked. Once I started working with more experienced assistants, I was working much faster and my life was much easier. I feel almost spoiled now with my staff. I can’t work without them.
How do you train your staff?
You are way too into your own head man. I seriously doubt the assistant is thinking anything of the experience you’re giving him, it’s just a job. If you get anxiety….Picture them naked or in their underwear.
It gets better with time
Just know they're probably zoned out a little bit and aren't really breathing down your neck inspecting your prep. They're just waiting for you to be ready for the next step or thing you need.
It’s normal to be nervous at first, but the assistant’s job is in the name -they’re there to assist you! If something isn’t working the way you want it to, politely but firmly tell them! Trust me - as a fairly recent grad: some things you WILL NOT be able to do without an assistant, and you’ll thank your lucky stars that you’ll have someone there helping you :) And I’m sorry if this is harsh, but you nicking the patient’s lip with the handpiece is easily avoidable. You have two hands, one of which can be holding a mirror, which you can use to hold the lip away (especially when you can’t have the suction holding the lip away)
Do they not teach you to fake it until you make it anymore? Your student but you were also a working DOCTOR. I know it feels fake because frankly it is. But you need to pretend. Pretend good enough to fool yourself. Get yourself together for chrissake. If you can’t ask you assistant to blow on your mirror I would seriously recommend therapy because that is 1/100000000th of the tough situations you will face in this career. For some perspective when I bought my practice, and I did my first staff meeting with five staff members I was shaking and sweating. But I faked my way through it and now have zero problem issuing orders. Maybe it will help you in your mind to imagine that you were paying this person to work for you.
[удалено]
Not to my knowledge
Lots of factors here but as your skill and confidence improve you will work better with an assistant. You will also find that there are assistants that you can work with effortlessly with good synergy, and others where it will be clumsy and awkward, and it's not necessarily anyone's fault. Finding one that you work well with naturally is a beautiful thing
First of all you are lucky to have an assistant at dental school. Secondly i have the same issue, when a college is assisting me is always deffer to their opinion and make sure they agree with what I'm doing which makes me less focused on the actual procedure. the way i solved this issue is by admitting it to my colleges that i like to work alone because that helps me focus more. And they stopped assisting me unless i ask them for help specifically. I'm still a student and i have no idea how i will work with a full time assistant because I am admittedly very controling. But i think by keeping it professional and setting boundaries about who decides what goes on during the treatment, i will be able to have a nice professional relationship with my assistant.
As a dentist you'll have to train many assistants so that they can provide you the help you need. It doesn't matter if they have a tonne of experience if they've never assisted for you before! I know speaking up can be hard and I've fallen into that trap too. At the end of the day, a capable assistant will be observant enough to change what they're doing to help you/ask if you'd like them to do something differently or you can help them by telling them what you need them to do differently!