Understanding and Evaluating Associateship Opportunities
Suggestions for Looking for Associateship Opportunities

It is critical to first create a philosophy of practice, establish short- and long-term goals, decide where you want to live, the type of practice in which you would like to work and your expectations for compensation!

1. Check the online postings available through dental schools.
2. Check state dental association newsletters/websites. Attend dental association state and/or district meetings. The ADA career web site is http://careercenter.ada.org/.
3. Network with brokers such as those listed in www.dentalsalescareers.com, ADS Transitions, and on opportunities such as those in MD & DDS Resources and Dental Word of Mouth. 3RNnet also lists openings nationwide and by state.
4. Contact vendors, especially dental supplier representatives, in the area in which you wish to practice (such as Patterson, Henry Schein, Benco, Goetze) representatives). (Schein’s online list of openings for dentists).
5. Contact alumni from your dental school in the area in which you wish to practice. The ADA publishes a directory of members listing individuals by city/town and state, and possibly year of graduation.
6. Consider the opportunities of larger group practices and DSOs such as Midwest Dental, Pacific Dental, and Heartland. This is not an endorsement of these potential opportunities. Larger group practices and DSOs sometimes include higher levels of compensation, richer benefits, and possibly longer hours of work per week.
7. Network with school faculty, with your hometown dentist, etc.
8. Research the economic viability of the state/city/town/county through state offices of economic development, chambers of commerce (and their web sites) and city-data.com to get detailed information about the community.
9. Compare cost of living differences, crime rates, schools at www.bestplaces.net.
10. Opportunities are also available through public health clinics, the Indian Health Service, the military, government institutions/clinics and clinics associated with individual American Indian nations/tribes. Some programs exist which offer loan repayment opportunities in, for example, federally qualified health clinics.