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Do you have "PMD," perpetually miserable dentist? Dr. Alan Stern did. In his 50s, after serious business and financial mistakes, he hit his version of rock bottom. He talks about how he climbed out, why dentists are so hard on themselves, and why the comparison trap starts in dental school. He shares how to find your people, why your colleagues aren't your competitors, and the one missing ingredient in a happy practice.

In this episode:
- 40 years in dentistry, and the blunders that shaped him
- "Perpetually miserable dentist" and the comparison syndrome
- Why dental school teaches us we have to be perfect
- Starting every morning huddle with "Whose life did we make better?"
- No one has the perfect practice
- Mental health in dentistry, and getting help from a great therapist
- Finding your people: study clubs, CE and online groups
- Colleagues, not competitors
- Advice for new dentists with big debt: live below your means and get a good financial planner
- The missing ingredient: love

📰 Plus dental news from October 2021: HIPAA and vaccination status, EIDL advances and SBA loans, COVID vaccines for ages 5 to 11, and the ADA's ethics statement.

Recorded in October 2021. The show closes with a tribute to Dr. Carlos Tayo and Dr. Todd Ehrlich.

Dr. Alan Stern graduated from dental school in 1981, completed a GPR, and opened his own practice from scratch on the central New Jersey shore in 1987. He is the founder of Better Richer Stronger, a coaching business and Facebook group for dentists, and an author.

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US).

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:54 What the hosts did this week
8:32 What we're drinking
10:00 Better, richer, stronger: tonight's guest
11:04 JB's glass chair mat
12:25 News: HIPAA and vaccination status
14:27 News: EIDL advances and SBA loans
19:26 Don't be afraid to invest in technology
20:38 News: vaccines for ages 5 to 11
21:42 News: the ADA's ethics statement
25:21 The Nice Guys of Dentistry: introducing Dr. Alan Stern
26:40 40 years in dentistry, and the blunders that shaped him
28:32 Fitter in his 60s than ever
29:28 There's no one right way to practice
30:41 Why he started coaching
31:06 "Perpetually miserable dentist"
33:30 Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in dentistry
34:32 The biggest mistakes dentists make
36:04 Dental school and the pressure to be perfect
37:52 "Whose life did we make better today?"
39:29 No one has the perfect practice
40:14 Men's health month and mental health in dentistry
42:08 The therapist who helped him
43:35 Why dentists feel like they're on an island
44:31 Finding your people
46:13 Colleagues, not competitors
48:45 Financial stress for new dentists
49:46 Live below your means
50:42 Paying off debt fast
52:24 The missing ingredient: love
54:04 Closing
57:41 Remembering Dr. Carlos Tayo and Dr. Todd Ehrlich

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https://fanflet.com/dinks/social-2Do you have "PMD," perpetually miserable dentist? Dr. Alan Stern did. In his 50s, after serious business and financial mistakes, he hit his version of rock bottom. He talks about how he climbed out, why dentists are so hard on themselves, and why the comparison trap starts in dental school. He shares how to find your people, why your colleagues aren't your competitors, and the one missing ingredient in a happy practice.