Is Pursuing A Health Care Career Worth It?

I was sixteen years old when I started working as a dental assistant. It was much more interesting and exciting than my previous job at McDonald's during the previous summer. After working there for a summer and 2-3 days a week after school, I knew that dental assisting was the career I wanted to pursue.

After 20 years, a family, and three kids later, I realized that the absence of benefits such as vacations, 401k, PTO, and health insurance was no longer acceptable. A wealth of dental knowledge was not enough; my priorities had changed, and I wasn't getting any younger.

To compensate, I found side hustles consulting for new owner dentists' opening their practices, training assistants, and office managers, and creating custom manuals for incoming dental team members. After general dentistry burnout, knowledge allowed me to assist in oral surgery, orthodontics, periodontics, and implant surgery, which helped relieve boredom for a few more years, but shortly after, my career took another direction.

Dental provider network management, including recruitment, data management, and the last twelve years as customer technical support for a dental manufacturer. What a difference taking a step out of the box makes. Vacation, 401K, PTO, health insurance, employee assistance program (EAP).

In essence, it is crucial to find joy in your work because life is short. However, it is equally important to reap the benefits or gains from the mental and physical efforts that you put in day after day, year after year. Time is irreplaceable and there is no such thing as a fountain of youth.

My question to you.....where do you see yourself ten or twenty years from now?