ViewPoint My experience in public health dentistry

Like many senior dental students, I faced the same pressures as you all did as I was preparing myself for graduation. The joys of finding board patients, finishing all of my requirements, and of course, thinking about where I will be working once I receive my dental license.

Once I had a pretty good grasp on the first two hurdles I began focusing on what I was going to do for work. As I was looking at my options, it looked like a tough world out there. As you all may be aware, the average dental student is about $150,000 in debt from student loans. I thought to myself that once you add that on top of other bills鈥攑urchasing a house, car and your own health insurance (most independent contractors receive no benefits), what is left? And let’s be honest, when you start your first year in practice, things don’t just “take off.”

It was at this point that a friend of mine asked me if I would ever consider a career in public health dentistry. He told me that one of the benefits would be school loan repayment. At home that night and I did a Google search of the National Health Service Corps.

The Web site has quite a bit of information. What I discovered was the NHSC has a loan repayment program for many health professionals including dentists, physicians and nurses. They require that you commit to a minimum two-year contract to work in a federally qualified health center in an underserved area. In return you will get $50,000 of your loans repaid. After your second year you can sign up for a third year and receive up to $35,000 for loan repayment. You can continue on for a fourth and fifth year receiving $35,000 each year.

I had accepted an offer in Springfield, Ill., to work in a community health center that just added a dental component to its clinic. This job offered me other benefits in addition to my salary, including such things as paid malpractice insurance, health benefits, retirement plan, paid CE courses and vacation time.

I must say that working in public health dentistry has been a quite an experience for me. You truly understand the needs for dentists in these underserved areas and how important your services are to the community. We have all seen how access to care has been a hot topic in the dental profession, and I got a chance to experience it firsthand. I remember the CEO of our clinic telling me that it is great to do volunteer dental work programs in foreign countries, but you will be surprised how valuable and needed it is in your own state.

Personally I got a chance to work in many phases of dentistry including pediatrics and oral surgery. I got involved in my local dental society and even helped coordinate the first-ever Give Kids A Smile day in Springfield. Along the way I built relationships with other dentists such as Dr. Sue Bishop, who has always dedicated her career to public health dentistry.

This, of course, is my personal experience and I must say that it may not be right for everyone. As with any job, there are many decisions you have to consider such as relocating to a smaller town and how long of a commitment you want to make for the loan repayment.

Since I went to a state dental school and commuted from home, my loans were far less than the national average. I was able to get all of my debt repaid within three years.

I am now ready to transition back to private practice dentistry. Overall it has been a great opportunity for me, and not a bad way to start my professional career.

Dr. Saeed is a Wheaton, Ill., general dentist and a 2003 graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry. His comments, reprinted here with permission, originally appeared in the Illinois Academy of General Dentistry Advisor Magazine, Winter 2008 issue.

Editor’s note: As a new dental graduate, Dr. Saeed’s decision to begin his career within a federally qualified health center offered many advantages, said Dr. Lindsey Robinson, chair of the ADA Council on Access, Prevention and Interprofessional Relations.

“In addition to a fully competitive salary, he was able to apply for National Health Service Corps loan repayment assistance,” said Dr. Robinson. “His experience also afforded him the opportunity to provide care to his patients as part of an interdisciplinary health care team.

“Being able to fully integrate oral health with medicine, mental health, social services and the myriad of other programs found within FQHCs is invaluable,” she continued. “Dr. Saeed now knows what transpires within a community-based dental program and he can serve as an ambassador and advocate for public health within the private practice community.”

CAPIR is pleased to sponsor a new continuing education course at the 2009 annual session in Honolulu, “The ABCs of FQHCs.”

For more information about career opportunities within Federally Qualified Health Centers and the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program, see聽http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/loanrepayment/聽and http://nhscjobs.hrsa.gov.