390: Finding a Mentor in Dentistry - Dr. Kevin Groth & Dr. Zachary Sisler

Finding a Mentor in Dentistry

Episode #390 with Dr. Kevin Groth & Dr. Zachary Sisler

Every dentist needs a mentor. And, eventually, every dentist needs to become a mentor. But how do you find one — a great one — and build a relationship? For an idea of what an amazing mentorship looks like, Kirk Behrendt brings in Dr. Kevin Growth and Dr. Zachary Sisler to share their mentorship journey and the important lessons that being a mentor and mentee has taught them. Mentorship is a two-way street! To learn the key things to look for when seeking mentorship, listen to Episode 390 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

It’s easier than ever to find great mentors.

Mentorship is not a one-way street. You grow together.

Mentors come and go, and that’s okay.

Your team can also be your mentors.

Be willing to lean into the “awkward” and ask for help.

Don't be afraid of failure.

Quotes:

“If you don't have a mentor in dentistry, it’s very isolating. You're going to crack at some point. So, everybody who’s listening to this should know that there's an important role, that you need to serve as a mentee and a mentor out there for other people.” (8:21—8:33)

“With mentors, it’s not necessarily a one-way street. It’s not necessarily like the mentor is just teaching a mentee; you're growing together as you're going through this.” (8:57—9:10)

“I used to think, initially, ‘I've got to find this guy who’s going to be with me for the rest of my life. We’re going to grow together.’ And there's very much a season of your life where mentors maybe come and go. Like, I had a great mentor when I was in dental school. He helped me a lot, and he helped grow me, and really encouraged me to get out. And then, as I moved on and transitioned to other things, that faded a little bit. And that's okay. It’s okay to realize that in that current season of life, there are still people around me that I can find and connect with and know that it’s not necessarily forever.” (11:18—11:53)

“Ultimately, when you are looking for a mentor, the importance is to be vulnerable too. Because I think, oftentimes, you want to go to these people that you aspire to. But I think it’s easy to say, ‘Look at how much I know. Look at what I do. Look at what I am.’ And it’s almost the opposite of that. Because if you could say, ‘I don't know anything. Teach me. I'm a sponge. I'll do whatever you want me to do. Just show me the ropes, and I'll do it.’ And when you could actually learn that way, and then you implement it into your life and you could see it, it engages the mentor. Because then they're saying, ‘Wow, this person is actually taking my advice and putting it to practice. And that's so, so important as someone looking for a mentor, is to, one, engage with them, and then also implement it.” (13:23—14:07)

“If you're alone in life and you don't have people to lean on, what's the point? You're just going to struggle. It’s going to be depressing. And ultimately, it’s energizing to know the people that I look to, the people I trust the most and I'm vulnerable with and comfortable going to with life moments are expressing to me like, ‘Lean on me. We got you. We’re going to do this.’ And that makes me better.” (23:08—23:31)

“Mentors are there to build you up and to also provide the safe space to talk, but also to provide the, I don't want to say criticism, but the hard truth, sometimes. It’s not like, ‘Oh, no. It’s fine. You're doing great.’ No, it’s, ‘Hey, guess what? You didn't do that really great. You messed up. So, let's talk about it and see how this is going to be different next time.’” (26:13—26:44)

“I used to have mentors who, I would send them a case and I would show them about how excited I was about it, and I was looking for them to build me up, and they just continued to beat me down and rip the case apart. And I was like, ‘Man, I could've really used just a little bit of encouragement before all of that happened.’ So, I think it’s this fine balance of like, yes, we’re looking for some encouragement, but we’re also looking for the truth. And so, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, but it’s not all doom and gloom either.” (26:46—27:16)

“If you see on the same page with somebody, you guys can connect on a deeper level. Whereas there are some mentors that I've had that we just didn't align. We liked each other, but we didn't see life in the same capacity. We didn't see how to treat a team on the same capacity, how work was. So, if you can actually align in that capacity too, it’s going to be a big game changer in terms of relationship building.” (29:47—30:08)

“I also am not ashamed to admit that there are times when I'm coming into work and I'm not at my “A” game. I'm beat down, I'm worn down, I'm exhausted, or I had a bad evening, whatever the case was. But I know that I've surrounded myself with people who can buy in to our core values, and when I'm not being the most uplifting or relational person, I know I've got people on the other side of the chair from me who are going to do that for me and pick me up and carry me along. And I think that's incredibly, incredibly important for somebody to recognize early on in their career.” (31:06—31:44)

“It’s a marathon, not a sprint. You've got to start to look long-term, to a degree. When I first got out, I was like, ‘Okay, I've got to get my practice. I've got to start doing large cases. This is what I've got to do.’ And I had mentors who were like, ‘You're not ready for that yet. Just take your time.’ This is not something that you all have to accomplish in the first year. Find people who are going to help you see that vision and help you slowly implement it.” (35:47—36:14)

“It’s kind of hard, sometimes, to have somebody you graduated dental school with be your mentor. Yes, you can be buddies, and you can go through life together and figure that out and talk about it. But to have somebody who has that slightly more senior view is a big help at times. They can sometimes put it in perspective for you that this isn't all going to happen right now.” (36:26—36:51)

“I could be a sponge to every single person in the room. I don't care if you're one day out of school, or if you're 40 years into practice. Ultimately, I think that mentality allows you to establish some type of networking or connectivity amongst a community that wants to give back. And when you have the ability to want to learn and grow from other people, it becomes natural. It’s easy.” (37:00—37:22)

“Don't be afraid to lean into the awkward. Because it’s going to feel awkward at first, to go up and just ask somebody for help. But to have that humility and be able to sit there and lean into it and say, ‘Tell me more,’ you never know what you might learn.” (38:27—38:40)

“Be picky with your mentors. There are some people that I would never choose to be my mentor — not bad people. Nothing wrong with them. It’s just, they're not the people that I want to surround myself with.” (40:12—40:21)

“It’s not a job to be a mentor. It’s not a job to be a mentee. It’s energizing to be in that relationship, on both ends.” (41:05—41:12)

“You don't know the extent to which you influence other people, because a life touches a life, touches a life, touches a life. And ultimately, those that you surround yourself with will take that, and if you positively impact them, then they're going to carry it forward to those around them. And it just becomes this web that gets bigger and bigger. And I think that's the lesson that we’ve all learned from the last couple years, is that that can also go the opposite. The negativity can also spread very quickly too. So, be the source to somebody to uplift, and be the source to somebody to bring a positive outlook to something.” (43:19—43:53)

“If you're a young dentist trying to do something profound, [in] practice or life, just care about other people. That's a simple concept. Just do what you can to care for people. And when you do take care of people as if they are family or a close relative, or whatever it may be, everything else will fall into place.” (48:16—48:35)

“What's the cost of some type of conference to go to? $1,000, $2,000, $5,000, whatever it may be. What's the cost of actually setting up some relationship that will help guide you, and implement things, and change your life? Probably a lot more than one of those courses will be. So, do whatever you need to do to make sure that once you find a mentor, do not lose them. Connect with them. Do everything you can to inspire them and show that you're working hard to build that relationship and implement the things you're doing. But then, on top of that, show gratitude and appreciation. Because if you don't have that gratitude to what they're doing for you, then that relationship will inherently fizzle out.” (50:19—50:59)

“Don't be so afraid of failure. Success is kind of a lousy teacher, and failure is actually a really good teacher.” (51:46—51:55)

Snippets:

0:00 Introduction.

1:27 Dr. Sisler’s background.

5:43 Dr. Groth’s background.

7:31 Why this is an important topic.

10:48 Mentors come and go.

12:09 It’s never been easier to find a mentor.

14:07 Opportunities exist — you've got to go get them.

16:17 Appreciate the time people give you.

17:30 Dr. Peter Dawson’s influence.

21:33 You're not alone.

23:46 What mentorship looks like for Dr. Groth and Dr. Sisler.

30:10 Your team can also be your mentors.

34:27 Advice for young dentists.

37:51 Lean into the awkward.

41:56 Be a source for positivity.

44:51 Relationships are everything.

50:05 Last thoughts on mentorship.

54:11 Dr. Groth’s contact information.

57:43 Dr. Sisler’s course and contact information.

Reach Out to Dr. Groth and Dr. Sisler:

Dr. Groth’s email: kevingroth@gmail.com 

Dr. Groth’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grothdental

Dr. Groth’s social media: @drkevingroth

Dr. Sisler’s website: http://www.drsisler.com

Dr. Sisler’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmilesBySisler

Dr. Sisler’s social media: @dr_zachsisler

Dr. Kevin Groth Bio:

Dr. Kevin Groth’s primary goal is for every person to walk out of his office knowing that they received the highest-quality, most personalized care possible. Dentistry is more than just a profession for Dr. Groth. He sees every patient as an extension of his own family, and when you are in his chair, you’ll always be treated well.  

Dr. Groth’s favorite part of being a dentist is that every day and every patient is different. He loves the variety of people he gets to meet and procedures he performs to help patients maintain their smiles.  

Since graduating from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Dr. Groth has been recognized locally by Hour Detroit Magazine as a Top Dentist, and nationally as a Top Doc. As a passionate dentist who wants to provide the best care for his patients, Dr. Groth pursues continuing education through The Dawson Academy, serves on the executive board of the Periodontal Bunting Society, and is the Assistant Clinical Director of the Society of Comprehensive Dentists. He has also served as an adjunct clinical faculty member at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.

Dr. Zachary Sisler Bio:

Dr. Zachary Sisler is a native of Kingwood, West Virginia. He attended West Virginia University, where he received an undergraduate degree in chemistry in three years. He continued his education at the West Virginia University School of Dentistry, earning his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. During his time at dental school, he explored the field of dentistry by completing externships and honor programs in oral surgery and endodontics. As a further testament to his dedication, he was honored with the following awards: Simon P. Hullihen Scholarship Award for Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, American Association of Endodontics Student Achievement Award, American Association Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Student Award, Whip Mix 2010 Hanau Prosthodontic Award, Delta Dental Student Leadership Award, and the Quintessence Book Award for Restorative Dentistry.

Since graduation, Dr. Sisler has immersed himself in countless hours of continuing education. Dr. Sisler has attended lectures and hands-on courses at the prestigious Dawson Academy, where he has learned how to properly and predictably restore complex cases, not only from a functional standpoint but cosmetic as well. Dr. Sisler was asked to become an associate faculty member of The Dawson Academy, and while continuing his own continuing education pursuits, dedicates time to teaching dental professionals the concepts of complete dentistry.

Dr. Zachary Sisler, DDS, AAACD, has earned the Accredited Member credential in the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD), joining an elite group of dental professionals who have successfully completed the accreditation process in The Academy. He is one of 417 to achieve this status of cosmetic dentistry in the world.

Dr. Sisler has a strong passion for dentistry and the pursuit of excellence in all aspects, particularly cosmetic dentistry. He holds memberships with the American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, Pennsylvania Academy of General Dentistry, Pennsylvania Dental Association, Harrisburg Area Dental Society, American Equilibration Society, and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.