020: Oral Surgery Is Hard

Oral Surgery Is Hard

Hey everyone, it's Russell. Today, I want to talk about something a bit different – our profession itself and the challenges we face. The main thing I want to emphasize is that oral surgery is hard. We all struggle sometimes, and that's okay. As we progress in our careers, more experience leads to better outcomes and techniques. You'll find the instruments and approaches that work best for you, and case selection improves with time.

Early in our careers, we often face pitfalls like taking on cases beyond our skill level, and our ego can cloud our judgment. But even as we gain experience, we'll always have wins and losses. Referrals are sometimes necessary, even for experienced surgeons, and consulting colleagues for validation is valuable.

Having support is crucial in our field. We need people to bounce ideas off of, and it's important to keep going and improving. Our ultimate goal should be to have more wins than losses, but we must accept that some cases won't go as planned. It's also vital to recognize when we simply can't help certain patients.

We need to extend grace to ourselves. We're human and imperfect – it's called a "practice" for a reason. Over time, we should have more successes than failures. It's equally important to support our colleagues. Be kind when others share struggles online and avoid harsh criticism – we don't know the full context. Remember, everyone has complications, even the "experts."

Ultimately, what we do is valuable and unique. Be proud of your skills and the good you bring to the world. I hope this reflection helps you feel less alone in your challenges. We're all in this together. As always, feel free to reach out at [email protected] or follow me on X @RussellKirkDDS.

Talk to you next week!