Q&A with Alum Tracy Tang

Tracy Tang is a graduate of the Class of 2T0. She currently works in private practice and in community health in the Greater Toronto Area.

How did your time at the Faculty of Dentistry prepare you for starting your career? And prepared you for these unprecedented times?

The program laid a strong theoretical foundation on dentistry to start my career. Now time and experience are helping me hone the art and science of dentistry. I am able to use my education and practice experience to improve in many aspects over time, e.g. communication, diagnosis, treatment plan, or procedural techniques. Along with continued education, I am building competence, confidence, and speed over time. 
 
What have been the unique challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

There were multiple challenges, many of which were felt by experienced clinicians as well. There was a lot of uncertainty which was probably the hardest part, including the pandemic itself and risk of working, to the evolving public health and RCDSO guidelines, to the level of demand in dentistry and job opportunities, to low staff supply and high turnover. It was definitely challenging to kick off one's career at the onset of a pandemic in the Greater Toronto Area. It was perhaps a slower start compared to those who graduated before us, but I do believe that things will improve from there onwards. 

What are some of the changes you’ve seen during the course of this pandemic? How have you coped with them?

There has been a lot of uncertainty and changes, whether it being the demand in dentistry, risks of COVID-19, practice guidelines, or staff turnover. At the beginning of the pandemic and lock down, I coped by baking a lot like many others. It really helped to focus my mind on something that I can control, instead of the external environment that I cannot change. I guess that's what "mindfulness" is about. I am also fortunate to have a solid network of family, friends, and colleagues along the way for support. It was helpful to recognize that the challenges posed by COVID-19 were felt by many, and its impact on one's wellness. It is nice to have people around to put things into perspective for you when you need support. 
 
How do you think you have coped with these circumstances vs those who graduated into a more stable market?

It is difficult for me to know what to expect as a new grad, and I guess that is good in some way because there's nothing from the pre-pandemic time for me to compare personally when it comes to dentistry in private practice. For me, I focused on what I can do given the circumstances, and to take each experience as a learning opportunity. 

I cannot underscore how important teamwork is in dentistry. 

How has your time in private practice been versus what you expected?

One thing that I am surprised to find is how one clinic can be so different from another, especially when we only experienced one way of practicing dentistry with one patient population at the Faculty. Whether it is the clinic culture, workflow, dental materials, demographic, or patient treatment preference, it could make working in a certain clinic very different from another.

On the other hand, I expected it to be important to have a supportive team to make things work well clinically. My experience in private practice thus far further confirmed this. At the Faculty, we only saw two patients a day, and we played the roles of a scheduler, receptionist, financial coordinator, treatment plan coordinator, assistant, and dentist. In private practice, you cannot do all that yourself and it is so important to have a team to support you and "make you look good". I have also learned a lot of helpful tips and tricks from experienced assistants who I have worked with. I cannot underscore how important teamwork is in dentistry. 
 
What is your advice for recent grads about to start their career (with or without a pandemic)?

I have been advised by experienced dentists to keep an open mind, and to take every opportunity to grow. I have learned a lot in the last year, and there's definitely a lot more to learn. I have been fortunate to have a number of classmates, upper-year graduates and experienced dentists that I can reach out to for questions. I have learned so much from discussing cases with them. They would share their thoughts and experiences with me. It could be tips and tricks, treatment plan approach, or communication strategies etc. I would encourage other recent grads to do the same. 

Photo: Tracy Tang (Sharice Molko)