Dawson Study Clubs: Mastering Complete Dentistry

As coleader of one of The Dawson Academy's Study Clubs, Matthew Wolfe, DDS, understands that continual learning allows dentists to hone their craft and provide elevated care to patients. The Dawson Academy uses the study clubs as a way for members or students who have been through or who are interested in getting into the curriculum to get together on a regular basis. "The local study clubs allow all of the local dentists to meet and discuss ideas, focused within the Dawson philosophy," Wolfe explains.

Dawson Study Clubs are available throughout the United States, and there are also two international clubs, in Sweden and Finland. The curriculum ranges across a wide variety of topics so that each dentist has an experience tailored to individual interests and goals. The focus of each meeting is to help attendees move to the next level of quality care, with meeting agendas that are often diverse.

"At some meetings we go through cases of our own, or we have cases or videos supplied by The Dawson Academy. Sometimes we will have roundtable discussions on our own topics-issues that concern us, whether its clinical, practice management, patient communication, etc. It is a support group of sorts for Dawson Dentists," emphasizes Wolfe. Unlike most study clubs, Dawson Study Club leaders have a library of curricula to choose from, offering the same standards and quality as a Dawson course.

While beneficial for all dentists, this support system is particularly helpful for younger dentists who may at first find signing up for a study club intimidating. "For young dentists just starting out, having this sort of support network could be huge in advancing their careers and limiting the amount of frustrations that come with implementing comprehensive dentistry," Wolfe says.

These study clubs allow dentists to build camaraderie, share ideas, receive help, and gain confidence. "It is a journey going through the curriculum. I finished the program 3 years ago, and still at every meeting I gain new information and figure out better ways to implement the philosophy into my practice," Wolfe continues.

"It is also great because you get to meet people that you would have never met otherwise-even though they are local dentists. You form these bonds, and now they're part of your support network forever," he adds. "We've made real friendships; people are now hanging out together outside of dentistry-it's been a rewarding experience."

The Dawson Academy is confident its study clubs will support Dawson Dentists around the world in their journey toward mastering Complete Dentistry and continual learning. "Success looks like predictability in your dentistry; that's what we're taught at The Academy," Wolfe explains. "That's why we go through all these courses, to bring predictability to the dentistry that we're providing our patients. So, when we think of success as a study club, it is being able to help one another, bounce ideas off each other, go over cases together to try to improve predictability, which in turn improves the work/life balance that The Academy always emphasizes. This is to ensure we're not spending hour after hour in the office, because we're now able to provide care more predictably and efficiently, which allows us more time with our lives outside of our practices."

The Dawson Academy
390 4th Street North, Suite 200
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
844-877-8101
thedawsonacademy.com/studyclubs