My Journey Out of Dentistry Archives - Lolabees Career Coaching https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/category/quitting-dentistry/ Getting Real About Your Dental Career Mon, 21 Mar 2022 18:59:13 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.1 https://i0.wp.com/www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cropped-BumbleBee.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 My Journey Out of Dentistry Archives - Lolabees Career Coaching https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/category/quitting-dentistry/ 32 32 141275061 8 Steps to Creating Change https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/10-helpful-steps-to-creating-change/ https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/10-helpful-steps-to-creating-change/#comments Mon, 21 Mar 2022 18:53:00 +0000 http://lolabees.me/?p=4423 I wrote this blog post on March 14, 2013. At the time, I reflected on what worked for myself in creating change. Despite having no experience coaching at the time, these are some of the principles I use today to help others create their own path and design their career on their terms. If you’ve followed my blog over the past 11 years, you’ve had a front row seat to witness my huge and daunting career change. “Huge and daunting…” Hmm. Today I read that and am intrigued by that description from 11 years ago. Indeed, that was exactly how […]

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]]> https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/10-helpful-steps-to-creating-change/feed/ 16 4423 Why It’s Hard to Quit Dentistry https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/escaping-the-cult-of-dentistry-part-2-2/ https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/escaping-the-cult-of-dentistry-part-2-2/#comments Thu, 03 Feb 2022 14:00:00 +0000 http://lolabees.me/?p=4322 In December of 2012, one year after having quit dentistry, I wrote this follow-up post to clarify why I compared leaving dentistry to leaving a cult. I’ve added a few updates to the post. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this! If you’ve ever wanted to quit dentistry, you probably felt like leaving your career was like leaving a cult. I recently broached this oh-so-controversial topic of whether dentistry is like a cult or not, and luckily for my ego, there wasn’t a huge backlash. Not everyone loved my analogy, but that’s okay. It sparked some interesting discussions in […]

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]]> https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/escaping-the-cult-of-dentistry-part-2-2/feed/ 62 4322 Escaping the Cult of Dentistry https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/escaping-the-cult-of-dentistry-part-2/ https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/escaping-the-cult-of-dentistry-part-2/#comments Thu, 20 Jan 2022 18:11:00 +0000 http://lolabees.me/?p=4257 Hard to believe I originally wrote this post about leaving dentistry on November 29, 2012. A lot has changed, and not a lot has changed in dentistry. With another leaving-dentistry anniversary behind me, I remember how grateful I am to break free from feeling trapped for so long. Years ago I received this email from a fellow dentist that inspired this blog post. It was a breath of fresh air to read “10 Reasons Your Dentist Probably Hates You Too”! As a dentist of 12 years, I could relate to your article. As a fellow colleague, I commend you for […]

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]]> https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/escaping-the-cult-of-dentistry-part-2/feed/ 121 4257 The Pros and Cons of Dentistry https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-dentistry/ https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-dentistry/#comments Thu, 16 Dec 2021 18:00:00 +0000 http://lolabees.me/?p=4395 Ever wonder if you should become a dentist? If so, knowing the REAL pros and cons of dentistry is crucial. For years, US News and World Report crowned the dentist as the #1 best job. I first wrote this post in 2013, and being a dentist won that designation for years. In 2018, something changed, and they caught onto what some of us already knew. It slipped to #2 and stayed there, but in 2021, being a dentist slipped all the way down to #9! Maybe they’ve started to see the pros AND the cons of dentistry. What changed? Could […]

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]]> https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-dentistry/feed/ 314 4395 10 Reasons Your Dentist Probably Hates You Too (Anniversary) https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/10-reasons-your-dentist-probably-hates-you-too/ https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/10-reasons-your-dentist-probably-hates-you-too/#comments Fri, 19 Nov 2021 17:00:00 +0000 http://lolabees.wordpress.com/?p=1577 Help me celebrate the 10-Year Anniversary of 10 Reasons Your Dentist Probably Hates You Too! On November 17, 2011, I turned in my last key to the last dental office I ever worked in. It was a momentous day. I had spent 10 years as a dentist and hated dentistry and my life. For years I felt stuck in the wrong career, and I didn’t know how to change. I thought I had no other skills besides being a dentist. Couple that with the fact that no one in the field ever mentioned they hated dentistry as well. Thinking I […]

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]]> https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/10-reasons-your-dentist-probably-hates-you-too/feed/ 1582 1577 Confessions of a Video Contest Junkie https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/confessions-of-a-video-contest-junkie/ https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/confessions-of-a-video-contest-junkie/#comments Wed, 29 Oct 2014 23:15:03 +0000 http://lolabees.me/?p=5713 Yup, I got sucked in again.  Just when I thought my days of entering more contests were over, temptations of a big win lured me in. In case you don’t know what I’m talking about, I’ll go back to the very beginning.  This whole blog started because during desperate times of wanting change, I mustered up the courage to enter a silly little contest.  My task was to make a short video showcasing my skills in order to win a travel show host gig.  If you knew me then, you would see that I am the last person who would […]

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]]> https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/confessions-of-a-video-contest-junkie/feed/ 13 5713 Playin' the Field https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/playin-the-field/ https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/playin-the-field/#comments Sun, 29 Sep 2013 19:41:54 +0000 http://lolabees.me/?p=5139 I’ve often used the analogy that my career in dentistry was like being in a relationship.  At times you could say it was slightly abusive, and at times it was very supportive and loving.  Whether those descriptions are a bit dramatic or not, one thing is true: we had a very strong bond.  Dentistry was a huge part of me and it was hard to let go, even if I really wanted out. As I journey through this career change, that relationship analogy journeys on with me.  I was married to dentistry.  You could say it was my first long-term […]

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]]> https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/playin-the-field/feed/ 6 5139 10 Signs You Need a New Job https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/10-signs-you-need-a-new-job/ https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/10-signs-you-need-a-new-job/#comments Fri, 22 Feb 2013 00:28:28 +0000 http://lolabees.me/?p=4427 For years I ignored the fact that I was unhappy practicing dentistry.  A few times in my decade of practice, I seriously considered getting out.  But each time, I convinced myself to stay.  My biggest excuse was the economy.  As luck would have it, right when I concluded I wanted to change, things started to tank.  People were out of jobs, and I told myself I should have felt lucky to at least have one.  While that excuse was very real, it was just that– an excuse.  I don’t regret it because it forced me to stay in the career […]

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]]> https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/10-signs-you-need-a-new-job/feed/ 68 4427 My Cleaning Lady Caught Me Peeing in the Sink Last Night https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/my-cleaning-lady-caught-me-peeing-in-the-sink-last-night/ https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/my-cleaning-lady-caught-me-peeing-in-the-sink-last-night/#comments Thu, 27 Sep 2012 22:48:49 +0000 http://lolabees.me/?p=4036 It was awfully humiliating, but luckily it’s not what you think.  In my last post, I described how my intuition helps me out in the form of recurring dreams.  This peeing incident was just a different recurring theme making its rounds in my head.   From plane crashes to climbing down steep mountainsides, these dreams always have a message to deliver to me.  Once I get the message and act on it, the dreams move on. I’m afraid that things are getting even freakier than plane crashes and fear of heights.  In this latest series of dreams, I have to pee.  […]

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]]> https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/my-cleaning-lady-caught-me-peeing-in-the-sink-last-night/feed/ 22 4036 What My Dreams Are Made of: Crashing Planes and Dirty Toilets https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/what-my-dreams-are-made-of-crashing-planes-and-dirty-toilets/ https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/what-my-dreams-are-made-of-crashing-planes-and-dirty-toilets/#comments Thu, 20 Sep 2012 16:12:55 +0000 http://lolabees.me/?p=3605 Have you ever had that dream where you see a plane crash?  Or you’re sitting on a toilet peeing, only to wake in a panic, hoping you didn’t wet your bed?  If so, don’t freak out!  It doesn’t mean you need to cancel your trip to Mexico next month or that you need to start wearing Depends to bed.  Believe it or not, dreams might be your body’s way of trying to get your attention.  Throughout my career transition, I learned to use my dreams as tools, and it became extremely effective (and fascinating, I might add.) This was my […]

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