In my previous editorial (CRANIO, Vol. 27, No. 2, pp 73-74), I discussed some of my ideas on how to not just survive but thrive in hard economic times. I would like to say that things have improved in this country but, from my perspective, I feel that the situation is worse than ever.
Our country is polarized. Instead of coming together, we seem to be more apart than ever. We have politicians who would blindly drive us into socialism, arrogant in their belief that they know more about business than those who actually stoke the fires of industry. The reality is, however, the majority of these self-anointed experts have never had to meet a payroll or run a business (and there is a growing list of politicos who are apparently unaware of the tax codes to which you and I are forced to submit). They are not listening to We, the people. Citizens are literally marching in the streets, exercising their Constitutional rights of free assembly and speech, and for this, they are labeled, at best as - “un-American” and at worst as - “treasonous.”
In my capacity as the director of the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain Institute, I get the opportunity talk to doctors from all over the world. With few exceptions, American doctors are telling me of a major down turn in their practice incomes. Figures range from a low of about 20%, to highs of up to 50%. Most of these practitioners have never seen such a deep and prolonged recession in their professional careers.
If we look at simple economics, the dental profession is a trailing economic indicator. In recessions past, the dip did not tend to affect our practices, as the inevitable economic upturn came well before our customers were forced to start cutting necessities like dental care out of their budgets. Unfortunately, for the first time in most of our professional lives, that time has arrived. We must live with these economic conditions and take stock in what is really important. Most of us truly believe that this too shall pass, but the question we must ask is, WHEN?
So, what do we do in the meantime? Well, you can sit around and feel sorry for yourself like so many in our society, or you can use the free time in your schedule to be more productive, both physically and spiritually. In my last contribution to CRANIO, I discussed increasing your number of in-office services in order to cut costs, better utilizing of staff time, and building a stronger rapport with your patients. I also mentioned continuing education. If you have gaps in your appointment book, consolidate that time and go back to school for three or four days! The key is to make your downtime as productive as the time you actually spend in the office. I can personally attest that it is far more satisfying (psychologically speaking) to have several productive days and get out of the office for a little refresher with colleagues, than to just sit idly by, agonizing over lost time.
Have you ever thought about volunteering within your community? Now might be a good time to consider it. Involvement in church and civics groups, local schools, Boy and Girl Scouts, etc. offer unique opportunities to make new associates and provide a spiritual reward that is truly priceless. Who knows? You may even find that, when things do pick up, you will continue to set aside some time for the betterment of your community and fellow man.
How about the single most important thing in your life: your spouse and family. If you normally do not take the little ones to school or pick them up, you might consider rearranging your schedule to do so. I remember when my son was a tyke going to all of his school activities. Most were held during the day and being my own boss allowed me to be there. Often times I was the only dad (in those days) who could attend. Those are wonderful memories that I wouldn't trade for anything!
No little ones at home? Then take your significant other out to lunch once in awhile. Schedule a New Orleans style lunch, i.e., a long one! Or how about taking your staff to lunch? They know things are tough. If they are smart, they are happy to have a job when so many do not. They will be appreciative, and it helps develop that team spirit we all desire from our staffs.
Maybe you're doing all of this already. If so, good for you!
I live in that part of the country that many on the coasts consider the fly over zone. Most of the time we are buffered from the big national crises, but not this time. We are all in this together; from East to West and North to South. We must pray—and I truly mean PRAY —that sanity and calm reasoning return to the hallowed halls of Congress . . . on both sides of the isle! As citizens, we must demand that our public servants (never forget that is what they are!) base their decisions on the vision of liberty conceived by our founding fathers and not on some malleable, progressive interpretation.
That vision has served us well for over 200 years, after all!
We, The People, will weather this economic storm and come out a better country, and citizenry, for it. In the meantime, we doctors will still be here providing valuable and life-saving services to our patients. That is why we are here.
Dr. Gerald J. Murphy, D.D.S.
Grand Island, Nebraska
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