Try to learn something about everything and everything about something. Knowledge is an ocean; especially when it comes to being a dental professional, there is no excuse to explore and learn as much as you can. Have you seen that people who don’t believe in updating themselves with time, don’t find success easily and their reluctance to learn new things had hampered their positive growth? When you combine your clinical knowledge with the latest advancements in the field, you take your practice to the next level. So how do you keep yourself updated in this dynamic profession? Here are some tips…
- The internet
The internet is filled with an endless ocean of information. However, the most important tip is to learn from authentic sources. Many online learning portals are available which bring in the ease of access just with a single click. Nevertheless, seeing their accreditation from trusted organizations such as American Dental Association help you choose the right one for your learning needs.
- Join Professional Organizations
Joining professional organizations is a great way not only to learn but also helps you contact and network with like-minded professionals. The conferences organized by these professional organizations offer great packages of networking and knowledge building. Learning need not be through seminars, books or lectures, it can also happen through interaction with veterans in the field and also with our peers. Imbibing their experiences also helps a great deal to improvise oneself and to become a better clinician.
- Subscribe to Peer reviewed journals
Peer-reviewed journals are a great source of literature which directly impacts your clinical practice. By implementing an Evidence-based dental practice, the success rates of your treatment increases and so is the confidence with which you deliver the treatment. A journal with a high impact factor is something that you need to look for when choosing the journals, you prefer to read. Nonetheless, it is always better to decide your treatment plans based on the highest form of literature data, which happens to be the meta-analyses and systematic reviews.
- Subscribe to your alma mater’s journals
Your dental school was the place that built you the person you are today. Keeping yourself abreast with the information and advancements happening in your dental school is a great way to be in touch with the current happenings. You will get to know about the trend in dental education today and this helps you predict your next move in your clinical practice in the forthcoming years.
- Join continuing education programs from expert clinicians
While there are innumerable continuing education courses available, choose the one that suits your demand. Get into self-evaluation and try to bridge the gap in your clinical skills. There are a plethora of factors that play a role while you choose the program. The most important are the accreditation of the program by professional organizations, the expertise of the clinicians who deliver the program and the nature of the program- whether it is just didactic or provides hands-on experience as well. The programs with added edge would be those courses which would provide continuous support through group discussions and online forums, where your mentors would be readily available for support. These help you decide better treatment plans and carry them out with much better confidence. Choose programs wisely and practice better!
Remember, the noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding and acquiring knowledge.
Live as if you will die tomorrow and learn as if you will live forever– Mahatma Gandhi.