Episode #282: Both Sides of a Great Associateship, with Dr. Kevin Groth & Dr. Renee Miller

A great associateship is possible — it’s a matter of effort and open-mindedness from both sides. And today, we have two guests, Dr. Kevin Groth and Dr. Renee Miller, to share their thoughts and experiences on how to create successful partnerships in a dental practice. Don't just settle for any job or environment! For advice on finding opportunities for a better practice and better life, listen to Episode 282 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• No dentist is perfect. Don't expect perfection from mentors or students.
• Find people who share your core values.
• Give associates room to make mistakes.
• Seek out mentors! The sooner, the better.
• Open your mind to better opportunities.  

Quotes:

• “Everyone’s heard the story of the burnt-out, young, new grad dentist that is just miserable and has no defined vision for their life . . . And it comes from lack of confidence coming out of school and lack of having a good mentor.” (05:01—05:35) 
• “If you're a young dentist or in dental school, take opportunities to lean on [mentors] because they just want to be there to help. And if you're not going to take those opportunities, then you're missing out on potentially great opportunities later on in your career.” (10:55—11:07) 
• “A lot of associates don't think that they have a choice to find an environment that works for them. And until you're exposed to it, you don't really realize that you can.” (33:47—33:58) 
• “Nothing of what I did in dental school is shaping who I am as a dentist today. It was all the extra things I went and saw, and did, and people I sought out right out of dental school that really drew me forward.” (43:47—43:58) 
• “There are so many people that are there to teach with the right intentions. There are so many dentists out there that want to have mentees under their wing. And yet, nobody takes them under their wing because nobody asked. Nobody took the steps forward to get on page with them.” (44:37—44:53) 
• “The moment you're out of dental school, don't think it’s over. Try to be inspired to constantly find ways to grow and do better.” (46:05—46:11) 

Snippets:

• Why this is an important topic in dentistry. (04:07—06:46) 
• Renee’s journey. (06:59—08:35) 
• Kevin’s lessons learned about mentorship. (08:58—12:55) 
• Renee’s thoughts coming out of grad school. (13:28—15:05) 
• Renee and Mark’s core values. (15:25—20:04) 
• Lessons learned about hiring the right people. (20:19—23:31) 
• Be fair to new associates. (24:14—25:17) 
• The importance of having and giving support. (25:48—27:53) 
• Mark and Renee’s thoughts on work-life balance. (28:13—31:42) 
• Mark and Renee’s thoughts on what dentists get wrong. (32:02—34:30) 
• Give associates room to make mistakes. (34:33—35:34)
• Be transparent from the very beginning. (37:01—42:45) 
• Advice for young dental students. (43:09—46:11) 
• The possibility of a great associateship. (47:01—47:43) 
• Last thoughts. (48:08—49:34) 

Kevin Groth & Renee Miller Bio

Dr. Kevin Groth’s primary goal is for every person to walk out of his office knowing that they received the highest-quality, most personalized care possible. Dentistry is more than just a profession for Dr. Groth. He sees every patient as an extension of his own family, and when you are in his chair, you’ll always be treated well.

Dr. Groth’s favorite part of being a dentist is that every day and every patient is different. He loves the variety of people he gets to meet and procedures he performs to help patients maintain their smiles.

Since graduating from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Dr. Groth has been recognized locally by Hour Detroit Magazine as a Top Dentist, and nationally as a Top Doc. As a passionate dentist who wants to provide the best care for his patients, Dr. Groth pursues continuing education through The Dawson Academy, serves on the executive board of the Periodontal Bunting Society, and is the Assistant Clinical Director of the Society of Comprehensive Dentists. He has also served as an adjunct clinical faculty member at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.

Dr. Renee Miller

Dr. Renee Miller trained under Dr. Groth at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry during her fourth year in dental school. Her practice philosophy combines quality dentistry with superior patient care, and anyone who sits in her chair feels immediately at ease with her gentle, personalized treatment.

Dr. Miller was born and raised in Ann Arbor, and she has been practicing as a general dentist in the Metro Detroit area since 2016. She attended Albion College where she met her husband, Andrew. When she’s not in the office, you can find Dr. Miller taking walks with Andrew and their Golden Labrador, Murphy. She also enjoys traveling, cooking for family and friends, and tending to her vegetable garden in the summer.