DENTISTRY AND CONTINUING EDUCATION
Check out the topics by timestamp, or watch or listen to the whole episode. (See above, or watch on YouTube or listen wherever you find your podcasts.)
TOPICS BY TIMESTAMP
Introduction of this episode. 0:00
Welcome to the Dental Online Training Sharecast with Dr. Dennis Hartlieb.
Today's guest is a very special guest, Dr. Melissa Siebert.
Intro to Dr. Melissa Seibert. 2:04
Melissa has the best dental podcast out there. She also has a mastermind group that she started through Instagram.
She wants to hang out with dentists and talk about dentistry.
Melissa’s background and accolades.
About being an impactful parent. 6:55
You don't always have to be there all the time to be a really impactful parent, and that's good for people to know.
Melissa’s parents went to the Naval Academy.
Melissa went into the Air Force and is still in the Air Force.
How did you decide to pursue a career in dentistry? 11:25
How she went through a crisis in dental school and wondered if she was good enough for dentistry.
She fell in love with dentistry and was blessed with the kind of dentistry available today.
The women to male to female ratio at West Point dental school was 12% or less, and the challenges of being a female in a very male-centric environment.
The importance of male leaders in dentistry taking a stand to elevate women in dentistry.
Mentorship starts with extending support. 17:53Men are petitioning that women have equal rights and an equal voice in dentistry.
They want to make a better place for others.Mentorship starts with mentor relationships.
The transition from the military to dental school. 21:03
The transition from dental school to becoming a civilian for four years was hard for Dr. Seibert.
Dental school was academically demanding.
One of the beautiful things about being in the military is that you always belong somewhere. For better or worse, you are always accountable to someone.
Being a part of something bigger than yourself is a beautiful thing, and it was really lonely to be alone.
Advice for dental students thinking about joining the air force. 29:23
Melissa gives advice to someone who is looking to go to dental school or who is thinking about the service, what advice would she give them is to consider the education they get.
The impact of sleep apnea in dental school, and how figuring that out changed Melissa’s life.
The thirst for more knowledge in dentistry.
Being a naturally curious person, but aggressively trying to learn more and more, and how that led her to become curious about dentistry.
Mentors that lit Dr. Seibert’s fire. 35:54
She is eternally grateful to all of the people who have influenced her, including Frank Spear, who has made education palpable and interesting.
She has several “North Stars” of who are dental leaders and mentors.
Dentists are all on their own path, and it doesn't matter if they've been practicing for a year or 35 years.
They all learn at different rates, and things will become evident at different times.
Get better every day. 43:00
The reality is that there are going to be incredibly gifted people in the world, and they can be in your community or somewhere else.
The goal is to get a little bit better every day. Get better 1% every day, get better 1%.
Dr. Seibert started her podcast three months before COVID-19, which was a gift, because she was ready to go.
She wanted a podcast to help her get caught up to speed or stay on the cutting edge of evidence-based dentistry.
She shares her journey of sleep apnea and the struggle from dental school to the real world.
How the podcast has changed the dental industry. 47:21
Dental podcasting has become super popular and has become the number one podcast in dentistry.
What Dennis learned from doing the podcast, what he was expecting and what he found in the first episodes, and how it built his confidence.
The first 100 episodes were stressful, but it's gotten easier.
Advice for women in dentistry. 50:41
Melissa gives advice to young female dentists: give yourself a little grace on the stuff that is hard, because what they do in dentistry is hard.
As a young female dentist, Dr. Seibert sees women taking a stronger role in leadership in organized dentistry.
Melissa hopes to see more women in leadership roles in the dental industry. She believes women need to be courageous and supportive of one another.
