HOW I GOT HERE: Untold Stories of the Superheroes of Dentistry 

Episode #269 with Dr. Scott MacLean 

“Some tortures are physical, and some are mental. But the one that is both is dental.” And many might agree with these lines by Ogden Nash. But most dentists are not sadists (we hope!). In fact, many are probably like today’s guest of The Best Practices Show, Dr. Scott MacLean, a passionate dentist, generous mentor, and sought-after speaker. He is a member of the Greater New York Academy of Prosthodontics, as well as numerous associations, and Kirk Behrendt invites Scott to teach you the best practice in how you think about your dental career. To hear his story of how he found success in his practice, tune in to Episode 269! 

Main Takeaways: 

- You don't know everything as a dentist. 

- Be humble and genuine. It’s not just about money. 

- Be involved. 

- When you're giving, it comes back. 

- “Stinking thinking” can take you down. 

- Document your work. 

- Take time to learn, and continue to learn. 

Quotes: 

- “I realized that my job is to learn, learn, learn. And that's why we call it a “practice.” We’re not doing it, really. We’re practicing all the time.” (05:55—06:05) 

- “My goal was to be like golf. When you're playing golf, you want everyone to have a good game so you'll have more fun. Because the word “competition,” really, it means to learn together. (13:19—13:33) 

- “Never make it so that you're wishing your life away. So, when you're in the middle of exams, don't wish the next three days away that you have to study. Really value that time that you have to study and make yourself better.” (19:29—19:45)

- “Replace yourself with someone better than yourself.” (20:40—20:42) 

- “Treat the patient to the best that you can, and not assume that they want something cheaper.” (24:41—24:47) 

- “Get involved, or else you're not going to be part of what's going on. And as you give, you'll start to get more back.” (29:28—29:31) 

- “Successful patients will send you more successful patients. (50:28—50:32) 

Snippets: 

- Dr. MacLean’s background. (01:39—07:15) 

- Why and when he got into dentistry. (07:33—10:44) 

- His powerful dental school experience. (10:53—13:52) 

- Starting a family with debt, and lessons learned. (14:03—22:10) 

- Post-dental school, and lessons learned. (22:24—32:49) 

- Importance of maintaining a positive mindset. (33:12—36:05) 

- Anxiety, RED CIA 40, and preventing depression. (37:08—43:12) 

- Most difficult time as a dentist. (43:41—46:51) 

- Learnings from building a practice. (46:51—50:44) 

- Tips on a successful career. (51:25—53:41) 

- The weirdest thing that ever happened. (54:28—56:59) 

- Advice for younger dentists. (57:31—60:30) 

Reach out to Dr. MacLean: 

- Visit Dr. MacLean’s website: https://www.drscottmaclean.com/ 

- Dr. MacLean’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drscottmaclean/?hl=en - Dr. MacLean’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/smmaclean