Pursuing orthodontics courses to expand your skills and grow your practice can be an exciting undertaking. However, it also comes with potential challenges. It’s important to prioritize work-life balance during continuing education to avoid stress and burnout. Here are some strategies that can help ensure a smooth learning experience.
Set Realistic Study Goals Each Week
Taking an effective approach to continuing education can be difficult, especially for dentists facing their first courses. Along with course sessions themselves, you’ll also need to consider the time you’ll spend in independent study. Only then can you get a full picture of your expected time commitment.
When studying, setting goals is essential to keep up and maintain your pace. However, many dentists set goals that are too ambitious and aren’t realistic with regard to their other commitments. Balancing dentist priorities is always a challenge, and adding continuing education puts additional strain on your personal life and practice scheduling.
Take a close look at the specific schedule for your orthodontics courses and plan a study routine accordingly. There’s no need to get too far ahead. Instead, focus on upcoming topics before your next session so you can make effective use of your time and be ready with relevant questions.
Use a Shared Calendar With Your Family
The impact of additional orthodontic continuing education on your work-life balance is complicated by the challenge of coordinating with your family. They have their own commitments to consider, and chances are that they already work around your existing schedule. Communicating any changes is essential to smooth out the process.
Using a shared calendar is a straightforward way to do this. That could mean a literal calendar on the wall in your kitchen or another part of your home. Mark down the days you’ll be at your orthodontics courses and block out study time. Your family will be able to see when you’re available and plan accordingly.
You can also make use of digital solutions. Many email applications and other apps incorporate shared calendars. If you haven’t been using them already, then this could be a great time to set up a digital family calendar for improved coordination.
Choose Flexible Course Formats
Your own strategies for a smooth experience can only take you so far. In the end, choosing the right course format to suit your work-life balance is absolutely essential. There are many different options that can work with your available time, capacity for travel, and other factors.
Orthodontics courses that provide in-person experiences are typically the gold standard, especially when it comes to building a solid foundation. While these have stiffer scheduling requirements, you can still find plenty of opportunities that take place over weekends or have sessions spaced out to better fit your schedule.
Online learning is a powerful resource as well. Many orthodontic continuing education opportunities are highly effective when delivered online, such as keeping up with new technologies and exploring specialized treatments. Several courses offer a hybrid approach that combines some in-person sessions with virtual learning.
Involve Your Family in Your Goals
One of the best things you can do to smooth out your family life while pursuing continuing education is to involve your family in your goals. Instead of simply explaining it away as a work obligation, let them know what you’re doing and why.
Letting your family know the reasons behind your decisions will make the process easier for everyone. Instead of feeling resentful of changes to routine and your time away, they’ll understand that you’re pursuing improved patient care, professional growth, and long-term practice success.
An open discussion of finances regarding continuing education with your partner is also a good idea. The initial investment in courses can be difficult to understand without the appropriate context concerning increased case approval, long-term patient retention, and higher revenue procedures.
Know When to Say No
Knowing when to say no to other obligations is essential to prevent stress and burnout for practicing dentists. You may feel pressured to pursue continuing education aggressively to develop new skills and offer new services at your practice faster. However, overloading yourself will impact both your personal life and the results you get from your education.
Instead, take some time to reflect on the balance of your personal life, running your practice, and continuing education. Now just might not be the right time for you to start a course. Look for upcoming opportunities that could be a better fit. If there isn’t any available time on the horizon, you may need to reevaluate your caseload and practice management.
Preserving Your Work-Life Balance During Orthodontic CE Courses
If you’re thinking about orthodontics courses, then applying these strategies can help you achieve the self-care and balance you need for a healthy and fruitful experience. The American Orthodontic Society offers courses in a variety of formats and with helpful resources to support your work-life balance. Consider signing up for our courses today.
To learn more about our popular orthodontics courses for pediatric and general dentists, check out one of the upcoming events below.
