Top 5 Topics:

- 4-Year vs 6-Year OMFS: The FACTS You Need To Know

- How to Actually Match into OMFS — The Playbook They Don’t Teach in Dental School

- The Harsh Truth About Dentistry and Insurance

- Networking Your Way to Success in Dentistry — Without Being Cringe

- Life After Residency: What They Don’t Warn You About

Quotes & Wisdom:

“Pick a career you’re excited to walk into every day for 30+ years—and let everything else organize around that.”

“Don’t let finances dictate your path. If you love the work, solutions present themselves—sometimes years later.”

“Go for the reach externship. If they love you, you just earned an interview you didn’t expect.”

“CBSE strategy: take it as many times as you can. Only the score you submit is seen; the reps teach you the test.”

“There is a light at the end of the tunnel—after boards, that light gets bright.”

“Build relationships with your referring dentists; patients return because of how you treat them, not just what you do.”

“Be present. Show up at ASDA, meetings, and rounds—then follow up on Instagram or LinkedIn. That’s today’s business card.”

“Choose the day-to-day life you want: private practice, DSO, hospital, or academics—every path trades floor, ceiling, and freedom.”

“Reimbursement is broken—but complaining isn’t a strategy. Relationships, communication, and consistency are.”

“If you’re genuine, you’ll find a way.”

“Broad scope is cool, but make sure you graduate strong in what you’ll actually do on Monday morning.”

Questions:

“Could you tell us about your journey through dental school and into OMFS—what led you here?”

“Do you actually need the written and oral boards to practice OMFS, or is board certification mainly for marketing?”

08:19 — “4-year vs 6-year: why did you choose 4-year, and how could changing student-loan rules affect that decision?”

18:03 — “When should D1/D2s start studying for the CBSE, and how many attempts should we plan to take?”

18:03 — “Beyond research, which extracurriculars (externships, ASDA, OR assist, journal club) truly move the needle for OMFS applications?”

27:16 — “How are insurance policies and reimbursement rates shaping day-to-day life in private practice?”

28:56 — “Is teaching CE a realistic income/brand path—and how do you handle encroachment from GPs/perio into ‘OMFS territory’?”

34:24 — “What skills or habits were toughest in the transition from residency to private practice?”

36:39 — “When programs advertise case volume, rotations, ‘scope,’ call schedule, and salary—what actually matters when ranking?”

40:07 — “Best networking playbook for students (ASDA, meetings, Instagram/LinkedIn) to meet practice owners and program leaders?”

Now available on:

- Dr. Gallagher’s Podcast & YouTube Channel

- Dose of Dental Podcast #187

My watch in this episode = Citizen Promaster Diver Day Date

- 10.2025

#podcast #dentalpodcast #doctor #dentist #dentistry #oralsurgery #dental #dentalschool #dentalstudent #dentistlife #oralsurgeon #doctorgallagher