Balancing practice, families and leadership
The women we talked to for this piece are no strangers to leadership positions. In addition to those outlined in the brief opening profiles, Bremerman is VP of the Yakima Valley Dental Society, while Bunce currently serves as the President for the Washington State Society of Orthodontists, and the Washington State Director for the Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists. Like families, hobbies, and other outside interests, participating in leadership roles means performing a juggling act, but these women have found it’s entirely possible as long as it is a priority. At this point in her career, Hollinsworth is not looking for new ways to give back, saying, “Dentistry is changing. It is younger dentist’s turn in the sun, and they should be at the forefront of helping set the policies that they’re going to be affected by… and yet, so many young people don’t have the time to participate – they’re busy building their practices, just as I was.”
munity relationships with our community partners – each one is unique.” Ulmer added, “In the business of dentistry, everyone has the same issues across the board. There are a lot of challenges. We’re going through an identity crisis right now, and the question is what is a dental professional? Is it the sole practitioner, the corporate practice, the multi-partner practice? What does it mean to be a dentist? Is it becoming more of a commodity? Are we really just hiring a 1.2 FTE dentist? Ulmer says the shift is towards an efficiency model that may force women to be tenacious, more aggressive, assertive, and business minded — what could be seen as “traditionally male” characteristics. But in today’s society, even that label may no longer apply. And while Hollinsworth agrees that the issues facing dentists largely cross gender barriers, one does not — at least for her. “The only thing I have found that I think is different for women,” she explains, “And I have had discussions with male counterparts about this issue — is dealing with staff. You don’t have that obvious distinction – staff members look at us to be more empathetic because we’re women and have families/kids. They tend to want to be friends more than they want to have a boss/employee relationship.” Hollinsworth laughs and continues, saying, “It’s something I haven’t personally managed well. I’ve had a lot of turnover. My male characteristics definitely come out when I’m practicing, I’m 100 percent focused on my patients, so I don’t do the best job of being empathetic and understanding to my staff. I was raised that you leave your personal life at home, and I’ve tried to vary my practice style to accommodate my staff. I tend to be a very collaborative type person, wanting to
“Dentistry is changing. It is younger dentist’s turn in the sun, and they should be at the forefront of helping set the policies that they’re going to be affected by…and yet, so many young people don’t have the time to participate – they’re busy building their practices, just as I was.” — Dr. Susan Hollinsworth Most pressing issues
When asked whether gender affects practice choices, the respondents said that debt was a more influential factor than gender. As a faculty member at the UWSoD, Gandara understands student debt all too well — she knows that many other issues exist, too — specifically outreach to our communities, which today is a key part of her work with students. “When I started out in dentistry way back at USC,” she elaborates, “I was always involved in outreach and community service, and I loved it, but I never thought I was going into dentistry to do that.” Now, 30 years later, she’s working with students out in the community and finds it as fulfilling as ever. “Obviously we have to teach the hand skills and the diagnostic skills, but also the altruistic part – that people lack access to care, and that we need to go out and work in diverse communities which include those who may not have insurance and figure out how to help with oral health.” Gandara continues, “For example, we have a program in its second year working with homeless shelters. We go out, conduct screenings and work with Medical Teams International, the Union Gospel Mission, and sometimes set up directly in the shelters. Faculty members volunteer time to oversee students delivering care to populations who have high rates of dental problems but don’t have access to care. We’re building com-
work as a team, but I’ve realized that team members don’t have the same ownership as dentists do.” For Bremerman as well, there’s another challenge: being a leader. “I read Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In,” she says, “and it really hit a chord with me. There are more women graduating from college than men now, and the numbers are growing in dental school as well. I think that women have to step up and take a bigger role in leadership. I think that women can be their own worst critics, and we need to elevate each other, rather than compete with each other”
In conclusion
We’re hopeful that women in the state of Washington will thrive in a progressive state setting that’s fluid and changing along with the needs of doctors and patients alike. And while we may have a glass ceiling or two to eradicate when it comes to women in leadership positions at the state and national levels, it may well be that in the day to day practice of dentistry, the glass ceiling has never really existed for women. 1. http://www.gallup.com/poll/164024/women-feel-unfairly-denied-promotion.aspx 2. http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB1000142412788732469510457841702037 6740796 3. http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/15/opinion/ghitis-jill-abramson-firing/index.html
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cover stor y gender and dentistr y: a conversation
your own practice is as family friendly as you can possibly get — you set your own hours and have direct control over your work environment. I know that owning my own practice was ideal for my own family situation. My mother and I often comment to each other that my husband would not have been able to live the full life that he lived if I had not had my own dental practice. My husband went to work with me each day, and my mother sat next to him, in a side office.”