We interviewed Vocational Dental Practitioner (VDP) Ben in South East Scotland to find out more about his experience in Vocational Training (VT), and get his tips for new graduates about to go into it this year.
What was your experience applying for Vocational Training, and ranking?
The ranking scheme process is more competitive in areas that everyone wants to go to. I knew that I wanted to work in South East Scotland so I applied to 12 practices there, and got interviews with all of them. The interviews were with the prospective trainers and sometimes other members of their dental team, they were all very friendly and welcoming. Doing 12 interviews, it was hard to give the same enthusiasm to all of them, and I had the same questions over and over again. I ranked seven that I interviewed with, and didn’t rank five because I didn’t feel that those five were the right fit for me.
What were you looking for in a practice?
For me, my compatibility with the trainer was the most important thing, and having similar interests. I like surgery, dental implants and so on. I felt like I could go to the trainer in the practice I chose for advice, with problems, and that we would be able to get on in a professional capacity.
I also wanted a particular patient demographic. We have few fully private practices in Scotland and I was looking for something that was mixed; providing a wide range of treatment to patients with a variety of different treatment needs.
Another consideration was that I didn’t want the practice to be too small because I wanted to be well supported by a good team and for the trainer to be available as much as possible. I’m a social person so I wanted to be with people who would plan days and nights out. In the practice I chose, there were lots of photos of days out with staff over the years, which was a green flag for me.
Did you have any concerns before you started Vocational Training, and if so, were they resolved?
I had the same general anxiety that everyone has about the process of going from university to the first training year. As well as that, I wanted to know how much time I would be given for appointments. At university we don’t do a lot of root canals or bridges for example, so I wanted to make sure I had enough time. That’s practice dependant, but at the practice I’m working in I can choose my appointment time for the most part.
I’m halfway through VT now so my appointment time has come right down. I used to see up to 10 patients every day, now I see 15-20 on average. At my practice, it’s a lot of NHS work with a bit of private; lots of checkups, extractions, and we have some emergency appointments with people who come in in pain. I like the mix of treatments throughout the day.
How is your week structured?
My study days are on Fridays, it’s different according to which group you’re in. At the beginning of the year we had a study day every Friday, and now towards the end of the year they’re more spaced out and eventually taper off. I work Monday to Thursday during the week, and have a Wednesday tutorial with my trainer in the practice. It takes place in protected time when I don’t have any patients to see, and we have a tutorial on things that I need to know, and have asked to go over. We might book a patient in to complete a procedure during the tutorial, a good example of this is surgical extractions.
What are your plans after Vocational Training?
I had a chat with my trainer and decided that I didn’t want to do more hospital training, and that I was happy in general practice. My VT practice didn’t have a place for me to stay as an associate full-time, but there are two locations so they offered two days in one practice and two days in the other. We had several study days on this too from the scheme, with targeted advice on what to expect.
What advice would you give students going through this process this year?
- Make sure to have your CV prepared and ready. That seems like a no-brainer, but some of my friends didn’t have theirs ready when all the opportunities were released so they had to scramble and were hours behind
- Make a list of criteria as to what you want from a practice, which will vary for everyone
- Stay calm at the interviews. All the trainers are friendly and not trying to catch you out. Don’t say things you think they’ll want to hear if it’s not a good match. Ask questions too rather than just waiting for their questions
- Rank the practices based on how you felt when you were there. I left voice notes on my phone when I left the practice, so it was easy to differentiate them
- Only rank the practices you’d be happy to go to; if you didn’t like a practice, don’t rank it. It’s better to end up in clearing than put down a practice that you don’t like
- If you’re in clearing, don’t panic, it’s not necessarily the bottom of the pile. You have to be proactive in clearing because positions are often handed out on the day.
Applying for VT was intense. I liked it because I was applying for specific positions with specific people and I could plan out everything, my commute and so on. You know what you’re going to get. Most people I know have had a great time, as always in dentistry, it is challenging, but the support system is very well set up.
