Ready, Set, Grow with Aspen from the Get-Go!

At Aspen Dental, the journey from recruit­ment to onboarding to learning and development is more than just a process— it’s a well-organized relay race that ensures every clinician who joins the organization, from recent graduates to seasoned dental professionals, has the skills and support necessary to be successful during every stage of their career.

Welcoming New Doctors

“Aspen does a great job weaning you into all the responsibilities to go from associate to manag­ing clinical director, and then eventually for some people, to ownership,” said Marco Gargano, DDS, who joined Aspen Dental immediately following his graduation from Louisiana State University last year. After a few months, he moved up to managing clinical director, and now he is set to open his first Aspen Dental practice as an owner this fall.

“My path to practice ownership definitely accelerated with Aspen because there is a mutual understanding that you need to walk before you can run,” Dr. Gargano said. “Aspen has a very clear, chronological order of what we should be able to do as we continue to learn. I never need to worry about being put into a position to fail.” 

This highly curated approach to onboarding provides doctors with multilayered personal and professional learning and development opportunities to seamlessly guide them into the organization, said Laura Sage, Director of Learning and Development, Doctor Development, at Aspen Dental.

“Whether they're just starting their dental careers or they are brand new to the organization, Aspen One orientation gives them a complete picture of who we are and what we're about,” she said. “From there, we put them into cohort groups with other new doctors, because they all can benefit from more clinical training, building soft skills, and creating a network of other doctors as they find their groove in our operating model.”

Doctors then move into the New Doctor Journey Program, which includes 2 weeks of virtual sessions followed by a week of training at The Aspen Group University (TAG U) in Chicago, IL. Here, they reinforce their virtual learning with hands-on, activity-based training that centers around 4 Schools of Excellence.

“It’s a nice hybrid structure with a good blend of clinically oriented lessons and emotional intelligence and leadership lessons,” Dr. Gargano said. “We get on the same page about services like clear aligners and dentures, but also what it takes to have successful patient interactions and what leadership looks like in a dental practice.”

Sage noted that after returning home to their practices, doctors receive multiple touchpoints over the next 6 months, and when they're ready, return to the TAG headquarters in Chicago to explore the role of managing clinical director.

Building a Supportive Network

Even before starting dental school, Dr. Gargano recognized the benefits of busi­ness ownership and the camaraderie that comes with it. 

“I didn’t know I was going to own with Aspen; I just knew it was a really good place to start learning in the field,” he said. “But it became quickly apparent that their infrastructure is set up the same way I would have done it myself, so why not join forces?”

Along the way, he also found tremen­dous value in the mentorship provided by other experienced doctors within the Aspen Dental community.

“Establishing these dependable connections within our Aspen network offers doctors many angles of support to feel comfortable when they’re first starting out, and also as they continue to grow both personally and professionally,” Sage assured.

“I know at least 5 doctors I could call for input on a patient case, treatment plan, or whenever I feel stuck," Dr. Gargano said. “It’s especially nice when they are a mas­ter of their craft, and having that level of mentorship always on call is incredible.”

Keeping Up with Your Success

Overall, Aspen Dental tailors its learning and development to the specific needs and timing of each doctor’s journey. “We understand the needs of an associate are going to be different than those of a prac­tice owner with 7 offices,” Sage said, "But we still follow them each step of the way."

“As someone who enjoys placing implants, doing surgery, and seeing a high volume of patients, I couldn’t ask for anything better," Dr. Gargano concluded. "Since I started at Aspen a year ago, I've seen significant advancements in learn­ing and development. I’m just excited to see what else the future holds, along with what they will come up with next.”