Introducing Dr. Samuel Lee; a new member of our TCDC family…straight outa Arcadia, #1 in his class, and future All-World DDS.
So when I engineered the Miracle on 34th Street (a block south of Jefferson) and somehow escaped the tentacles of USC Dental School with signed degree in hand I was amazed. I wasn’t amazed that I made it; I was more perplexed by the puzzle of what to do next.
Since I had absolutely no business experience and was used to seeing TWO patients per day, I was gonna have to find someone really patient who was willing to take on a project; someone who could be a mentor…and pay me for the privilege.
My first job turned out being two days a week in a pediatric office that looked like a castle. The first day I showed up and saw around eighty young patients on the schedule. The staff wore hip-huggers and bare mid-drifts; they were inclined to down a Margarita or two at lunch. Again, I was amazed.
I worked as an associate dentist in two other offices but didn’t find that mentor until I was almost 20-years into my own practice.
Gradually, my team of co-workers took on the role of family; seemed like family was the essence of Temple City Dental Care DNA. I was surrounded by people who could see the opportunity to make the same difference for patients that they could visualize for moms and dads, brothers and sisters, and sons and daughters. Talk about a vital work place?
And without further adieu, I’m introducing Dr. Samuel Lee; a new member of our family…and the awesome young dentist I really never dreamed I could be.
As of the first grade, Dr. Lee grew up right here in Arcadia, attended Arcadia schools, earned a B.S. degree in Biochemistry at UCLA (the local school with a “successful” football program), and graduated with his DMD from Western University. Dr. Lee also completed a year of residency at UCLA following his four years at Western. Oh, almost forgot, Dr. Lee graduated #1 in his class.
Sam also supervised a new school-based site in El Monte addressing the needs of under-served children, filling as an interpreter (Mandarin) in the process. Dr. Lee was a leader throughout his dental education, participated in countless community efforts, and has a list of awards that should send him straight into any mythical Dental School Hall of Fame. Today, in his spare time, Sam also teaches at Western University.
And it’s funny how the Universe works.
Maybe two weeks before Dr. Lee and two other associate applicants walked up to our door, I had shared my desire to take on an associate dentist before the end of the year with my team. We didn’t write up an ad or go to Craig’s List but the Universe sent us incredible young dentists who had studied websites, read blogs, and researched Yelp…looking for a practice centered on patient care, a warm environment, and a mentor.
Can’t tell you how blessed we are to take on a new family member. Turns out Dr. Lee was already part of our extended family. Samuel was a high school volunteer in the same pediatric practice where Scheduling Director Denise was the lead dental assistant. And…Dr. Lee was a dental school classmate of Joe, husband of our beloved Dental Hygienist Lisa. Joe and Lisa had to move back to Washington State to help transition Lisa’s dad’s dental practice but we got Joe’s dental school best friend in return.
Dr. Lee prefers dogs to cats, chose dentistry in the 10th grade (great minds think alike), has a younger brother, plays basketball and paints, and has managed to remain single.
We actually use what’s called a Kolbe profile as an integral part of our hiring process and communication structure it measures the way people problem solve, collaborate, and instinctively face challenges. We also have a profile that connects with our vision of a specific position in our practice. A letter grade is generated when we match the two profiles. Doc Lee got an “A”. Anyone surprised?
