From the desk of Dr. Cohen - Archive

Practicing Dentistry is Like Cross-Country Running...

Allow me to explain. I recently spent some time up in Whistler, BC. Most people think of Whistler as a skiing destination, but Whistler and Blackcomb mountains are host to all sorts of activities year round. People come from around the world for mountain biking, hiking, ATV riding, golfing, zip-lining, river rafting and horseback riding, just to name a few. I go because it’s a spectacular place to sit back, breathe in the fresh air, enjoy the stunning views and simply relax.

As I was reading one of the local papers I came across a short editorial promoting an upcoming cross-country running race. Most runs that you hear about are on roads, but this type of race is a little bit different. The course is only a few kilometers long, but the runners cover the same hazard-filled loop up to 5 times in a race and as they come across the same obstacles over and over again they begin to adjust and plan for them. They figure out where they need to slow down and navigate carefully, and what parts of the course they can pick up speed and make up for these slow-downs. Cross-country runners tend to be a little tougher and have a little more drive than the runners that stick to the road because of the constantly changing conditions that they encounter.
What a fantastic metaphor for what we all face in dentistry. The environment in which we practice is forever changing. The path to success is sometime effortless, like running downhill on soft terrain, and then just when we reach our stride, the trail suddenly makes a sharp right onto a rocky, slippery, uphill landscape and we need to completely change our approach.

So who wins the cross-country races? Road races are relatively easy to predict, the fastest runner with the most endurance wins. However, in these races it is the athletes that can truly dig in and adapt to a frustrating and constantly changing environment that finish first.

posted -- 2009-09-11

Click here to view from the desk of Dr.Cohen archive.