Making connections: Study clubs offer safe spaces to learn, grow

For Akemi Arzouman, D.M.D., study clubs provide safe spaces to have candid conversations.

The California periodontist leads or participates in four study clubs, including one she founded for younger dentists in the Orange County area with her friend who is an oral surgeon.

“We first met online in 2020 and transitioned to in-person meetings where we discuss actual cases, review and discuss pre-recorded modules, and talk about different practice management issues that have come up in our practices,” Dr. Arzouman said. “It's a nice, safe space to discuss both cases and potential issues or wins that have occurred in our practices.”

The members are 30 to 40 years old and a mix of general dentists and specialists. Some are owners while others are associates, offering a variety of perspectives.

“In the smaller group setting, we can chat about some practice management issues and solutions together and get input on how different people and offices do things,” Dr. Arzouman said. “It's great to have candid conversations in person that may not translate as well on the phone.”

Study clubs provide a casual yet structured learning environment where dentists can earn continuing education credits while connecting with their peers and sharing their experiences. These clubs can play an important role in the professional and personal lives of dentists looking for support early in their careers.

 

Austin Lee, D.M.D., a dentist in San Antonio, has found a supportive community through study clubs. His first foray came after completing dental school and a residency in Boston, where he participated in a Spear Study Club and formed the Interdisciplinary Study Club with other younger dentists.  

“Study club is where I learned most of my clinical and business wits. It is from my colleagues that I learn the best and most relevant pearls,” Dr. Lee said. “It is also a support group I can rely on when and if I am having some trouble in and out of the clinic. Those who I participated in the Interdisciplinary Study Club in Boston with are still my close friends to this day.”

When he moved to San Antonio in 2020, he found there weren’t many interactive, small-group study clubs available.

“I wanted to change that and gear towards new dentists as I saw so many dental school graduates going straight into practice without residency and support,” he said. “I wanted to give those new dentists a home to talk about successes, failures, and any thoughts or concerns in between.”

A study club for younger dentists started by the San Antonio District Dental Society was in its early stages when Dr. Lee moved to San Antonio and joined the dental society. The San Antonio New Dentist Study Club launched in 2019 but paused during 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic before restarting in 2021. Dr. Lee, who became the vice president of the San Antonio District Dental Society in May after serving as its treasurer/secretary, moderates the club’s meetings, which are structured in three parts.

“We have an open session to start to mingle and meet others in the study club. Then we have an introduction with anyone who may have a case or thoughts to bring to the table to discuss as a group,” he said. “In general, it could be clinical, business, mental health or whatever is in their minds at the time. After that, it is a lecture by a person, either prerecorded or in person.”

Dr. Lee also participates in a Seattle Study Club in San Antonio. He said all his study clubs have something in common, that they’re a setting where participants “can be open, nonjudgmental and most importantly support each other in all aspects of our profession, in both clinical- and nonclinical-related issues.”

Study clubs also provide valuable social opportunities. Dr. Arzouman said she appreciates this aspect of them.

In addition to the club she started with her friend for younger dentists, she is also part of a Spear Study Club and a club founded by her father, Michael Arzouman, D.D.S., a couple decades ago. She and her father also started a study club for dental hygienists in 2022.

Her study club for younger dentists meets every other month, and some meetings are social gatherings where partners and families are welcome to join.

“It's nice to see people outside of our traditional dental setting,” Dr. Arzouman said. “We're more than our occupations, and making human connections is so important in a world where you may feel like you're on your own dental island.”

At the end of the day, study clubs are an opportunity for her to connect with her fellow dental professionals and learn from them, helping her to reach the best solutions for her patients.

“These regular meetings allow me to build relationships with my professional colleagues so that we can collaborate on delivering superb care for our patients,” she said.