Chase Bersabal’s Foundation Year At Together Dental

Chase Bersabal’s Foundation Year At Together Dental. We love seeing our dentists succeed in every aspect of their career here at Together Dental and we enjoy celebrating the success of our clinicians passing their foundation year to become a fully-qualified general dentist.

We’ve sat down to interview our newly qualified general dentist from Together Dental Broxbourne. Find out more about Chase Bersabal’s foundation year at Together Dental.

Meet Chase Bersabal

Why did you decide to choose Together Dental to complete your Foundation Year?

Choosing where to complete your foundation year training depends on how you have ranked amongst your peers. I was fortunate to rank relatively well within my year-group. This gave me the freedom to choose which scheme/practice that I believed would work for me.

There were multiple factors that I considered which led me to rank Together Dental Broxbourne first. Location was important. I knew I did not want to work in London and Hertfordshire was a good travelling distance from home. The practice was also very modern with a welcoming aesthetic, which I believe Together Dental does well throughout their different branches.

Having an idea on who your educational supervisors will be is also very helpful. At my practice, they offered two educational supervisors. I always knew this was going to be valuable, as it allows newly qualified dentists to develop an appreciation for different perspectives and methods of tackling the same problem.

A simple search on the Together Dental website allowed me to have a brief introduction to the different specialities the practice offered, as well as the interests and general ethos of the other dentists.

My passion is within prosthodontics and cosmetic dentistry, which was also shared amongst the other dentists at the practice. However, I was also aware that I had to develop my confidence in the more complex treatments, particularly within endodontics and oral surgery.

These areas are common weaknesses amongst newly qualified dentists due to having limited experience at university, especially for those who were studying throughout the pandemic. Fortunately, there were also dentists within the practice that had a keen interest in these particular fields.

How would you describe your foundation year working at Together Dental, and what are some of the challenges you faced?

Foundation training is extremely challenging. The combination of getting used to a new environment and working as a GDP, in conjunction with study-days, presenting cases, being up-to date with E-portfolio can be overwhelming. Unlike university, I had to learn how to manage appointments accordingly, be comfortable discussing costs/prices with patients and push myself out of my comfort zone early on. My supervisors were proficient at recognising the most effective way I learned and made it a priority for me to develop a healthy work-life balance.

Clinically, they were readily available if I needed support but also encouraged me to take on more complex cases when I became comfortable providing treatments independently. Since they have years of experience in training FDs, they were able to be honest and realistic about my competence with treatments over time, as well as ensure that I never fell behind the normal progression expected from newly qualified dentists.

It is also important to be aware that many practices do not provide specific materials or equipment that you primarily trained with at university. Fortunately, at Together Dental I had access to a wide range of materials as well as equipment. This gave me the opportunity to continue to develop a greater appreciation for what I was using for each treatment and why.

Although it was difficult at times, I thoroughly enjoyed coming to work, socialising with my colleagues, meeting and building a rapport with my patients, and improving my time-management whilst maintaining the quality of the dental treatment I provided. It still surprises me how much a foundation dentists’ knowledge and clinical skills can develop in the space of a year, and I was fortunate enough to be in an environment that encouraged me to make the most of this opportunity.

You decided to stay with Together Dental following your completion of your foundation year, what motivated you to choose Together for your first associate dentist position?

One of the main reasons why I decided to stay at Together Dental Broxbourne was because of my colleagues. The whole team was extremely supportive whilst I was training, and we are like one big family. Most of the dentists at the practice have a passion for teaching. This allows for a healthy working environment that gives dentists the opportunity to openly discuss challenging cases and complex treatment plans. This is crucial for any practitioner, as being a dentist involves a lifetime of learning that will continue to develop and be implemented into our day-to-day practice.

Whilst training, I managed to build a good rapport with many of my patients resulting in multiple positive reviews as well as requests for me to stay. This further reinforced my decision to continue working at the practice.

Together Dental also did their best to accommodate my needs which ultimately made the transition out of foundation training seem effortless. It was obvious they valued the impact I had on many of my patients as well as the practice, which subsequently boosted my motivation to maintain a high level of professionalism and drive to further improve my clinical skills and knowledge.

Furthermore, Together Dental provides access to a wide variety of different materials and equipment. This gives practitioners freedom to choose what works best in their hands and for each individual case, ensuring that the highest quality of care is provided for our patients.

How would you describe Together Dental in 3 words?

• Supportive
• Patient-centred
• Modern

If your patients were to describe you in 3 words, what would they be?

• Empathetic
• Confident
• Attentive

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

The most rewarding part of my job is helping patients overcome their dental phobias and seeing the positive impact you can have on their attitude towards their own oral health and dentistry as a whole.

What impact do you hope to make in the field of dentistry?

The standard I have set myself has been determined by the other associates in my practice. They are all well-rounded experienced dentists, that have undergone further training to receive additional qualifications which has allowed them to provide high quality treatments in all aspects of dentistry. Their ability to maintain their integrity as well as compassion aligns with my morals, and I ultimately want to have a similar impact to the field of dentistry as they have and continue to do so.

What is one piece of advice you would give to a foundation dentist or newly completed associated looking for a practice to join?

Choose a practice that offers a wide range of specialities and interest that will give you the opportunity to further develop both your strengths and weakness’, with a varied patient base (from high-needs to cosmetic) that will allow you to do this at an effective pace, hopefully in an environment where all questions are welcomed, whether you feel they are “silly” or not.

At Together Dental we strive to bring together the very best dental talent and to help our teams become leaders in their field.
We are committed to developing our dentists, to create rewarding career paths based on respect, understanding and a willingness to work together to achieve high standards and shared goals.

As one of the fastest growing dental groups in the UK, we are continually looking to expand our team. We are currently recruiting for dentists, practice colleagues and support office roles.

If you would like to find out more about foundation years as well as other career opportunities at Together Dental, please get in touch with our recruitment team by emailing recruitment@together.dental.