"I love it here at Dr. Mann's dental office!" says Sally Cornelison.
A volunteer?
Yes, Dr. Mann’s office has a volunteer.
How ? Why?
We weren’t looking for a volunteer; dental offices aren’t usually places people volunteer. New dentists may observe or train, as may hygienists or dental assistants, but not volunteers.
So why is Sally Cornelison volunteering at Dr. Mann’s office?
Sally is a mid-career professional with an interest in changing paths, possibly going into office management.
“I had watched something on CNN that talked about new careers for people,” Sally said. “It stated that if going back to school wasn’t an option that volunteering somewhere would still give you the opportunity to see if you like it and are really interested in beginning a new career.”
Sally had an “in”, because she knew about Dr. Mann’s office and knew the wife of one of the dentists in the office, so began discussing the possibility with her. One thing led to another, and before she knew it, Sally had a spot one day a week, on the front lines, at the front desk, where every question in the world comes up.
How is it being a volunteer in a busy dental office?
“You asked about a learning curve???” Sally said. “Well we have a running joke at the front desk that every time I do just about anything I have question….Kimmie??? Kelly?? Kim and Kelly are not only very experienced members of Dr. Mann’s team, they are very helpful too! Front desk work in a busy office like Dr. Mann’s is not something that just anyone could drop into and handle. But Sally is doing so well at it that patients are singing her praises to the office manager. Sally loves it. “They all have a contagious smile – I love being around each and everyone of them!”
“I am proud to say that I volunteer at the office of Dr. Mann,” Sally continues. “Every time I say that to a patient or someone that I just met, their response is always the same..Really?? With their eyes extremely big. I enjoy it here so much that they can’t get rid of me…”
How does Sally do as a newcomer?
Really well. The whole reason we thought of having this blog post about her was because she gets so many compliments from our patients for how she answers the phones and their questions.
Thank you Sally, for choosing our office to volunteer in as you explore your interest in dental office management.
Do you have questions about your teeth, or getting an appointment with us? Give us a call at (919) 462-9338. And on Wednesdays Sally may just be the one answering your call.
Tags: learning on the job, volunteering to get job experience, volunteers in health services
