Dr. Michael Goulston: Experience of Starting a Practice from Scratch and Dealing with Patients from Different Cultural Backgrounds

Owning and running your own oral surgery practice isn’t for everyone, but if you are able to handle the challenges that come along with it, it can be an extremely gratifying experience. After leaving the job he had working for someone else, Dr. Michael Goulston went out looking to buy a practice, and ended up deciding to start his own instead. Over the past six years he has acquired a huge amount of experience working with a very diverse client base, and on the show today he shares with us both the ups and the downs of his journey. We discuss the methods Michael utilized to find clients when he was starting out, the types of advertising that he finds most useful with regard to his practice, and the difficulties that sometimes arise when Michael sees patients who are culturally different to him. Michael puts a lot of effort into his relationships with his patients and his staff, and he explains some of the personal touches that he implements in order to ensure that he is keeping everyone around him happy.  

Key Points From This Episode:

• A brief rundown of Michael’s educational and career history. 
• Why Michael decided to start his own practice, rather than buy an existing one.
• Personal touches that Michael used to find clients, starting from a base of zero.
• The length of time it took for Michael to cover his costs. 
• Advertising practices that Michael thinks are the most useful. 
• Michael’s strategy for dealing with insurance. 
• Reasons that Michael decided to leave the job he had working for someone else. 
• Challenges that come with running your own practice. 
• Elements of Michael’s work that he finds particularly gratifying. 
• The experience Michael had when he brought in an office manager. 
• Difficulties that sometimes arise when Michael sees patients who come from a different culture to his own. 
• How Michael personalizes the experiences of his patients to make sure they are all comfortable and happy. 
• Methods that Michael uses to ensure that he maintains healthy relationships with his staff, and an enjoyable office environment. 
• Why Michael has moved towards using more moderate anesthetics. 
• Golf; how this hobby positively impacts Michael’s work.
• Value that Michael gets out of listening to the Everyday Oral Surgery Podcast. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Michael Goulston

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Implant Specialists of Middlesex

Dr. Grant Stucki Email — grantstucki@gmail.com

Dr. Grant Stucki Phone — 720 441 6059