The Story of The Dental Truck and Pushing Yourself Beyond Your Comfort Zone with Dr. Jalal Khan

2020-08-17

The Noobie Dentist Podcast – Dr. Jalal Khan Episode Run Time: 01:01:46 Intro In this episode, I chat with Dr. Jalal Khan. Jalal graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Dentistry. After three and a half years in private practice, Jalal went on to run a dental van which services underprivileged people — both in regional or remote towns which do not have a dentist and in cities like Sydney. We talk about his thoughts, his motivations and his overall journey into ...

The Noobie Dentist Podcast – Dr. Jalal Khan

Episode Run Time: 01:01:46

Intro

In this episode, I chat with Dr. Jalal Khan. Jalal graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Dentistry. After three and a half years in private practice, Jalal went on to run a dental van which services underprivileged people — both in regional or remote towns which do not have a dentist and in cities like Sydney. We talk about his thoughts, his motivations and his overall journey into mobile dentistry.

Guest Details

Websites:

https://thedentaltruck.org.au/
https://thedentalstation.com.au/dr-jalal-khan/

Social Media:

Jalal Khan - LinkedIn
The Dental Station - Instagram
The Dental Station - YouTube

Time Stamps

[02:32] When Jalal graduated dental school, did he foresee doing something similar to running a dental van?

[03:49] What did Jalal do directly after graduating? When did the mobile clinic come into play?

[06:51] How Jalal balanced developing his clinical skills with developing his business skills

[08:54] Did Jalal’s ability to ‘just act’ out of his comfort zone arise primarily from nature or nurture?

[10:39] How Jalal deals with failure or missteps.

[11:50] How Jalal overcame self-doubt regarding his time & monetary investments in the van?

[13:59] A skill that Jalal wished he had learnt

[15:49] Jalal’s most beneficial investment in himself

[18:01] Does Jalal often seek out professional help, such as when he sought out a business psychologist to help with designing his website?

[18:56] Jalal’s first trip with the dental van

[22:39] Challenges that Jalal did not foresee in running the dental van

[24:05] How often does Jalal do trips with the dental van?

[25:52] Why Jalal converted his mobile dental service into a not-for-profit

[29:03] Jalal’s partnerships with outside organizations in running the dental van

[30:41] Key observations that Jalal made as he began going out to the bush

[35:08] Key observations that Jalal made when returning to his city-based private practice, having gone out to the bush

[38:25] How Jalal prevents burnout and stays motivated

[44:10] Jalal’s future goals for the van

[47:40] Jalal’s hobbies and pursuits outside his dental practice

[49:47] Lessons that Jalal has gleaned from Gary Vee.

[52:46] The importance of being an actor vs only a thinker

[56:41] Jalal’s thoughts on habit formation and having a morning routine

[57:29] Jalal’s recommended books

[59:27] The importance of prioritizing mental health as a young dentist

Sponsor Details

Ivoclar Vivadent is one of the world’s leading and most innovative dental companies, offering a comprehensive range of products and systems that provide you with new opportunities in dentistry – for even more aesthetic and efficient results and better dental care for patients. ‘Making People Smile’ – It’s what they do!

To find out more, visit www.ivoclarvivadent.com.au

Podcast Details

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Headline Quote

[08:14-08:55]

My first piece of advice is: just act! Too many of us just think, think, think and overthink and overthinking means nothing is getting done. And you’ve just got to act, you’ve just got to back your gut, and you’ve just gotta have a crack at it. So you can tell I’m a bit of a risk-taker. But I haven’t had any regrets from the risks that I’ve taken because it has always led to me putting myself out of my comfort zone and that’s where the most growth in life happens to all of us— whether that’s personally, professionally, mentally, emotionally, psychologically. You have to get yourself out of your comfort zone.

Conclusion

Were you inspired by Dr. Jalal Khan’s story and yet, find it difficult to “just act” as he recommends? Do you sometimes lack the confidence to “back yourself” and to value your own efforts and time? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

In addition, here are some helpful resources that were mentioned in the podcast: