CQ Oral Health has adopted some innovative strategies to address their long-standing dentist workforce shortages, with great success.
An exciting new graduate dentist mentoring program, and setting up an exhibition booth at the recent FDI World Dental Congress in Sydney, are part of a fresh new approach resulting in a successful recruitment campaign led by Oral Health Clinical Director Dr Hitesh Rathi.
Dr Rathi said six dentist vacancies had now been filled, with one team member already onboarded and five due to commence work in February 2024.
“Our new graduate dentist mentoring program will commence in February 2024, wherein we have developed a structured mentoring program for new graduate dentists joining CQ Oral Health,” Dr Rathi said.
“The program has generated great interest from the new graduate dentists across the country and especially in Queensland, which is evident in the large number of applications we have received since promoting this program.
“By thinking outside the box and using a different approach, we are now positioned as an in-demand employer for new graduate dentists.”
Dr Rathi and Principal Oral Health Therapist Liza Pretorius represented CQ Oral Health at the FDI World Dental Congress in September, attended by more than 10,000 dental professionals from across the world.
Dr Rathi said: “We received a lot of interest, especially new graduate dentists and the student dentists graduating at the end of this year.
“It was great to be able to sponsor a strategically positioned exhibition booth at such a world class
event to get the attention of the dental fraternity.
“In addition to working hard at our booth over the four days, we were also able to organise some innovative activities at the exhibition, such as a Silent Disco, which was a good fun way to connect with the young dentists to market our vacancies.”
Dr Rathi recognised and thanked General Manager for Rockhampton, Capricorn Coast and Mount Morgan Allison Cassidy for supporting the recruitment drive and Acting Manager for Oral Health Shelda Holman for initiating and supporting the development of a robust mentorship program to encourage junior dentists to join the CQ Health team.