Dr. Marcus Hwang @dr_marcushwang - Dose of Dental Podcast #162 x Dr. Gallagher's Podcast

Top 5 Topics: - The Dark Side of Surgical Training: Gatekeeping, Arrogance, and Burnout - Why Orthognathic Surgery Is an “Expensive Hobby” - DSOs and the Death of Private Practice: Is Dentistry Becoming Too Corporate? - From Pager Trauma to Parenthood: Balancing Surgery and Real Life - How Social Media Is Changing Surgical Education, Forever! Quotes & Wisdom: "Experience is something you get just after you need it." - A perfect summary of surgical training: sometimes you only truly learn after the moment you needed the knowledge! "Residency doesn’t have to be a Greek tragedy." — Brian Alpert - A reminder that you don’t have to martyr yourself—there is (sometimes) a space to enjoy the process despite the hardship. "Your job isn’t to prevent mistakes, it’s to watch learners make them and counsel them afterwards." - A powerful mindset shift about mentorship and parenting—accepting that people must learn by doing. "The more specialized you become, the more vulnerable you are to becoming someone else’s employee." - A reflection on professional autonomy and the trade-offs of deep specialization. "If a system relies purely on generosity, it will eventually fail." - A candid observation about why reimbursement and incentives are critical to sustain care. "Confidence isn’t self-affirmation—it’s the irrefutable evidence you’ve accumulated over time." — Alex Hormozi - A beautiful distinction between shallow bravado and true earned self-assurance. "Life shouldn’t have to stop because you’re doing something you enjoy.” - On the importance of preserving joy and creativity even in demanding professions. "If you can start a project or hobby during your chief year, you’ll be able to start anything whenever you want for the rest of your life." - A call to action not to let circumstances delay your passions. "When your pager goes off, it’s like fun time is over. But it shouldn’t have to be that way." - On the unseen costs of professional life bleeding into personal moments. "I think humility is important. Arrogance has burned me every single time." Questions: (04:10) - How do you best treat your chief year while satisfying your own self-interest, looking good to attendings, and also taking care of your underclassmen? (11:22) - How I can get back into podcasting, focusing on surgical education and concepts? (19:16) - What are your thoughts on the @omaxface posts and the board-style question content approach? (37:22) - What are you looking to do after graduation—hospital setting, academia, or private practice? (43:50) - Could you imagine trying to find a partner now, at this point in your career? How different would that be? (45:31) - Tell me about your program’s structure—trauma weeks, call schedule, and how you split duties with ENT and plastics. (49:40) - Do you remember any recent times when you were a little too confident or arrogant in surgery and it burned you? (53:22) - How do you teach colleagues about rare cases or critical pearls if they literally weren’t there for the experience? (56:47) - Have you noticed the Pavlovian response when your pager goes off—how everyone around you immediately goes quiet? Now available on: - Dr. Gallagher’s Podcast & YouTube Channel - Dose of Dental Podcast #162 My watch in this episode = Citizen Promaster Diver Day Date - 7.2025 #podcast #dentalpodcast #doctorgallagherpodcast #doctorgallagherspodcast #doctor #dentist #dentistry #oralsurgery #dental #dentalschool #dentalstudent #doctorlife #dentistlife #oralsurgeon #doctorgallagher