How was your experience like in dental school during the 1975?
Fantastic time 5 years from 1970-1975. It was one of best decision of my life. I stayed with a family with another medical student and we got along so well. I was the only student from Africa in my year and I made friends that lasted all these years. –I was even the class president in the final year!
Where was your first job after you graduated?
It was luck, I was back in Kenya for a holiday and I thought that I would go back and work in England but when I got to Kenya, I was invited to a dinner and met 3 English dentists who needed a dentist to join their clinic and funnily enough, I interviewed to be a dentist at the practice and joined in 1976.
What is your experience like, working in Kenya?
No government subsides in dentistry and its all private so people are very loyal to their family dentist. I have been working at the oldest practice in Kenya for over 46 years. We were also the first clinic to do implants in Kenya.
How do you find the market for dentistry in Kenya?
There is quite a few and it is quite saturated.
Currently, how would a young professional build their name in Kenya?
Start off with a practice that is already established. It is very difficult to start up on your own. Work in an established practice and build your patient base- this often starts off with friends and family
How long do you think you would need to work to get established?
Saturation levels are quite high and with that, it would take at least 5 years to put your name out there- you need to produce the exceptional work to reap the benefits of word of mouth.
Isn't it better just to open up a practice after gaining a couple years of experience?
See the way it works is that if you are working for someone, you don't have any expenses and as an associate in Kenya, it works on a 50% basis. If you are an associate 50% of what you earn goes to the practice owner.
Our clinic provides all types of dental treatments using the latest technology e.g. OPG, scanner, lab where we minimise the outsourcing of work. This is quite a heavy investment and because everything is imported, it is impossible to make that initial investment after only a couple of years.
In today's world is it necessary to specialise?
Yes, it is certainly beneficial. Our clinic does everything. I think Orthodontic is quite a good speciality to enter into.
What is the biggest cost to dentistry in Kenya?
Equipment and material- we import the material
How did you come up with a pricing strategy?
Charged what the practice before charged and now we go up and up- most of our charges are international charges
How does marketing for dentistry work in Kenya?
Mainly by name- Word of mouth- it is not like in England- cannot post ads in Kenya. People just go to who they know.