College of Dentistry | University of Florida

Professional Resources

Associate Matching Program

Student List | Contact Information

Welcome to the Associate Matching Program internet web site at the University of Florida College of Dentistry. Find out about our seniors and contact them directly concerning your interest in an associate or selling your practice.

The University of Florida, College of Dentistry, Associate Matching Program serves as a network to put Senior students and practicing general dentists in Florida together. In 1987, a pilot program was established to bring together new graduates of the College of Dentistry with Florida dentists looking for young associates to join their practices. Since then some 700 dentists in the state have used this service. Today there has never been a better opportunity for our graduating seniors. They are highly sought after as associates in Florida practices.

Seventy-five senior students typically graduate each May and take the June Florida State Dental Board Exam. Forty to fifty of the graduating students enter private general practice. The remaining members of the class enter specialty residency programs, the military or general practice residencies. New graduates generally receive their notification of passing the Board in August and are then prepared to start practice.

The student list features each senior interested in an associateship and links the user to an individual home page for the selected senior, which displays:

  1. The student's photo
  2. UF College of Dentistry mailing address and e-mail address
  3. Home town
  4. Three preferred practice location choices with the corresponding Florida Dental Association district
  5. The student's biographical information
  6. Short term practice goals
  7. Long term practice goals
  8. Specific practice opportunities the student is looking for at graduation.

The College does not post individual dentist’s notices or offerings to sell their practice or employ new graduates. You are, however, encouraged to contact our students directly through the contact information listed on each individual student’s home page.

When you send them information about your practice or opportunity you should include information about:

  1. Your Practice Configuration - location, building, number of operatories, how long you have been in practice.
  2. Your Treatment and Patient Mix - the type of treatment you provide and types of patients you have in your practice. Your level of participation in contract dental programs, dental insurance and fee-for-service dentistry.
  3. Your staff - the number of staff and their function within your office and years of experience in your office.
  4. How long you have been in practice, where you went to dental school, and something about your personal and professional experiences.
  5. The opportunity you are offering or would like to discuss with the student; i.e, a simple employee position, some type of ownership, and the timing of that transition. If you are interested in selling a practice some professional evaluation of the practice should be available for the prospective buyer to review. In general it takes six to twelve months to prepare for an associate, so the earlier you start the better.

Contact Information

The Associate Matching Program is managed by Dr. Nick J. Minden, M.Ed., MBA, DMD, Associate Professor of Operative Dentistry, who also teaches the forty hour intensive seminar in Small Business Principles and Practices for the Dental Practitioner. You may reach Dr. Minden by phoning 352.273.5849 or e-mailing nminden@dental.ufl.edu.

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