Everyday Oral Surgery Dr. Thomas Schlieve: Discussions on Pathology, Being a Leader, and Being a Great OS Candidate and Resident
Succeeding as an oral surgeon is about far more than academic and clinical talent. It also requires you to be a leader and a salesperson. This is just one of the many great insights today’s guest, Dr. Thomas Schlieve, shares with us. With advanced fellowship training in oral, head and neck oncologic surgery, Thomas is the current Graduate Program Director at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. In this episode, we learn more about his pathology passion and how he has earned the nickname ‘The Dead Bone Doctor of Dallas’. Thomas walks us through some of the most common cases in his pathology-focused practice, along with his frustrations when trying to treat cancer. We hear about why he advocates for incisional biopsies, the importance of not waiting to intervene with head and neck cancers, and how having patients come in with biopsies eases his workload. The conversation then moves away from the surgical side of things, where we talk about growing as a leader to be a better surgeon. Here, Thomas shares what he has gained from How to Win Friends & Influence People and how he has applied this knowledge to improve his practice. As someone who works on the academic side of things, Thomas has a firsthand understanding of what it takes to be a great oral surgery resident, and we wrap the show up by hearing these top tips. For all this and more, be sure to tune in today!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Get to know Thomas, his training, and what he is currently doing.
- The pathology cases that Thomas spends most of his practice time on.
- Thomas’s patient-specific approach to treating osteonecrosis and the techniques he uses.
- Advice Thomas has for effectively handling osteonecrosis.
- Thomas’s frustration when something cancerous is removed and no legion is left to see.
- Why you should not wait for a head or neck cancer to grow before intervention.
- How patients coming in with biopsies helps Thomas chart an effective course of treatment.
- The way that different margins are marked by pathologists.
- Hear why Thomas believes you should declare an excisional biopsy.
- Success as a surgeon is about more than clinical talent; you have to be a good leader too.
- How Thomas changed his approach to referrals and leadership generally.
- Takeaways from How to Win Friends & Influence People that Thomas and Grant have used in practice.
- The importance of letting patients vent and giving them space to offload.
- Thomas’ approach to patient education and giving them information feel most comfortable.
- Asking open-ended questions and mirroring: How these techniques get patients to open up.
- Being caring as a leader and how this helps all aspects of your practice.
- Why Thomas has grown more cautious about implants since his residency.
- Thomas's approach to immediate implants and being clear on timelines with patients.
- Hear what Thomas looks for in potential residents.
- The impact that upbringing has on the grit that is required to become a surgeon.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
School of Dentistry Marquette University
University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry
How to Win Friends & Influence People
Dr. Grant Stucki Contact — 720-775-5843