Pros
Benefits: medical, dental (you still have co-payments), life ins., 401k, free CE courses... PDS will also pay towards furthering education in dentistry, but read the fine print in the handbook. Great place to learn overall, a lot of opportunity to try different things. Bonuses were great when they were still around ($100-600). Get to meet so many people-networking is key and leads to new positions or offices. Very diverse employees, ranging from no experience to decades of experience. Hours always available, they always need assistants somewhere if you're willing to work.
Cons
Learn and move on, whether it's to specialty or just to private practice. General DAs and RDAs get the shortest end of the stick. We're overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated. Back office assistants are expected to do absolutely everything: all DA duties, CEREC, sweep, mop, vacuum, clean bathrooms, do laundry, take trash out, answer phones, etc. If you can think it, we've done it. No downtime allowed, get caught not working and you'll never hear the end of it in passive aggressive morning huddles or in your annual review, which is surely the reason you get denied your entire $0.15 raise (yes that's right, $0.15). If/when you interview haggle for every dollar and cent you can because decent raises, if at all, are far and few between. Most managers come from retail and don't know what they're doing. (Mine told pts that teeth had to be extracted to get a RCT and then they were 'put back in'.) Yep, that's the head of the office alright. Definitely effects scheduling and work load. Most days you only get thirty minutes for lunch and then the next week you're told you have to much OT, but if pts start tx at any time of the day you are expected to work into lunch and passed the end of day no exceptions. If people call out you will work by yourself and be expected to hussle. Don't get me wrong, there are so many wonderful people who work in PDS, but besides some awesome coworkers, lovely pts, and loving dentistry this company isn't worth it. Unless you need the benefits or end up getting a better position, work elsewhere.