Dr. Bowman Shares His Journey to Roseman

The College of Dental Medicine’s “Why I Teach” lecture on November 18 featured Dr. Todd Bowman. During his presentation, he discussed his career and shared advice for students interested in running their own practice.

Just before noon, Dr. Bowman welcomed attendees with his family’s famous Bowman salsa and chips. This salsa, perfected over the last 10 years, was met with rave reviews.

After everyone settled in, Dr. Bowman began. “It is a blessing and privilege to be able to work with you,” he said. “It is a privilege to be here at Roseman.”

Dr. Bowman started his schooling at Brigham Young University and at the urging of his brother, completed his Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry at the University of Louisville. Afterward, he returned to Utah where he went into business with his brother.

When asked what it was like working with family, Dr. Bowman acknowledged that there was sometimes friction between the joint owners, but that they became very close as they practiced together.

Because few dental programs included business management coursework, Dr. Bowman and his brother learned as they went, making lots of little mistakes along the way. “I [spent] $35,000 on [an] interval camera back in 1987,” he shared, “It was made from an endoscopy that they retrofitted for dentistry.” After two years of trying to make the heavy, unwieldy camera work in their office, they decided the only real use they had for it was as an anchor for the family boat.

“Learn from your mistakes,” he advised. “Learn from your experiences. And pretty soon, you’re going to know what to do business-wise. You just will.”

Together, the two brothers built a profitable practice, eventually opening a second location and bringing on associate dentists to help meet the needs of their expanding clientele.

Given this experience, Dr. Boman encouraged students to approach their first job out of school with humility and a willingness to learn. He explained that dentists who hire recent graduates are investing a lot in their new associate. “For six months, it’s going to cost me a fortune to hire you. For the next six months, I’m going to break even. And then after a year, I’m going to make money on you.”

He also provided recommendations on how to approach hiring associates and selecting partners when the time comes. In Dr. Bowman’s experience, compatibility is key. “You can teach skills,” he emphasized, “but you cannot teach personality.”

One way to determine if a candidate is a good match, is to spend a lot of time with them. “You’re going to be working with that person more than you see your spouse.” Dr. Bowman cautioned, “It’s a marriage, and it’s hard to divorce.”

Fourteen years ago, after construction began on the College of Dental Medicine, Dr. Bowman’s neighbor, Dr. Cheever, approached him to gauge his interest in a faculty position at Roseman. Dr. Bowman responded with an immediate and decisive, “No. I’m not interested.”

“[It] was the furthest thing from my mind. It really was,” Dr. Bowman remarked. “I had no intention of ever doing anything like this.” However, after several more invitations, Dr. Bowman relented and agreed to visit the school.

During the tour, he took note of the warm, collegial way students and professors interacted in the clinic. “I could see these students,” he recalled, “laughing and joking with the faculty.”

In that moment, he realized there was something special about Roseman and that he wanted to be a part of it. “A couple of weeks later I had an interview and was working here.”

Dr. Bowman’s time at the College of Dental Medicine has been transformative. “It’s amazing to work with you. I really mean that,” he concluded. “When I see your faces, it really does make me happy because you just bring a lot of joy to my life.”