Author|Ji Ci
Editor|Che Maomao
The regional contempt chain of dentist income
On March 22, domestic dental The chain medical company Riel Group has been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, becoming the first dental specialty chain company in the Hong Kong stock market and the first national brand chain listed company in China's dental industry.
Its listing has brought private dental clinics and high-income dental groups into the public eye. According to financial report data, the average income of full-time doctors at Ruier Dental, which specializes in high-end dentistry, is 1.2879 million yuan. Huang Jiansheng, its chief dental prosthodontist, said on Weibo: Ruier's highest salary is 6 to 7 million yuan.
This is a pretty astonishing number. In the Internet, which is known for its high salaries, the highest annual salary (total contract income) of Alibaba P7 is only 1.2 million.
At first glance, dentistry seems to be a more worthwhile industry for young people to enter than the Internet. But is this really the case?
Like many industries in China, there are income gaps within the dentistry industry based on city and working years, but the income gap within the dentistry industry is as high as dozens of times.
Taking fourth-tier cities as an example, the income of ordinary dentists is around 100,000, and the highest salary for a director is only 20-300,000. However, the income of dentists in first-tier cities can easily reach more than one million.
I chatted with dentists in fourth-tier cities in Sichuan. From her story, I found that dentists in first- and second-tier cities and dentists in fourth- and lower-tier cities are like two completely different professions. The work, the consumer groups they face, the local market, and even the way to make a lot of money are all completely different.
"Encouraging people to study medicine, thunder strikes"
"A monthly salary of 10,000 is still not a good job."
Song Yuanyuan has a population of only more than 200 in Sichuan. Wan works as a dentist in a fourth-tier city. She actually has two jobs: one is full-time in a public hospital, and the other is part-time in a private clinic. The former can earn 7,000 to 8,000 per month, while the latter can earn 2,000 per month. That adds up to about 10,000 a month.
This is an income that is less than the previous income but more than the lower income.
In the local area, the monthly income of urban residents is only over 3,000, and her income is considered quite good for the local area. Although there is a gap with first-tier cities, this gap will inevitably exist because of the different urban development speeds.
"Then why do you say, "If you persuade people to study medicine, it will strike like lightning"? "
Song Yuanyuan said somewhat helplessly: "Because the investment in studying medicine is high and the output is low. ”
A complete medical school education takes 8 years, 5 years for undergraduate + 3 years for postgraduate. However, for many people in small cities, 8 years of study is too long, and the continuous investment in tuition fees will be too much. , so many people will try to work in a hospital after five years of undergraduate study.
In Sichuan, because of the famous name of Huaxi Dental, the entire medical industry, especially the dental field, is very serious. < /p>
When Song Yuanyuan graduated, a relatively smooth path was: first apply for the border poverty alleviation project in West China, support for three years, and then use the bonus points from this experience to join Song Yuanyuan in a better local hospital in Chengdu. This is the path we took.
The scene outside the hospital when Song Yuanyuan participated in the border support project - picture provided by the interviewee
But in the three years she supported it, The wind was blowing from east to west, and the academic requirements for Chengdu's tertiary hospitals suddenly changed from undergraduate to graduate or even doctorate. After Song Yuanyuan was supported, it was difficult to stay in Chengdu, so he went down one level after another, and finally found only one in a fourth-tier city.
If you want to find a better job, you need at least undergraduate + postgraduate studies, plus 2 or 3 years of work experience in a high-quality medical unit, which takes 11 years in total. .
“In 11 years, you have accumulated a lot in other industries and your income has already doubled, but as a doctor, everything has just begun. ”
Next, if you want to increase your salary, you need to work hard to get promoted. This process usually takes 6 to 10 years. In small cities, everyone is focused on this position, which is undoubtedly more difficult. , many promotions even take more than 10 years.
"But if you work for decades and become a director, you can get 30,000 yuan a month, which is the top. This is despite working 6 days a week and being very busy every day. ”
Therefore, in first- and fourth-tier cities, the official income of a public dentist is between 100,000 and more than 300,000. Although the bottom line is guaranteed, the upward ceiling is low, and it is basically an income that can be measured at a glance. Looking to the end.
"Would private clinics be better?"
"If private clinics want to survive, they also need years of accumulation of users, otherwise it will be easy to go bankrupt and develop in public hospitals. There is not much difference in the time required and the income received.”
On Dianping, there are more than 7,600 results for Chengdu dental clinics, and the competition is huge
At the same time, doctors are not easy either. In this industry, it is easy to be overwhelmed when there are many patients. Every doctor has to work night shift at night, from 8 pm to 8 am. Although everyone who studies medicine knows that it is not good to stay up late, everyone who is a doctor has to stay up late.
She was busy, often worked night shifts, and her income was stable but not changing much. These factors led to Song Yuanyuan's disillusionment with studying medicine. She repeated many times in the chat: "Persuading people to study medicine is not a good idea." "Thunder struck."
"To make money, dentists in small cities have to give lectures and sell books."
How do doctors in small cities make a fortune?
But after listening to Song Yuanyuan’s explanation, two questions emerged:
First, why can the income of dentists in first-tier cities be so high? The price difference of dozens of times is difficult to directly attribute to "different urban development rates".
Second, why do the dentists in small cities that we usually come into contact with seem to be quite wealthy?
It is on these two issues that Song Yuanyuan pointed out the differences in market conditions and career development paths faced by first-tier cities, new first-tier cities and low-tier cities.
The income gap among dentists mainly comes from fees and the number of consultations.
In the cost structure, because 90% of the consumables come from abroad, there is not much difference in the cost of consumables between the coastal and inland areas; in terms of equipment, there will be a certain cost difference between domestically produced and imported equipment, but this price difference This will be made up for in fees. Hospitals and clinics that use good equipment cater to middle-to-high-end people, and the overall charges will be higher.
The interior of a private clinic usually includes dental chairs, radiographs and other equipment, but the price difference between imported and domestic products is large
However, what really widens the charging gap is technology.
In first-tier cities, highly skilled dentists can charge tens of thousands for a single tooth. Locals are willing to pay for technology. However, this willingness to pay is currently only limited to economically developed cities such as first-tier and new first-tier cities.
In the fourth-tier cities where Song Yuanyuan works, most consumers do not yet have the concept of "teeth are important."
They usually wait until the toothache is unbearable before coming to see a doctor, at which time root canal treatment is generally required. The cost of consumables for a set of root canal treatment is usually 400-500 yuan. Including the use of equipment and the doctor's time and energy, the minimum surgical fee is 1500-2000 yuan. And this is unacceptable to most local people. This money can even support some families’ expenses for a month.
Song Yuanyuan was deeply impressed by the fact that children aged fifteen or sixteen often came to see a doctor with a broken tooth. She told their parents that they needed root canal treatment, which cost about 2,000. This was the first sentence of many parents. The question was: "Can it be pulled out?"
"In many small inland cities, dental care is not a necessity. For many locals, even if they have no teeth, eating soft porridge is enough. If you can survive, then this is not a problem." Song Yuanyuan concluded, "Cities in different tiers face completely different consumer groups."
This directly leads to the decline of many oral cavity brands in lower-tier cities. Business will not penetrate strongly.
"For example, regular check-ups and teeth cleaning, we have this concept very rarely here; for example, general dental treatment, root canal treatment, endodontic surgery, denture repair, etc., most of them will also be delayed. Reluctant to come; even fewer are willing to spend money on orthodontics and implants, because many people think the money is expensive and unnecessary. ”
Teenagers who go to the dentist
The lack of concepts of dental care and maintenance, as well as the limited average income level of the local area, have ultimately resulted in fewer people visiting the dentist and fewer people willing to spend a lot of money on their teeth.
Within the dental community, there is actually a clear understanding of this current situation:
"If you want to do a good job in the oral cavity, you can do it at the first line or the new front line. The second line depends on the city, and the third line depends on the individual. There is no money to be made in the city."
"How do those dentists who look very rich make money?"
Song Yuanyuan waved her hand. "Well, that's another way. Climb up, become a professor, go out to lecture, teach students, open tutoring classes, and earn other incomes. These are the big ones.
”
“Is there no way out for ordinary doctors in small cities? "
Song Yuanyuan looked at me with a smile and shook her head. The look seemed to say: Are you dreaming?
In the oral arena, there are clear ravines between big and small cities
“If a dentist wants to be rich, he must rely on money to get rich. ”
On the road to career development of dentists, there is a clear gap between first-tier, new first-tier cities and lower-tier cities.
In cities with more developed economies, local residents have developed doubts about Demand for dental care and beauty, and willingness to pay for it. Judging from the experience of developed countries, the same is true: the development of the dental industry is closely related to the improvement of income levels.
Take the United States as an example. , 1966 to 1987, the per capita GDP of the United States increased from US$4,000 to US$20,000, and the dental medical market experienced rapid growth during this process, with per capita dental expenditure increasing from US$15.2 to US$104.5, with an average annual compound growth rate of 9.6%. /p>
Around 1980, the per capita disposable income in the United States reached US$9,000, and the high-value, non-medical insurance reimbursable items of dental implants and orthodontics experienced rapid development. This also proves that after the income reaches a certain amount, , dental care will usher in rapid development
There is a clear positive correlation between per capita dental expenditure and income in the United States
In 2017, the per capita disposable income in my country's first- and second-tier cities reached Or nearly 9,000 US dollars. In an industry research report, some analysts considered "implants and orthodontics" to be the two future gold mines of China's dental industry. However, in low-tier cities, many people's demands for teeth still remain at ". "As long as it works", the willingness to pay for it is very low.
Song Yuanyuan added: "Whether you are in a public hospital or a clinic, the main way to make money is to have more people come to see you. , payment. But when we look at it, it would be good if one out of five is willing to treat it. And usually choose the cheapest one. ”
Therefore, differences in economic income, awareness of dental treatment, and willingness to pay ultimately lead to differences in the development of first-line, new-line dentistry and low-line dentistry, as well as the gap between doctors’ income.
Will the listing of the first dental stock benefit the entire industry?
In lower-tier cities, consumer demand, capabilities and markets have not yet been developed. It is probably difficult to make a lot of money.
With the development of dentistry, internal competition has become very fierce. The existence of Huaxi Dental in Sichuan has led to fierce competition. It has now developed to a Ph.D. + Only those with good internships can get into the better dental hospitals in Chengdu
And the old first-tier cities in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen have more serious involution due to their early development and high income.
This involution has also resulted in the uneven distribution of medical resources between different cities, and the dual consequences of medical resources being greater than urban demand.
The dental industry in East China is significantly higher than other regions. Source: Dental Doctor's Prospectus. Book
This is an industry that is greatly affected by geography. All Song Yuanyuan can hope is that the oral care concept and economic development in lower-tier cities can develop simultaneously.
She initially said. It is because dentists have more freedom to enter this industry (they can work in hospitals or open clinics), and only when the public's demand rises, can they have more flexibility to pursue the life they want. < /p>
Dentists will also continue to sink
The current development status of dentistry in different cities is actually a microcosm of China's rapid development in the past and the different development rates between cities.
This difference in speed is not limited to income levels, but includes many aspects such as citizens’ consumption concepts, industry development, and personnel employment.
The Internet has smoothed out some regional differences to a certain extent. But when the industry is implemented in specific cities, different urban temperaments and different urban citizens will make the development of this industry in the local area take on a completely different look.
"Orange is born in Huainan. Oranges, oranges growing in Huaibei are called tangerines." This saying is still applicable today.
But on the other hand, it also means opportunity.
In the case where the dental development potential of low-tier cities has not yet been fully stimulated, whoever can cultivate the consumption habits of users in such areas and establish a high-loyalty user group can become a low-tier market A new unicorn.
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