Is Dentistry or Healthcare Right for You in 2025? A Former Dentist’s Honest Take

He Left Dentistry, Practiced Law, and Now Helps Doctors Navigate Legal Challenges : While Running His Own Podcast

Every now and then, a conversation makes you stop and question what you thought was fixed. That’s how it felt sitting with Dr Yash Naidoo: dentist turned lawyer turned medicolegal consultant, and now host of the Why Did I Become a Doctor? podcast.

When Yash pivoted away from dentistry, the reactions were mixed. “It really depends who you ask. Some people thought I was mad, others thought it was brilliant,” he told me.

Most of us grow up with that voice in our heads: “what will people think?” For Yash, the answer was simple: he chose contentment over approval. That decision shaped every step of his career.

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Getting past “what will people think”

In his early years, Yash admits he cared deeply about other people’s opinions. But experience taught him something crucial: perspective is always relative. Dentists urged him to leave dentistry. Lawyers wondered why he’d take on a more stressful profession. Family asked why he didn’t just take over a business.

Instead of letting those voices weigh him down, he learned to move anyway. And that shift matters in healthcare, where many professionals feel trapped by fear of embarrassment or failure.

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When the grass isn’t greener, just different

Six months into community service, Yash realised dentistry wasn’t his future. He described the emotional and physical toll, and more importantly, the danger of staying in a profession without drive.

“If I’m not into it, I’m not going to put effort into making myself a better dentist. And patients deserve more than someone just getting by”.

That line stuck. Because how many of us convince ourselves the grind is noble – when in truth, staying in the wrong thing slowly drains our energy and honesty? For Yash, walking away wasn’t weakness. It was the only way to protect patients, and himself.

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The accidental lawyer

Ironically, Yash never planned to be a healthcare lawyer. He wanted to specialise in patents, even imagining himself analysing Apple’s next big invention. But on his first day at Norton Rose, he walked past a candidate attorney’s cubicle and spotted a dental chart on the desk.

That accident of placement redirected his path into insurance litigation, where his dentistry background became his biggest advantage. “I became the bridge between clinicians and lawyers,” he explained.

Sometimes the detour is the plan.

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Medicolegal consulting: finding purpose

Today, Yash works with the Medical Protection Society, supporting dentists, doctors, and other healthcare professionals facing complaints or navigating regulations. He sees it as a privilege: “When you get that letter from the regulator, your life almost stands still. We step in to help clinicians through that moment”.

It’s not glamorous, but it matters. And it shows how a career built on pivots can still find deep alignment with helping people.

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Nerves as proof of care

Despite years of speaking at conferences, Yash still gets nervous before stepping on stage. His Apple Watch even sends high heart rate alerts before he starts. Imposter syndrome still whispers: “Why would anyone listen to me?”

But he reframes nerves as a signal: “If you’re not getting nervous, it means you don’t care.”

That honesty resonated. In a world where polished confidence is celebrated, Yash reminded us that nerves are not weakness. They’re proof you want to do the work justice.

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Optimism for dentistry in South Africa

Even though Yash’s day job often means dealing with complaints, he remains bullish about dentistry. By engaging at congresses, he sees the clinicians who are innovating, upskilling, and pushing the industry forward.

“Dentistry in South Africa has massive growth potential, not just for clinicians but for patients who will get better access to quality oral healthcare”.

He extends that optimism to healthcare more broadly, believing motivated professionals will continue to find ways to deliver better and more affordable care, even in a challenging environment.

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Elton’s reflection

What struck me was how Yash spoke about pivots. In entrepreneurship, I’ve seen so many people hold onto businesses long after the spark has gone, weighed down by sunk costs. Yash’s honesty about leaving dentistry when he realised he was becoming unhappy remained with me.

It reminded me of what I teach in Meta You: habits either serve you or slowly break you. Staying in the wrong system is itself a habit, and often a destructive one. Pivoting is not about throwing away the past. It’s about stacking your experiences into something new.

Yash didn’t erase his dentistry when he became a lawyer. He didn’t erase law when he became a consultant. Each chapter compounded, making him uniquely valuable today. And that’s a lesson I’ll carry back into my own entrepreneurial journey.

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Closing

This blog only scratches the surface. The full episode with Dr Yash Naidoo is packed with insights around career pivots in dentistry, resilience, and the courage to chase contentment.

🎧 Watch or listen to the full conversation with Dr Yash Naidoo on YouTube.

If you want to sharpen your skills and earn 8 CPD ethics points, explore the [Meta You Course for Healthcare].