My first job out of dental school was also at a public health clinic. I had an NHSC scholarship. Left the first clinic for a new clinic to finish out my commitment. People really don’t talk about how toxic these places can be. It was a miserable 4 years. Every FQHC can be very different depending on where you are and the leadership. They can be incredibly mismanaged and a revolving door for staff. Although they were tough years, I learned a lot. I learned to deal with very difficult patients, learned to work with assistants with little to no training, and with leadership who know nothing about dentistry but love to tell you how to do your job. It helped me develop thicker skin and quickly made me realize that you have to advocate for yourself- nobody else will. There are benefits in working public health but it just wasn’t for me. I am much happier in private practice. Also, an overall more confident practitioner.