"That's where things started with my idea and vision for this space." - Ernest Ponraj

Dr. Ernest Ponraj, a native of Montgomery County, Maryland, pursued his undergraduate studies at Pacific Union College in California before earning his Doctorate of Dental Surgery from Loma Linda University in 2008. After obtaining his DDS license, he returned to Maryland and has since been a practicing dentist, serving the communities of Virginia, DC, and Maryland.

In October 2014, Dr. Ponraj embarked on his journey as a practice owner by taking over a retiring dentist’s practice in both Silver Spring and Gaithersburg, MD. Over the past decade, he has modernized and expanded his skills at these locations, culminating in his move to Technē (spelled TECHNE) Dental in Rockville, MD. He is committed to ensuring his practice meets his highest standards of dental care.

This is where a twist you didn't see coming is revealed. Dr. Ponraj, who prefers to go by Ernest, is also an artist. He opened his new office last year as a combination of a working dental office and, get this, an art gallery. Yeah, I know; this hurt my brain as well. I was confident that whoever was behind this operation had a story that included questions.

The episode delves into Ernest’s initial fear of questions, the crises that led to his renewed focus on integrating his passions for art and dentistry, and his insights on how open-ended questions can empower and connect with patients. The conversation also explores the challenges and joys of merging two distinct aspects of his identity into a harmonious professional practice, and his future aspirations for community engagement and artistic collaboration.

After we finished our engaging conversation in his office, Ernest gave me a tour of the gallery to gain a better appreciation of what he has built. The video of the tour will be available on the Curated Questions YouTube channel, allowing you to see Ernest's space and artwork for yourself. I kept the audio of the tour in this podcast as an experiment. A couple of episodes ago, author Jeff Wetzler discussed the importance of deep listening, as it may reveal things you might overlook in a video. This is an opportunity to test your listening skills and then head over and watch the video clip to see how your imagination filled in the story. As always, there are my detailed takeaways included at the end.

Episode Notes

[00:00] Introduction to Curated Questions

[00:32] Meet Dr. Ernest Ponraj

[01:29] The Twist: Dentist and Artist

[02:01] Tour of the Art Gallery

[03:00] First In-Person Conversation

[03:10] Understanding the Power of Questions

[04:43] Connecting Through Questions

[11:12] The Journey to Practice Ownership

[12:21] Challenges and Growth in Dentistry

[13:48] COVID-19 and a New Beginning

[15:40] Combining Dentistry and Art

[18:41] Patient Reactions to the Art Space

[22:25] The Role of Art in Reducing Anxiety

[24:16] Ernest's Artistic Journey

[33:01] Reflections on Life and Giving Back

[37:47] Reflecting on Small Joys

[38:00] The Art of Asking Questions

[39:24] Understanding Patient Needs

[40:17] Serving the Community

[42:16] Balancing Dentistry and Art

[42:50] Promoting the Space

[43:30] Building the Right Team

[44:05] Current Challenges and Goals

[45:52] Creating Memorable Experiences

[47:24] Connecting Through Art

[48:41] Showcasing Local Artists

[55:12] Interactive Art Wall

[58:31] Personal Art Journey

[01:01:32] Highlighting Emerging Artists

[01:04:55] Final Thoughts and Takeaways

Resources Mentioned

TECHNE Dental Gallery

Technedental on Instagram

Jeff Wetzler

Dr. Cheryl Lee-Pow

Martin Luther King Jr.

El Mac

El Obrero by El Mac

Sean Taylor

Jaden Daniels

Salvador Dali

Beauty Pill

Producer Ben Ford

Questions Asked

When did you first understand the power of questions?

Am I giving the right answer?

Does this make sense?

Do I know how to answer these?

Did I do well enough on this test?

Do you find that even today, you're more curious with your wife in asking questions?

Do you find it easy to engage with your wife with questions?

Have you always had that?

What does that story look like for you?

How hard could it be?

How could I let this happen?

Is this really happening?

Am I doing the right thing?

How can you really do it?

Do I want my work and career to just be something that I do to make income, to support my family?

Do you really wanna enjoy what you do and have it be something that when you look back on your life, you're like, you know what, I'm glad I did this?

Where do I go from here now?

What has been some of that experience been like?

Why are you a dentist?

Are you seeing that [renewed passion for dentistry] as an extension of art?

Where do you go from there?

How would you encourage others to think about perhaps merging areas of their life that others may not understand?

How have we gone wrong?

Did your parents encourage you on in the world of questions, what was that like for you?

How can I contribute to give back to them?

Do you get a chance to get back to India regularly to meet extended family?

Are there any particular questions that you've carried with you, whether it's through seasons or, that you come back to?

How many times do you floss a day?

How can I serve the community?

What is your current how?

How do I even let my neighbors right here know that we have this space here?

How do I promote this space?

What is your right now question?

How to balance the dental aspect of things is in terms of doing my day-to-day work?

Any other things about questions that we hadn't covered down on that as you were thinking about the conversation?

Anything that we didn't touch on?

What would make you walk out of this place and want to tell somebody, that was the best experience I ever had?

Where's the best place for folks to catch up with you?

In doing your creating, in making your art, what does that do for you?

For the three that you've got up here, what element is it that resonates with you?

How might your own relationship with questions, whether asking or answering them, be limiting your ability to connect authentically with others?

What crisis or major life transition might be calling you to stop compartmentalizing different parts of yourself and instead integrate them into something more authentic and fulfilling?

What routine questions in your professional life could you redesign to move from information-gathering to story-inviting, creating space for deeper connection and understanding?

What hidden aspects of yourself (talents, passions, or experiences) are you keeping separate from your professional identity, and how might sharing them create deeper connections with colleagues, clients, or patients?

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