It is indeed a pleasure to write a message on what the American Association of Orthodontists Foundation (AAOF) has meant to me during my career development and why I have supported the AAOF.

 

During my orthodontic residency at the University of Missouri – Kansas City, I knew that I enjoyed teaching fellow residents, so after a twenty-four year career with the United States Army Dental Corps, I sought a teaching position at Baylor College of Dentistry. Entering academia even with board certification by the American Board of Orthodontics and twenty-four years of clinical experience is not a guarantee of success.

 

An educator must understand the academic environment in order to advance. New faculty members look to the department chairman and senior faculty to be advocates for successful career planning. Receiving mentoring via a faculty development plan and having enough time projected in the schedule to work on projects are critical factors. Dr. Peter Buschang was one my mentors who taught me the importance of research and guided my early efforts in discovery.  Dr. Richard Ceen, my department chairman, helped me with my lecture preparation. During the first year of my academic career, I realized that a healthy balance of duties between teaching, service and research is critical to academic success.

 

The AAOF was very helpful to me personally by providing me with a $15,000 Faculty Development Grant. Most institutions have limited professional development support for new faculty members. My AAOF grant allowed me to pay registration fees and travel costs for the IADR/AADR meetings and I was able to present my initial research findings as abstracts or oral presentations. My mentors provided a collegial process for timely feedback. They taught me what mattered most in my new position, and I could then figure out what didn’t matter.

 

Teaching is very important to me personally, as almost all faculty members truly appear to value the interactions with residents and students. However, if one wants to move through the ranks of promotion for tenure and for selection as program director and chairman, administrative skills must be developed. Today, I serve as program director and Chairman of the Department of Orthodontics at the University of Texas Dental Branch in Houston. I have the best job in the world; it is everything I expected and more. It challenges me in ways I never imagined. It opens my eyes to new ways of thinking, and it reinforces my belief that everyone has a unique contribution to make.  Serving as Chairman of UTDB along with my duties as Director on the American Board of Orthodontics are among the most professionally rewarding undertakings in my orthodontic career. My success was aided by the AAOF, so I have paid off my initial pledge and anticipate pledging additionally to the AAOF in my will.  I want the new teachers entering orthodontic academia to have the same opportunity I did to receive a fellowship award or grant. Faculty members who are successful will enjoy the intellectual stimulation with residents. Clearly, the initial AAOF grant allowed me to focus on doing the right things to be successful as a teacher and researcher. I will be forever grateful to the AAOF for their great support.