Infecting the Next Generation With Excellence

I spent 8 hours yesterday lecturing and teaching a small group (8 students) of senior dental students at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Some of the faculty at the Dental School believes that they are still living in the 1980s and refuse to advance their thinking 30 years to what is routinely being done in top dental practices today.

Every year I am invited to 'infect' the next generation of my colleagues with the virus of excellence in the hope that they too will seek to treat their patients at the highest possible level.

In his note of thanks and appreciation, my Chairman emailed me the following note:

"Thanks to you for affecting our new generation. We can't do anything about the old generation but the new generation certainly can be changed. Thanks for your contributions to esthetic dentistry and I encouraged you to continue giving CE courses."

It is, indeed, an honor and a privilege to teach those that will follow me into our wonderful profession.

In reality...I did this for you, my patient, so that you will be able to find someone to take care of you after I no longer can.

(And how much was I paid to lecture???????????? Absolutely NOTHING!!!. I did it because it my professional responsibility to give back.)