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There is no doubt that I have begun the final third of my career and periodically my friends, patients and advisers have mentioned the need for "creating a legacy." For the last 5 years or so, I have quietly started working towards the goal of having a legacy.
Roughly translated, 'Legacy' means transferring something (of value) from one generation to the next.
I post my work on dental Internet forums so that other dentists can see your treatment and decide if it meets the definition of 'EXCELLENCE' and as you know from reading previous blogs, dentists refer to their work or other dentists work as "approaching Gerald's work." This is one way of creating a legacy so that those that follow will see excellence and strive to meet or exceed the standards that I have laid down.
Another way of establishing a legacy and far more important, in my opinion, is to work directly with young dentists on THEIR patients. On Friday, one of my young colleagues brought her 13 year old female patient and her Mother to my office so that I could demonstrate for her how to treat this young patient. I restored half of the teeth and my young colleague did a wonderful job restoring the other half of the teeth. My colleague told me at the end of the 2 hour appointment, "You have taught me so much that my head is spinning." And before leaving my office, my colleague said to me, " I have only known you for three years but you have already changed the way that I practice."
Isn't that FABULOUS?????????
My legacy will be what I teach the next generation so that those patients who sincerely are looking for excellent dental care will have dentists who are capable of providing great care.
I really don't to have to worry about my Legacy...I am doing everything that I can so that my current patients will always have dentists to take care of them when I no longer can. The idea of no longer being able to treat my patients is very upsetting to me but that is MY problem...You, on the other hand, can rest comfortably knowing that you will always have someone who is superbly capable of taking care of you.
