District 15 News: Texas ICD News

President’s Message

C. Moody Alexander, DDS, MS

Great Expectations!

I am greatly indebted to Dr.Michael Stuart for getting me involved in the Texas Section of The International College of Dentists. What an outstanding group of people. It has been a wonderful privilege to serve as president this year. A great basketball coach was asked why his team was so good. Without hesitation he said, “Because they are unselfish -- and they trust each other.” That is truly a powerful and meaningful message.

Think about it. It applies to a good team, a good marriage, a good dental office and a good profession, and it is just exactly what ICD is all about -- professionalism in the most noble sense. As we started the year our first good news was when Dr. Doug Willingham told me and Dr. Paul Stubbs that he would be Editor of our Newsletter. Thanks Doug, we need you, and you are doing a great job!

In talking with our Vice-Regent, Dr. Bill Birdwell, we realized we needed a special goal for the year. Our inspiration came from the Leadership Class of our new ICD Fellow Dr. Lynne Gerlach. It was a year-long course for nine young dentists sponsored by the Dallas County Dental Society and taught by Dr. Lynne Gerlach and Dr. Pete De Lisle, Director of The Austin College Posey Leadership Institute. (Dr. Pete De Lisle will be our speaker at the ICD breakfast at the Southwest Dental Conference in January.) At their last meeting their consensus was: “We want to help the school.” There was our goal, one which could be applied to all three Texas dental schools, and the pilot study could conveniently be done at Baylor

Meetings were arranged with Dr. Jack Long, Dean of Student Affairs at Baylor, and his assistant Moira Allen, a number of other faculty members who really care about students and some selected upper classmen. Dr. Long suggested mentoring professional behavior for 1st-year dental students, (Remember how you felt your first days of dental school?). Moira Allen suggested groups of 10 students with 3 mentors consisting of a student advocate faculty member, a carefully selected upper classperson and an ICD dentist from the community. Dr. John Chandler, our ICD Present-Elect, caught the vision and suggested we call it “Great Expectations.” more» Download 2007 Fall issue PDF

Archives

• 2007 Fall Texas ICD News PDF (1.6 MB)
• 2004 Winter Texas ICD News PDF (120 KB)

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