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Leaving You With Some Thoughts
This issue is my last as the official editor of The Bulletin (although I intend to remain on the staff as an associate editor). It is hard to believe that six years have gone by since I assumed the Editorship! Together with Executive Director Gerry Page, Managing Editor Barrie Panthen, Bulletin photographer Al Laporta, and contributing artists and columnists, I have been able to vastly improve the content, layout and design of The Bulletin. I cannot possibly thank them enough for their dedication and hard work.
When I was sworn in, I had absolutely no idea what my responsibilities were to be. I had never taken journalism courses and I had no English courses in college. I knew nothing about the details involved with publishing, soliciting articles or advertising. All I knew was that my “reputation” was on the line with each issue. I was scared, and I wondered what I had gotten myself into.
Someone reassured me that the editorship is an endeavor that “one grows into”. That person was right--being the editor is about personal growth. Despite the hard work (there is no personal growth without hard work), I got more out of the editorship than I gave! I did a great deal of learning, reading and reflecting that I would not have otherwise done. I became acquainted with people on national, state and local levels that I met only because I was an editor. I also received a valuable lesson in leadership. In order to be a better “architect” of the society’s image, I acquired solid techniques of effective communication. These techniques explored new avenues of creativity; and I had fun trying my hand at writing, cover artistry, and computerized publication design. The best part of being the editor, however, was the opportunity to make a difference. I feel that I have touched the lives of my colleagues by providing them with critical information, new insights and recognition for their achievements and contributions.
Early in my “editorial career”, I adopted the practice of devoting each issue to a different topic. My goal was to educate myself and the membership on the controversies facing the profession and to compile useful information and lists of resources for practitioners. In looking back over the 24 issues that I have produced, I noticed that most of them were related by a common theme--the assault on our professionalism. We dentists are under attack from a myriad of sources simultaneously--the disintegration of values in our society, consumerism, runaway government, media sensationalism, third party intrusions and the proliferation of “alternative” therapies.What is the objective of the attack ? Money. Many groups stand to profit from what they can take from us. Some are looking for “cost containment”. Left alone, these groups would almost certainly destroy our profession, reducing Dentistry to a mere trade. We would become “piece” workers instead of doctors, working for someone else’s bottom line. Under these conditions, caring and quality would become quaint notions.
Paradoxically, these assaults may not be all bad. “Thank God for health care reform!”, proclaims Mark Sanborn, the keynote speaker at this year’s National Conference on the Young Dentist, “because it got us off our complacent behinds and it made us come to terms with a future that we were going to let happen”. As a result of health care reform, we have been forced to mobilize. We have been forced to use the extraordinary clout that comes from uniting together behind our professional association and from influencing our patients and business contacts. To thrive in the face of this latest challenge, we have been forced to become more dynamic and open to new ideas. In short, we have been forced to take an active hand in shaping our own futures!
Traditionally, most of us have supported our dental society only with our dues contribution. There is no question that this money helps. Without it, we would not be able to enjoy the numerous benefits and services that are at our disposal, not to mention the court battles and legislative efforts that the society conducts on our behalf. The dues payment, however, is really the tip of the iceberg; it is only our financial investment in the profession. Our professional responsibility goes beyond that. Our association desperately needs our ideas, talent and our participation to tackle the problems that we all face. The task at hand is not just to be a great dentist, it is also to make being a dentist great.
Last year at this time, it seemed like health care reform was going to be forced on us on a national level without our consent. In several states--Minnesota, West Virginia and Tennessee--dentists did have health care reform imposed on them. The state reform efforts have been less than stellar, to say the least. We are lucky to have a strong enough organization in New York State (EDPAC) to prevent a similar scenario here. We are also lucky that our national organization, the ADA (ADPAC), has been able to make a difference in Congress. At this point, it is likely that any Congressional reforms will be less drastic than Clinton’s original proposals and it is unlikely that they will include Dentistry. But the battle is far from over. If we are to create a bright future which includes the freedom to practice the way we believe best, we must unite, we must be eternally vigilant, and we must take action. Every effort, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is important to the ultimate outcome.
No matter what any government official or media personality would have you believe, we do have a choice for our future. It all depends on how each of us sees the future and his or her place in it. A fitting analogy is the story of the two stonecutters. A visitor to a quarry met two stone cutters who were carving out stone blocks from the same mountain of marble. The visitor asked each one what they were doing. The first, with a sour disposition, grumbled “I’m cutting this damned stone into a block”. The second cutter looked pleased with his work. When asked what he was doing, he replied proudly, “I’m on this team that’s building a cathedral”.
I would like to wish my successor, the staff and the entire membership the best of success and happiness as we aspire to build a cathedral for our profession.
The article appeared in the November, 1994 issue of the Ninth District Bulletin
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