March 15, 2024
Beware the Ides of March and Watch for Happy Texts
You don’t really expect an English major to gloss over a dateline like March 15 , do you? The nerds among us will be familiar with this ominous warning from Shakespeare’s play, “Julius Caesar”. Alas, Caesar did not heed the warning and was executed. The date has been associated with doom ever since. But there’s no doom, at least not now and not here in this blog. Here we align with the original intent of the day as a deadline for settling debts in Rome.
We might not be in Rome, but we can still help settle some debts and that’s what the MDA Foundation Board did earlier today in their meeting when they sorted through 22 worthy dental school scholarship applicants to identify six winners to receive $5,000 off their tuition next year. One of the best parts of my job is alerting them through a text and starting their weekend with a bang.
We will feature these winners in depth in the coming weeks via all MDA communication channels but because it’s hot off the press, let’s congratulate the following for their achievement: Elise Baumann UMKC 2027, Sara Burch KCU 2027, Katie Jennings UMKC 2027, Tia Kahwaji UMKC 2027, Gabriel Martin Sasamoto UMKC 2026 and Andrew Self UMKC 2026.
The Trifecta In Kansas City
As teased last week, the MDA Travel Team headed west this week for a trio of events. First, was Progressing into the Future, hosted by Greater Kansas City Dental Society. Sam Silvey, ED, put together a north-of-the-river tour of dental offices. The first stop was Cochran Dental and Dr. Garret Cochran for appetizers. Then off to Shoal Valley Dental with Dr. Conrad Journee, Dr. Alaina Calabrese and Dr. Christopher Wick. They finished with dessert at the Raman Center for TMJ and Sleep with Dr. Prabu Raman’s office. Fifteen D3 and D4 UMKC students enjoyed hearing from these member dentists as they explained how they approach business in their office. Plus, each of these members has extensive experience in organized dentistry and could share how that fits in their careers. It’s hard to overvalue that type of small-group interaction in a relaxed setting. Add great food and generous sponsors like Jerri Wildhaber from MDIS and Ben Stone with Engage Advisors and you have one of the better experiences of the school year.
The Food for Thought team took over for event #2 the next day. Close to 100 students scarfed down Jimmy Johns boxed lunches while listening to Dr. Kati Pyle present about her career path. Dr. Pyle’s practice is in Seymour, Mo., where she was born and raised. But oh, the lessons she learned in between going away and coming back. Dr. Pyle gave an authentic and funny and helpful peek into rural dentistry. Plus, she serves as the Chair of the MDA New Dentist Committee and spoke well of opportunities for new grads. To top it all off, when we gave away prizes, we added a new feature where if my name or Jerri’s name comes up on the Wheel of Names, the next name would win a special $50 gift card. Well, it happened and the place went wild! You should consider speaking at a Food for Thought. It’s a good time!
While at the dental school, we went up to the admin wing so Jerri could present a check to Mr. Doug Anderson in alumni relations. The check was from MDIS toward the Dr. John Hume Memorial Scholarship established this year in his honor by his wife, Dee. It will help a student studying general dentistry and surgery. Dr. Hume was a founding member of MDIS and a ferocious fundraiser for both the MDA and ADA PAC’s. He was loved by many.
To wrap the day up, we headed over to the beloved local hangout Teocali’s to host a social hour for UMKC faculty. Our main goal was to show appreciation for the day-to-day work they do to prepare the next generation. Plus, we wanted to give a few MDA updates and ask how we can better serve this segment of membership. I only knew two of the 14 in attendance so it was good to kick back a little, enjoy some guacamole and down a cold one with my new friends. And because we know everyone loves to win, we gave out several more prizes but Dr. Todd Brower seemed to enjoy his camp chair the most. Thanks to Dr. Wendy Weimer and Dr. Jared Gerhardt for helping pull this together. Hats off to all our faculty around the state!
The Week Ahead
Probably no blog. We catch our breath with a week of in-office work as we remind all members who have not renewed for 2024 to do so before the end of the month. A strong membership means a stronger MDA. Together We Thrive!
Quote of the Week
“Caesar salad, anyone?” – Anonymous
