But Isn’t October Hunting Season?

There is little I enjoy more than sitting in the woods and enjoying what is going on around me. Sometimes I even see deer and have been known to shoot a few.  I especially enjoy bow season with its mild weather, changing seasons and the quiet compared to gun season.  So why am I taking 12 days off in October to go to Hawaii?

Well, first of all; it’s Hawaii! But there are other reasons that are more important.  When I got out of dental school I had been in college for 7 years.  I was ready for a break from education.  However, my friend and mentor Dr. Arnold VanDyk taught me that there are always things to learn.  He took me to Minnesota for a conference in orthodontics and encouraged me to go to the Midwinter Dental meeting in Chicago.  So in 1988 I went to Chicago and have been attending that same meeting every year since.

Most years I have traveled to Chicago with all or part of my dental team. I realized early on that these trips served several purposes.  First and foremost, they were fun.  We got to hang out together in a non-work setting and get to know each other.  This proved to be very beneficial as the bonds carried over to the work setting, meaning that we all got along a lot better.  Secondly, the team obtained education and training which made them better employees and made our practice innovative and forward thinking.  The other benefit was the reward.  Being able to let loose and have fun meant that everyone came back to work energized and excited to be part of dentistry and part of such a great team.

Our first big trip was an educational cruise in 1997. We would attend class a couple mornings and have the rest of the time to have fun.  This went over so well that we went to the American Dental Association meeting in Hawaii 2 years later.  My professional turning point came on our next cruise in 2003.  One of our speakers was Cathy Jameson.  She was the founder of a practice management group.  After that cruise, we decided that having professional coaches would be a great benefit to our practice and that fall we hired Jameson Management to help us in our professional journey.  It was one of the best moves I have ever made as a dentist.

Working with Cathy and everyone at Jameson Management has taught us all the value of growing and learning. We have made this the basis of our practice.  We attend continuing education events on a regular basis.  We meet regularly to try and improve ourselves and our practice.  All to benefit the patients who honor us with their trust.

So yes, I will gladly give up a few days in the woods in order to bring a fantastic group of individuals to Hawaii to learn, relax and have fun. They have earned it and more importantly, they deserve it.

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Bruce