The Greatness of Fellowship

Welcoming new Fellows through the historic rite of the induction ceremony is a time of excitement for the future and reflection on where we are in this moment in time. New Fellows ask great questions that bear an annual review— What does it mean to be a Fellow? What, exactly, does the ACD do?

Membership implies a transaction. People join professional organizations for access to political advocacy, access to business resources, networking, as well as pooled benefits like insurance and bulk discounts. Fellowship is different. It is a group of like-minded individuals pooling their knowledge, skills, time, and resources to further a common mission. ACD Fellows have come together for over 100 years to advance excellence, ethics, professionalism, and leadership. This is, and has always been, largely through educational initiatives.

Dr. Larry Garetto, Convocation Speaker

The greatness of a profession, does not consist of having great wealth, or in the high intelligence of its members…or in power over other people, or in high status or fame. Its greatness consists of the spirit of service and servant-leadership seeking always the well-being of those people for whom you care.

As a Fellowship, the ACD is an organization founded on the belief that dentistry is a medical profession and dentists are healthcare professionals. Our Founders stated that our purpose is “To elevate the standards of dentistry, to encourage graduate study, and to grant Fellowship to those who have done meritorious work.” While our founding documents describe who we are, our mission, to advance excellence, ethics, professionalism, and leadership, defines what we do. While it is an exceptional experience to be part of a Fellowship like the ACD, there are also personal benefits. While Fellowship is not transactional, it does provide our Fellows opportunities to:

• Improve the profession’s social contract with those for whom we care;

• Access advanced education in professional and educational leadership through our partnerships with the AAPD and the Kellogg Institute, as well as ADEA;

• Work closely with dental students through SPEA, helping to shape the future of the profession;

• Work closely with colleagues in the American Society for Dental Ethics and the American Association of Dental Editors and Journalists;

• Participate in continuing education at no charge.

• Collaborate on local projects through Section membership that benefit the profession and society; and

The Convocation speaker this year, Dr. Larry Garetto, said “The greatness of a profession, does not consist of having great wealth, or in the high intelligence of its members…or in power over other people, or in high status or fame. Its greatness consists of the spirit of service and servant-leadership seeking always the well-being of those people for whom you care.” This is also the greatness of Fellowship in the ACD. Our Fellows make it so.