Editorial

When did you become a volunteer?

2021 Editorial

Awhile back the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) published a study of dental school applicants. The study sought to enumerate applicants’ reasons for joining the profession. Ranked number one among those seeking admission was a desire to be “independent”. A close second was the desire to perform “public service”. Of course, these responses might be dismissed as the musings of someone who’s never experienced a crown that won’t seat, a patient who wants their money back, or an employee who walked off the job. Each one of us has a wistful remembrance of the days when the world was our oyster, and we planned to shape it to fit our vision.

I think dental schools now, with the help of organizations such as the ICD USA Section, provide more opportunities for volunteer service than in my days as a student. I do not recall any organized events connected to the school. Any opportunities were student led and suffered the characteristic disarray of undergraduate enthusiasm. Most dental schools now expect to see public service experience on the resumes of prospective students. I have met many pre-dental students at projects, all of whom seemed like good candidates, and I’ve been privileged to write letters of recommendation for a few. Perhaps my first volunteer event as a dentist occurred while serving overseas in the Army. The armed forces are not often associated with charity, but the opportunity gave me a glimpse of public service I had not seen before.

As the years went by, there were the usual public service events: the Red Cross, the Cancer Society, visits to schools for National Children’s Dental Health Month (a worthy program, now eclipsed by Give Kids A Smile), even a clinic set up to embed name tapes in the dentures of nursing home residents. But something was missing. There was no context, no fabric, to my professional life outside the office. I will admit I was far along in my career when it happened. Late during the second day of a three-day project, as the physical demands of treating patients in a makeshift setting took hold, the thought came to me: I would never work this hard in my own office. Yet I was paying my own way to treat patients without any compensation save for the occasional “thanks” and “God bless you.” I looked forward to the start of day three.

If you have read this far in my editorial, I’ll wager you can recall a moment when the first letter of “volunteer” or “service” became upper case. The threshold is hard to describe, but palpable nonetheless. My suspicions were confirmed when an employee, with a hint of disapproval, told me I enjoyed my volunteer work better than the time spent at my office. Or in other words, a backhanded compliment. I no longer begrudged the time away from the practice, the cost of food and lodging, or even the loss of free time. Eager anticipation now greeted the next opportunity for service.

Has there been something missing in our lives the past eighteen months? For many of us the service opportunities postponed or cancelled have created a void. We felt at certain times in 2020 we should have been elsewhere, rather than continuing our daily routine. But now we look forward to resuming what has been a mainstay of our professional identity. Mark W. Fulton, DDS, FICD, in a letter to the editor of JADA talks about “the life-transforming changes introduced by short-term mission experiences”.1 Dr. Fulton, who practices full-time in Haiti, was responding to an article written by Robert D. Meyer, DMD, FICD, and Diane Meyer, EdD. Drs. Meyer and Meyer present, in an analytic manner, the responses of dentists who have participated in both domestic and international dental missions, and reach the conclusion that the benefits of such public service far outweigh the challenges, or “detractors”, as named in the article.2 I would urge that every Fellow, without regard to their season of life, take to heart the authors’ findings.

As opportunities for public service re-emerge, some of us will reflect on our journey from participant to Volunteer and be further inspired in the months and years ahead. John Donne said, “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.”3 One of the many benefits of the College is the support and inspiration that we can draw from one another. In their study, Drs. Meyer and Meyer reported that respondents agreed/strongly agreed that “working on a team” and “relationship building” enhanced the social development of volunteers.

Let’s take advantage of all the ICD has to offer.

BY RICHARD F. ROADCAP, DDS Editor ICD USA Section

2017 2021

2008

1990

1975 References 1. Fulton MW. Practicing Abroad. Commentary: Letters. J Am Dent Assoc. 2021. 152(6): 423 2. Meyer RD, Meyer DK. Recruitment considerations for dental short-term missions relating to the holistic development of dentists. J Am Dent Assoc. 2020. 151(12): 944-955 3. Donne, John. “Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions.” 1624