After 47 years, Lee D Pollan, DMD, MS, professor of Clinical Dentistry and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, is retiring. He served as the OMFS Residency Program Director and Interim Chair, and was very active in state and national professional OMFS associations.
Who is the person who most influenced you? Over the past 50 years, there are several. Therefore, it is difficult to select one. My father, who was a general dentist in a small town, played a significant role in my development as a professional. He was extremely ethical and was admired by many. I wanted to achieve the same success as my dad. Dr. Bejan Iranpour, who was admired by his staff and patients, was most influential to me before and during the establishment of my private practice due to his kindness and generosity. Bejan encouraged me to become involved in the hospital and the residency program. He was primarily responsible for helping me get actively involved in local, state, and national oral and maxillofacial surgery circles and introducing me to people who would also become my mentors. What are you most proud of? My involvement in the New York State Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Being elected Trustee from the Northeastern District of AAOMS and my eventual election as President Elect and President of AAOMS was almost surreal. I never envisioned that a kid from a small town could achieve those lofty, almost unreachable, goals. The AAOMS Presidency gave me the opportunity to travel worldwide and to meet and become friendly with the most highly regarded, well respected oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the world. 44
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| university of rochester medical center
What about teaching do you find most rewarding? There are several. I love the idea that many residents still think I know more than they do. I love the fact that they seem to want me to be pleased with their progress. I think it’s great when they introduce me to their families as one of the faculty who was responsible for their success. I am thrilled when they inform me of their successes in finding an associateship, or faculty position, or have successfully passed the Boards. Don’t tell them, but I am prouder of them than they are of themselves. I get a huge charge when a former resident calls me out of the blue to ask my advice about a particular case or problem. Professionally speaking, is there anything you would do differently? I think all of us can look back and wish we could have treated a particular patient or performed a particular procedure differently. I have heard some colleagues state they wish they had pursued a medical degree with their OMFS training, but I never felt that it was right for me. I feel that my training had prepared me well to practice the scope of OMFS I wanted to practice in a supportive and collegial hospital and community environment. I also feel that I have been fortunate to strike the right balance of academia and private practice in my professional life. I can’t think of anything I would change.
