PAGD is a staff of one, and this has its advantages. No one complains when I put fish in the microwave. The morning staff huddle is sparsely attended but brief. And if someone didn’t complete a project as they were instructed, I don’t have far to look. But the downside is one of perspective. As I am not a dentist, and am but a lowly association executive, I don’t have the professional knowledge and experiences that you do. I may have the advantage of time, but the disadvantage of a limited worldview.
That is where the importance of PAGD committees fall. They provide the practical advice needed to actualize the strategic priorities of the PAGD Board. When planning a project or initiative, I plan it as an association executive would: I scan the environment, plan out a step-by-step process, execute it, and evaluate the results. But that may not work for a dental office. A perfect example is the FAGD/MAGD study with Franklin and Marshall College that PAGD just completed. While my draft of survey questions may have made perfect sense to someone with my experience, the PAGD Membership Committee was needed to make sure that the questions were relevant and applicable to the typical dental office.
I ask that you sign up to participate on a PAGD committee today. The time commitment is limited, maybe three Zoom meetings per year, one hour each. The rest can be done by participating in the online community of that committee. What committees are available to you, you may ask?
Advocacy Committee: Picture the wise owls of a parliament reviewing legislation that would allow school nurses to perform simple exodontia, peek their heads out from the papers in front of them and say to their colleagues, “Maybe this isn’t where we want to be.” This is the role of the Advocacy Committee, to review the sausage suggested by our elected and appointed officials and separate the sirloin from the Spam.
Education Committee: Have you ever been on a webinar or a program that was changing the way you think about how you practice and thought to yourself, “I wish someone from PAGD was here so they could see this”? Well, someone from PAGD is, and it’s you. This is the kind of person we need on the Education Committee, someone that knows what constitutes a good educational program and is excited to bring it to PAGD.
Membership Committee: It is my core belief that participation in AGD and PAGD gives you the opportunity to become a better dentist. Investing in your continual development is the difference in having a profession and having a job. If you feel the same way, the Membership Committee could be the group for you. They are the ones that help to develop the plans to bring more members into PAGD and encourage participation to their advantage.
New Dentist Committee: This group is invaluable in knowing the hearts and minds of new graduates. They wince at the same student loan payments, drill and fill in the same associateships, eat the same quinoa and ancient grains avocado toast. They excel at tweaking PAGD programming to make it more friendly to those who may not have the same schedule freedom or disposable income as their more seasoned colleagues.
PAGD is not my organization, it is yours.
If you are looking for ways to make PAGD better for you and your colleagues, committee participation is a great way to do so. Please get in touch with me at steve@pennagd.org and tell me where your talents lie and where you want help. Your voice is needed.
