ACOMS24
October 26 - 28, 2024
Scottsdale, Arizona
Stephanie J. Drew, DMD FACS
Ever wonder what happens when your parents tell you that you can do anything if you put your mind to it? You become driven. You develop courage and are not afraid to fail. You develop “grit”. I have hit a lot of ceilings in my career and broke through many. While the shards may have cut a little, the journey there made it worth it.
Read MoreJeffrey Bennett, DMD
“Show me a successful individual and I’ll show you someone who had real positive influences in his or her life. I don’t care what you do for a living – if you do it well, I’m sure there was someone cheering you on or showing the way.” (Denzel Washington)
It has been and remains a privilege to work with many great individuals through the past several years on the ACOMS board. This unique opportunity has been provided to me because of the vision and dedication of those Regents and Officers who have preceded me.
Read MoreEach issue we’ll feature stories from our past presidents as they reflect on their favorite ACOMS Annual Conference memories.
Read MoreTiffany Han, DDS & Paramjeet Sagoo, DDS
No one is prepared for residency. Whether in the clinic, the Emergency Department, or the operating room, there comes a moment where you stop and wonder how you ended up here.
Now imagine that scenario, but during a global pandemic. That was 2020 for all the residents in our specialty. The day we put on our long white coats, we knew that residency would be challenging, and we will face obstacles we have never faced before. However, none of us could have anticipated doing so during a global pandemic.
Read MoreJasjit Dillon, DDS, MBBS, FDSRCS, FACS
It is my great honor and privilege to be asked to be the Editor for ACOMS Review. In the upcoming issues, we will be highlighting ACOMS past presidents, amazing Women in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, introducing a Resident’s Corner as well as encouraging future dental students to consider Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery through our Resident Ambassador Program. It is my Goal to have ‘themes’ in each quarterly edition.
For the first edition, I would like to focus on resiliency. 2020 with its tragedy and tumultuousness has forced us all to test the durability of our own resilience; The COVID-19 pandemic, a monumental election in United States history and the rise of racial hate crimes against the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, (and) People of Color) communities. That being said, these monumental events did not cultivate resilience but rather awakened us to the power and strength of character within. Resilience is the ability to withstand adversity and bounce back from difficult life events. There is no doubt that we have needed lots of resilience in 2020. For me personally, the year of the pandemic was physically, mentally and emotionally draining especially in the beginning when Seattle was the United States. COVID-19 epicenter. Like many of you, I concentrated on getting through each day by focusing on how the pandemic affected us academically and as a specialty. And, while we are making head way with vaccines, we are not yet able to completely return to normalcy. In spite of it, we have been amongst the best as leaders in our field and led the way for others. Resilience is about continuing to try to in spite of adversity and not giving up.
Read MoreCaitlin B.L. Magraw, MD, DDS is the recipient of the fifth annual Elaine A. Stuebner Scholars Award by ACOMS. The ACOMS Stuebner Scholars Award is an essay-based competition that awards one female oral and maxillofacial surgeon annually the opportunity to attend a post-educational meeting to advance her knowledge and skills. The program aims to engage award recipients with other women mentors in the specialty throughout their careers to learn, to mentor in-turn, and to perpetuate the cycle.
Read MoreContinuing education can be and should be more than just a lecture. It can and should be an opportunity to broaden the mind not only surgically but culturally. It can be an experience. ACOMS embraces this philosophy with its life-style courses. In addition to the expected outstanding lectures, we all need to play and explore together. ACOMS is interested in your input.
Read MoreSubscription to OOOO is a complimentary ACOMS membership benefit. The following articles, including abstracts from the Ninth Annual Residents Meeting, are featured in the most recent issue.
Read MoreSponsored by OMS Preferred
In a dentist’s career, whether a general practitioner or a specialist, there will undoubtedly be situations that will throw a curve ball of Clayton Kershaw magnitude. My first year of dental school, I was taught in my gross anatomy class that “sometimes the body doesn’t read the book.” In other words, every patient’s anatomy (response to medications, healing abilities, etc.) should not be expected to be constants. To the contrary, they are all unique, so that every procedure — regardless of how many times you may have performed it — should be expected to be unique.
Read MoreHana Lim
I was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii before my family and I moved to Vancouver, Washington in 2000. My parents emigrated to the United States from South Korea for the same reason we moved to the Mainland: for new opportunities. As a first-generation Korean-American female and the only woman in my family to pursue graduate school, I am immensely grateful for the sacrifices my parents made in order to support me in my endeavors.
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