03/12/2026
Counting some blessings
Since I started working part time (around 100 days per year) about a decade ago, this is a typical daily schedule. The first patient is the wife of another patient of mine who had extensive dental implant / bone grafting treatment done by me. No better compliment than seeing the schedule with patients who were referred by family members.
Dental or medical specialist training takes a very long time, and involves very hard work. Passing the hundreds of exams necessary to get licensed is probably the easiest part of this effort. It’s the work / life balance that suffers the most i think. My family should know about this very well. My daughter Alie, MD, as a thoracic surgeon, son Michael, MD, as a pediatric neurologist, me, DDS, MS, as a periodontist, and my better half Sam, RN, MS, as a healthcare management specialist who gently manages all of us in a diplomatic and often unappreciated way ❣️