Recognizing Our Impact

As the holiday season approaches, I always make sure I find time for family, even when it’s through non-traditional means, but it can sometimes be tough to make time for my own wellness. I know this is true and many medical professionals can relate. Even when you’re able to take time off, it’s hard, if not impossible, to completely disconnect from work. But it is so important for all of us to rest and rejuvenate, whether that’s during the holidays or throughout the year, so we can put our best professional ethics and treatment forward to serve our patients.

As healers, scientists, and advocates, oral and maxillofacial surgeons have the ability to make an impact on our patients’ wellness through surgery and understanding their basic needs. The science and techniques of our industry are constantly advancing our practices so we can improve and treat our patients with the best and newest products that are continually available to us. We all have an obligation to explore these new products to enhance our surgical techniques.

One way to do so is to listen to the advice of peers and experts in our fields. This is so profound when offered in the context of surgery, health care, and wellness. Recognizing these individuals, who provide us with the newest innovations is so important. At ACOMS, we provide two non-monetary awards yearly, one for service and another for dedication to advancing the specialty of OMFS. We provide these innovative awards to show our dedication to the wellness and welfare of our patients, and our acknowledgment of the hard-working OMFS, like all of us professionals, who aim to advance their well-being.

So as you approach the holidays, I hope you find time to reflect on the past year and the coming ones in the future. How can you find time to advance the wellness of your practice? What about your own personal wellness? And how can you pass this on to your patients? I’ll be reflecting, too.

Sincerely,

Allen Fred Fielding, DMD, MD, FACS
ACOMS President