We recently hosted another session of University Without Walls here in Seattle. We had a clinician from across town, several from across the US and Canada, a Seattle Study Club Director with two of his members and three clinicians from halfway around the world. I know it's a little nostalgic, but as a SSC staff member it always warms my heart to see people forge new bonds at SSC events and this seminar was no different. Every single clinician took an active part in discussion, shared notes and compared techniques with each other—both one on one and with the group as a whole. 

The Seattle Study Club Director who attended this time also happens to be an orthodontist. He sent us the following letter to fill us in on the weekend from his perspective. 

I wanted to write down my thoughts and feelings regarding my experience while attending the recent University Without Walls program titled "Mastering the Art of Anterior Esthetics." First of all, Drs. Gerry Chiche and Tyler Lasseigne were absolutely superb. I was so impressed by their wealth of knowledge and experience but was also struck by their humble nature and desire to share everything they could with our group. Our success seemed to be their one objective. I have had the good fortune of hosting Gerry numerous times in the past for presentations to our Study Club; however, there is nothing like having him one on one for three days! As for Tyler, he has a true gift for his craft and is a compliment to the program. 

Because of the great experience that I had, I want to put on my Director's hat for a moment and encourage all Directors to consider signing up for a future University Without Walls program. Even more, consider sponsoring some or all of the tuition for one or more of your members to go as a team. This may sound somewhat strange coming from an orthodontist who is years away from cutting veneer and crown preparations! Yet, I did all of the "hands on" part as well, and participating in that exercise gave me a much better understanding and appreciation for what my restorative colleagues need with regard to orthodontic tooth movement and positioning so that we can be an outstanding team. I also know that they valued my participation, knowing that I care about their patients enough to be with them and learn together. During our discussions, I had the opportunity to give the orthodontic point of view, and in so doing they came to understand what I could contribute to the successful treatment of our mutual patients. I learned so much with regard to how I need to see the patient through restorative eyes and not just my orthodontic eyes. This teaching is valuable to all of the Study Club members no matter what their specialty. 

I had the good fortune of attending with two members or our Santa Barbara Dental Study Group. My friends who attended with me are Dr. Marc Alexander, who is our Prosthetic Advisor and Dr. Kathy McClintock who has a high quality restorative practice. We had a great time. There was time to socialize after the learning and we grew closer as we enjoyed this great experience together. This takes the Study Club experience to a new level. Our thanks to the wonderful Seattle Study Club team for their hard work and the vision to put this program together. This experience was a Winner and I encourage all members to run, not walk to sign up for the next program. 

Ray Kubisch, DDS, MSD

Santa Barbara Dental Study Group With Drs. Chiche and Lasseigne