AOS MEMBERSHIP NEWS New Challenges & Opportunities Ahead As I reflect on the past several years of the journey of the AOS and the challenges that we have faced, I find I am excited to be part of the rebirthing of our wonderful organization. The culture of the AOS is a direct reflection of Dr. Bill Wyatt who gave so much to teach and mentor younger doctors in both a personal and professional way. I see his passion for learning together in those I have met at the AOS over the years. I have met so many amazing people who provide amaz-ing quality orthodontic care and are willing to share their experiences with fellow members. The AOS is not an “old boys club” where we pat each other on the back, it is truly a place where iron sharpens iron and we can thank Dr. Wyatt for that! Times have changed in the journey of organizations and new challenges and opportunities lie ahead. Old successful models stop working and new models must be developed for us to not only survive, but thrive. The AOS has always been a thriving organization with robust membership and active participation by its members. Recent challenges have made it difficult to continue to thrive as we always had. But today is a new day and new challenges face us. Recent dental gradu-ates are less likely to travel for continuing education and join organizations. They are more inclined to look for online or on-demand CE. We too can recall how strapped we all were for funds in those early years of practice. Traditional mailings are expensive with very low impact in generating new members. Maintaining attendance to annual meetings and attracting support from vendors is always a challenge. Finally, our senior instructors have been teaching for many years and as Father Time continues to march on, new instructors are needed to allow the AOS to provide orthodontic educa-tion for its members and prospective members. Sounds pretty bleak! But wait, it is not! Now is a time of transition to a Jeffrey P. Dahm, DDS new and exciting future! Behind the AOS President scenes, many new strategies are being implemented to refresh and revitalize the AOS again. Live-stream classes are already available with Dr. Williams and they are being well attended. An on-demand library of classes is being developed and will allow us to reach dentists and orthodontists around the world. An international membership concept is almost ready to be unveiled and the task of developing new instructors is in process. Changing our management model has reduced our budget and brought us into the 21st Century of marketing and exposure to those who desire to be trained in orthodontic care and find an organization ready and able to back them. In addition, they will find that the Board of Diplomates is ready to assist them in attaining accreditation. To be honest, the AOS was at a tipping point, we had started financially “taking on water” after two years of navigating COVID and its shutdowns and post-ponements. So, we have a bit of a hole to dig out of financially, but thanks to a board that is committed to its members and the vision of Dr. Wyatt and others, I am no longer afraid of what lies ahead. I am enthusias-tic about the next generation of members who are now taking the reins and who are working to make the AOS the premier organization for dentists to be trained in the science of orthodontic treatment and find cama-raderie and professional support with each other. As Buzz Lightyear so succinctly says…“To infinity, and beyond!” Jeffrey P. Dahm, DDS HELP AOS GROW; ENCOURAGE MEMBERSHIP When a practitioner joins the American Orthodontic Society, they have joined a skilled and passionate network of over 1,500 excep-tional general and pediatric dentists who have grown their practice with orthodontics. Along with gaining access to exclusive resources, networking opportunities and discounts, your friends will give their career and practice a competitive edge by actively staying ahead of evolving trends in the orthodontics industry. Share the benefits of AOS membership and encourage your friends to visit https://orthodontics.com/membership. www.orthodontics.com Winter 2023 33
Journal of the American Orthodontic Society Winter 2023: Page 33
