By: Denison E. Byrne, DDS, MAGD
This topic originally appeared on Pankey.org. Dr. Byrne granted permission for igniteDDS to share with our readers.
In the realm of continuing education, it’s important to have the right support and encouragement that can transform our aspirations into achievements.
My colleague Nancy and I embarked on a relentless pursuit of dental continuing education, driven by a thirst for knowledge and advancement.
As we went along, I began to notice a disjointedness in my learning journey. While I continued my path, I missed discussing my daily experiences with colleagues, as well as collective growth.
Fostering Learning with Likeminded People
During a candid conversation at a study club meeting with my mentors Rich Green and Jay Anderson, we were discussing our schedule and next meeting.
Jay looked at me, winked, and said, “You can do this!” He meant that I could organize a similar study group, and here’s how I brought this vision to life:
- I spent some time clarifying in my mind exactly what I was looking for.
- I had coffee, lunch, or a drink with about a dozen of my peers to see what they were interested in and whether our goals meshed.
- I gathered interested people together to “meet and greet” and develop a shared vision, direction, responsibilities, and tentative schedules.
- Enlisted facilitators to kick-start the initiative.
The benefit to me was a local community of like-minded peers bolstered by the significant input they gave about the program. I learned more not only about dentistry but also about working with small groups. There was plenty of downtime with many of my dental heroes.
If you are interested in dental continuing education or creating a new study club, reach out to us at The Pankey Institute, and we would love to help you with the process, since “You can do it too!”.
By actively participating in our courses and programs, you can ensure that your CE learning is not just comprehensive but profoundly impactful.
Together, let’s empower advanced dental education!
