From the Foundation
Dear Residents,
Have you ever wondered what we do during our Foundation Board meetings? Or maybe you’ve asked, “What’s in it for me who wants to be a private practice endodontist?” Recently, we gathered for our Foundation Interim meeting in beautiful Palm Beach, Florida, so while it is fresh on my mind, I’d like to shed light on what these meetings are all about.
Our Foundation Board meets twice a year, once in Chicago and the other in conjunction with the AAE Insight Track meeting. Board members are required to be at both meetings.
Before we meet in person, committees work on specific topics, typically through Zoom meetings, to prepare the materials we discuss and vote on later in our in-person meeting.
Close to our meeting, our excellent staff sends us emails packed with information about the materials and topics we’ll cover. Our meetings have three main parts:
First: We focus on creating programs and opportunities to support our three main goals, endodontic research, educators, and access to care initiatives.
Second: We talk about how to show our worth and how to attract donations from individuals and corporate partners.
Third: We review the performance of our existing programs, awards, and scholarships, and we carefully examine our budget and financial health.
One example of our programmatic impact is our Endodontic Educator Fellowship Awardees, many of whom you may now and have become leading endodontic experts, program directors, and mentors.
Our recent meeting started with discussions on improving our governance model and collaborating more effectively with the AAE. We reviewed scholarships, awards, and programs aimed at supporting educators at different career stages, from newcomers to those with over a decade of experience. We also explored ways to better support our residents during their residencies.
Even if your primary goal is to establish a private practice, our Foundation’s objectives are inherently aligned with your journey towards becoming a successful endodontist. By supporting the development of exceptional and motivated educators, we enhance the quality of endodontic education. Supporting ongoing research and the evolution of modern endodontics leads to more effective treatments and a higher success rate, Moreover, when the time comes for you to give back to your community, our access to care programs will serve as valuable resources, helping you fulfill your philanthropic goals.
During our meetings, we focus on finding the right fits for each program, making the selection process fair and transparent, and ensuring our initiatives align with our overall goals. We’re always on the lookout for new ideas to further our mission and attract additional support.
In our latest meeting, we heard some exciting ideas that we’re eager to pursue, and we want you to know that you don’t need to be a Board member to share your ideas or passion. If you think you have an idea that can help advance our endodontic mission, please get in touch. You can contact me, Trustee Dr. Moein Sadrkhani, or Assistant Executive Director for the Foundation Aly Whittlesey.
If you’re a resident or educator looking to benefit from our support programs, please feel free to reach out. And if you’ve found financial success in endodontics or when you find financial success, consider giving back to help future generations achieve similar success.
Our Foundation for Endodontics thrives thanks to its donors. If we want to ensure endodontics remains vibrant and successful, continuation of supporting the Foundation with your expertise, time, or donations are needed.
With your support, we can look forward and can say the future is bright for endodontics.
Sincerely,
Moein Sadrkhani, D.D.S., M.Sc.