June Paper Point Editorial

Dear Endodontic Residents and New Practitioners,

I am excited to begin my third year serving on the Resident and New Practitioner Committee (RNPC) and honored to be serving as this year’s committee chair.

For those of you whom I have not met, my name is Austyn Grissom, and I am an endodontist in Daphne, Ala. I completed dental school at the University of Alabama School of Dentistry in 2018, practiced for two years, and completed my endodontic residency at the University of Texas Houston last summer. Outside of dentistry, I love traveling, automobiles, live music, meeting new people, and the TV series Survivor.

The summer is always an exciting time for our profession as applicants await interview invitations, incoming residents count down until their first day in clinic, and graduating residents long for that first (well-deserved) paycheck. Regardless of where you fall in this cycle, I would encourage you to pause and give yourself a pat on the back for where you are today. I believe we could all use a little more grace, and before we can give that grace to others, we must first provide it to ourselves.

Like many of you, I am a very structured individual in all aspects of my life. As I have tried to lay out my vision for the RNPC in the coming year, I realized that the most important part of this job cannot be planned for. While the RNPC has certain things we are responsible for like The Paper Point newsletter, APICES meeting, and the Career Fair at AAE, our main goal is to be a resource for residents and new practitioners in any capacity that you need us.

Perhaps you are looking to get more involved with the AAE? Want to get connected with someone who went into education full time after residency? Thinking about starting a practice from scratch? Need help working through an associate contact? The list could go on and on, but whatever the case might be, please know that the members of the RNPC and I are primarily here to help you along your journey.

Residents, we have a great schedule planned for APICES 2023 that will be taking place in Phoenix on August 25-26, 2023. The deadline to renew your membership is Friday, July 14, 2023.  Registration for endodontic residents will open Tuesday, July 18, 2023, at 12 CST. The RNPC members and I cannot wait to see you there!

As we close, I would challenge you with one last task: be the reason that someone has a great day today.

Austyn Grissom
Chair, Resident and New Practitioner Committee