We are Stronger Together – The Value of AAE Membership

“So what’s in it for me?” All too often, this is the response one receives when asking someone to join their respective professional association. It is human nature to seek value in our expenditures, but when it comes to membership, one must look not only at the tangible benefits, but also at those less visible attributes to fully understand the value of becoming a member. I learned early on from my dad, who is a general dentist, that members of a profession are responsible for its health and well-being, so if we do not care for it, there are others who will step in and take over in an attempt to control our specialty and regulate our activities. The relative autonomy that we enjoy as a specialty, in addition to our favorable image and respect of the public are due in no small part to some intangible benefits of AAE membership – Advocacy and Marketing/Public Relations.

Association membership amplifies our voices in legislative and regulatory arenas, thus allowing us to protect our ability to practice at the high standards that we have set for ourselves. Likewise, our collective message resonates with greater force in the court of public opinion, educating patients about the value of specialty endodontic care and our unique position as the specialists in saving natural teeth. Long-standing members of an association often cite Advocacy as one of the most important benefits of membership, and I would have to agree.

Of course, not all of the benefits of AAE membership exist in the “intangible cloud”. Many are clearly evident, and some we each make use of on a frequent if not daily basis. A subscription to the Journal of Endodontics is included in your membership, and as one of the premier endodontic journals in the world, it serves as a vital source of information regarding advances and research activities in our specialty. Our AAE Annual Meeting is widely recognized as the top Endodontic conference in the world and serves as a vital source of continuing education presentations. The same can be said for our Fall meeting, Insight Track which is devoted to a specific topic of interest to our specialty and presents top speakers to educate our attendees. Most of these presentations are archived on our remote learning platform, Endo on Demand, so if one is unable to attend, the opportunity for learning still exists. Each of these continuing education resources are available to AAE members at substantial discounts relative to the cost for non-members.

Our meetings also serve another important function in that they provide a venue for camaraderie – a place to catch up with old friends and an opportunity to make new connections. Speaking of connections, another benefit that can be used on a daily basis is the AAE Connection, our online interactive platform. Here, you can engage in discussion forums on various topics with other members to learn more about what others are doing in their practices, or even seek some advice on planning your retirement. The list of topics is only limited by one’s imagination, and of course our Code of Conduct. As an additional incentive, AAE Advantage offers discounted products and services such as insurance plans or financial services to our members through our trusted partners program.

I could continue to list the incentives and benefits of AAE membership, but by now I am sure you get the idea. I also realize that if you are reading this, I am likely preaching to the choir, but this provides a good opportunity to remind everyone of just what your AAE membership can do for you, and what it does for our specialty. So be sure to renew your membership promptly to avoid any lapses, and if you know another endodontist who is not yet a member, encourage them to join so they can take advantage of all of the opportunities and be a part of our collective voice. So now, if you are asked: “What’s in it for me?”, you will know exactly what to tell them. Always remember that we are stronger together.