Watch a lecture in your underwear

It is with much sadness that I report to you that Dr. Crowder is no longer writing for us on Mondays. As you all know, he is a young dentist, a husband, a father, and a tireless volunteer for the AGD, and it can get to be too much. [I can totally relate.]

I want to personally thank him for a lot of insight and even more laughs. His entries will be missed.

Thank you, Dr. Ric.

This weekend was packed full of stuff. My last run before the marathon. Ten miles? Piece of cake. Soccer games. School party. But Sunday was the highlight of it all. David turned ONE on Sunday. Can you believe it? Remember, when my wife had the swine flu and there was practically a HazMat team walking around our room? Anyway, the party was great (just family). We got a separate cake that David could smash up. And he really did smash it up - he was taking big clumps of it and squishing it and it was coming out of his clenched fingers. It was awesome.

And I am out of books. I would like some advice on my next book to read. I would like fiction, and I want it to one of your favorites. A can't-miss.

I watched the movie Simon Birch last night with the kids. This movie is so awesome. If you haven't seen it, it is a must-see. It is very sad but very redemptive. Bring the tissues.

And now for today's topic...

I went to a lecture and the lecturer kept referring to a new website called Dental XP.
If you are member (the basic membership is free), you have all dental articles at your finger tips. You have lectures at your disposal (usually bits of lectures, about 10-15 minutes). You have technique videos at your disposal.

And because I am a member I get emails periodically announcing a webinar. Have you ever done a webinar? A webinar is just like it sounds. You have a speaker who is in a one-inch box at the top left corner of the screen (usually sitting at his desk) and your full screen is his PowerPoint presentation.

The lecturer has a pointer and you can see what he is pointing at on your screen.
This was a lecturer named Nassib Fares, DDS, and he was giving his lecture from his office in LEBANON. I was very intrigued because he was giving a one hour lecture on Posterior Composites.

But he advertised his lecture with this picture.

Are you kidding me?

This guy puts me to shame. Here I am thinking I am the finest dentist in the Southeast, and here is a guy in Lebanon who is laughing at my work. I had to see him.

The webinar was scheduled for 1pm on Friday. I booked an hour off my schedule and couldn't wait. So there he was, in a one-inch box on the top left-hand part of the screen. In a separate box under him was the lecturer I saw at that course (he was hosting). Under the videos of the lecturer and the host, was a box for questions.
There was a button I could press to raise my hand. I was in heaven.

There was a bit of a language barrier, but it wasn't really an issue. I really wanted to see his pictures. And let me tell you, they didn't disappoint. He put up pictures that were even better than the one above. He put up pictures that made me shake my head. This guy is an AWESOME clinician. I asked questions in the little box and it was like it was me and him.

He spoke of fillings like I would. He spoke of his passion, and how composite restorations are making a comeback. The bar has been raised for me.

The funny thing is that the host/presenter was sitting in his office in Atlanta watching the lecture as well. He introduced the lecturer and then just sat there for the entire hour and forty-five minutes (yes, it went over 45 minutes and actually they had to tell him to stop because he was so far over the time, a big lecture no-no).

All in all, I thought the webinar was good. I can watch a dental lecture in the comfort of my own comfy chair. I did go to Dental XP and found some articles and did watch more lectures on video. They weren't interactive, but still I could turn the volume down if the speaker;s voice was annoying me. Isn't technology grand?

Then I thought maybe the AGD should get into this type of CE. I talked to the IT department and their stance at the present time is they "are working on it."
But a shameless plug is their CE Database to find some Continuing Education options.

I will keep this on my radar. Check it out if you get a second, and tell me what you think.

Have a great Wednesday.
john

P.S. I talked to a good friend of mine and he is an avid reader. He is the reader that doesn't read for a month and then sits and reads them all. He says ALL of the blogs are resonating with him. He is going through all the same things I am and it makes him feel less alone. I really hope this is true with most of you. Keep reading because I am going to keep writing. I hope you like it. If you have any ideas, let me know. I am at Jgammichia@aol.com