Hey all....its FRIDAY!!!
Our office has lots of windows in it. I can see the whole parking lot and across the street from our front desk. And some person had the nerve of unloading his new Bentley Sport Coupe from a transport truck in front of my office.
I looked it up. It costs....are you ready....$267,000. I was telling my staff, I could get one of those but I would have to live in it. Then they started teasing me, "The transport guy was told to drop it off at the Apopka dentist office. Problem was they dropped it off at the wrong Apopka dentist office" (please see Wednesday's blog).
I saw "True Grit" last night. I have to tell you, I think Jeff Bridges is so talented. He did a great job. I thought the movie was alright, though (maybe my expectations were too high. Like I was waiting for a 3:10 to Yuma or something). I thought Matt Damon was mis-casted (is that a word) in this movie. He just looked and acted so out of place. It was good, worth the rental.
My kids and I are watching "Chariots of Fire." This movie has such a great message, but damn is it hard to watch. I have the TV turned up all the way because the accents are tough to understand, and I have to keep pausing the movie to explain to them what is going on. Not that enjoyable of a movie experience.
Oh, don't forget my article is coming out in the September issue of AGD Impact. So if you don't get the magazine, call the AGD and get on the mailing list.
And my speaker packet was presented to the Florida Dental Association yesterday. I am still putting the thing together, but the executive director wanted it, so I threw it all together just for her. I am working on getting it all on DVD with a title menu...it is going to be cool. Maybe putting it in one of those tin embossed cases. Oh yeah.
Okay, I wanted to talk to you about my dental school, the University of Florida College of Dentistry (UFCD). I told you that I went up there a couple of weeks ago to see Gordon Christensen. At lunchtime, I asked one of the students to show me around. Now you have to understand that I haven't been back to the school in 10 years or so. But I have to tell you, I was not impressed.
Okay, maybe I am being unfair. But lets just say that it hasn't changed a bit. What I mean with haven't changed a bit is, there is still the same paint on the walls. There is still the same huge stain on the floor in the middle of the operative department. Nothing has changed.
No new paint. Like, I think white linoleum and teal have been OUT for a long time. No new kids design on the walls. No warm tones. The chairs are the same. The units are the same. Every room has a computer monitor in them, but that is about all for the changes.
During the tour, when we changed floors, he took me into the stairwell. I was in the stairwell and said out loud, "You actually take patients through this stairwell?" Not pretty.
I have to tell you that I have so much pride in my school. I have pride in the undergraduate school. I have pride in the athletic association, but my heart lies in that one building without any windows called the College of Dentistry.
My tour guide did not notice it. He lives it every day. He walks in that stairwell everyday and it doesn't phase him. He is just trying to get out of there. But me, I want to go back. Well, I wantED to go back.
I don't really blame anyone. I know the state is giving less and less money to institutions. I know it gets more and more expensive to educate students. Then the donations from the alumni are way done. What can you do? Then the students don't really see an issue with it. I mean, the dental fraternities wouldn't say, "Lets have a work day and clean up our school". Patients don't complain because they are just happy to get dental care.
Lets go back to the state giving money. No, I am not going to talk about the debt ceiling. But what I do know is that about two miles up the road from me, the Community Health Centers built a brand new dental facility that cost $1 million. Couldn't they just throw the UFCD a couple hundred bucks for some paint.
Oh my gosh look at the time....I have to run. Sorry to cut this one short. Last day of summer and I am taking Luke to play golf.
Have a good weekend. We might touch on this again on Wednesday.
john
2 comments:
My school is exactly the same. The decor has not bee updated since the 70s. They've mounted some cheap, horrible-contrast projectors and computers at the lectern, but the general pain and decor looks terrible. Everything is white. They didn't bother to buy projector screens, they just project right onto the white walls. Meanwhile, the business school just had a brand new building constructed and the law school has just built an addition across the street. Why? Alumni donations. Business and law school graduates donate to their school, apparently dentists do not. If you want your school to look presentable, you have to donate and tell the school your donation is for visual appeal, and then you have to rally your alumni friends.
It's been 10 years since were last at your school. If you truly care about it you should be around more often and be more involved…volunteer to give a lecture at lunch, mentor students in the groups you were in as a dental student, just do something! If you can make it up for the football and basketball games, you can make it up for the dental school.
Keep up the posts! It's great to hear from you and know we're not alone in this pond.
I agree with the statement that dentists do not give back to the school.
But do not lump me into all the other guys. I give to my school. I also volunteer to give lectures and have volunteered to watch clinics.
But they told me that they didn't need me.
I don't sit around and complain and not do anything about it. Trust me, I am going to do something about it.
I can't do everything though. I do a blog. I do mission trips. I am about to go world wide with my lecture (maybe).
Now you want me to run the alumni association. I just can't do it all.
I have to say NO to somethings.
In this case I am going to have to give my money and hope it helps.
john
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