EDITORIAL

Where have all the teachers gone?David L. Turpin, Editor-in-Chief

Seattle, Wash

Every year, several hundred senior dental stu-dents and postgraduate dentists apply for resi-dencies in orthodontic programs across the

United States and Canada. During their interviews atthese accredited institutions, most applicants express adesire to teach, at least on a part-time basis, upongraduation. If they have a PhD in science or education,they will usually mention full-time teaching as one oftheir primary goals for becoming an orthodontist. Butafter only 2 to 3 years of advanced education in thesegraduate programs, the stories change—and that is themystery. Just ask any department chair what he or sheoverhears during the graduation ceremony: “teaching”is not the topic of conversation.

What happens during this short time period—oftenremembered as the best of times by most of us whospent 10 to 12 years in college—once that goal ofbecoming an orthodontist is achieved? Why do our bestand brightest residents suddenly turn their backs on thevery educational process that fulfilled their occupa-tional dreams?

This is the challenge facing the AAO Task Forcefor Recruitment and Retention of Orthodontic Faculty.Appointed at the beginning of the year by PresidentDonald Joondeph, this group of talented members,educators, and deans is expected to develop initiativesfor the House of Delegates when it meets during the2007 Annual Session in Seattle. The unspoken fear isthat, for all the energy expended, including big dollarsfrom the AAO, this effort could fail for any number ofreasons, with many of the forces coming from outsideour organization and our control.

The issues raised are not new to our specialty or toothers with responsibilities in higher education. Ac-cording to Dr Lattie F. Coor, past president of ArizonaState University, we will not be able to convince younggraduates to go into teaching until financial support is atleast 75% of what they can earn in private practice. It iscurrently hovering around 40% by most surveys. Butthe roadblocks are not all financial. Although some

Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2007;131:2970889-5406/$32.00Copyright © 2007 by the American Association of Orthodontists.

doi:10.1016/j.ajodo.2007.01.004

universities allow faculty members to work outside theinstitution 1 or even 2 days a week to supplement theirteaching salaries, others are not so flexible. Also, fewersenior mentors are heard to praise the life of the dentalprofessor, once revered by all. And research grants areharder to secure in small, more clinically orientedorthodontic programs, making it more difficult forfaculty members to publish in highly ranked scientificjournals. The list of reasons for this teaching crisis goon and on.

To counter these factors, the AAO Task Force istaking action.

Materials will be developed to encourage careers ineducation, touting the benefits by publicizing “stories”of successful academicians. Mentors will be identifiedand developed throughout the educational communitywith the support of current educators. Academic careerpresentations will be promoted at meetings of the AAO,the American Student Dental Association, and theAmerican Dental Educators Association. The AAO willalso consider developing a clearinghouse for facultyopenings and advanced-training opportunities throughwebsites, the AAO Bulletin, and the AJO-DO. TheAAO will maintain a list of current job opportunities,keeping it visible to potential academic-career candi-dates. The Council on Orthodontic Education will alsobe asked to track educator statistics based on currentand future benchmark data to provide outcomes assess-ment. To cap this energetic list of activity will be anincrease in the coordination of all activities with theAAO Foundation, long active in the funding of orth-odontic education and research.

The vision is clear for the AAO Task Force onRecruitment and Retention of Orthodontic Faculty. Itmust increase the pool of career educators while raisingawareness of the importance of careers in orthodonticeducation. Ways to measure progress in this area willbe developed while encouraging viable, healthy, andstrong orthodontic educational programs throughoutthe United States and Canada.

Now is the time to mobilize the resources of ourmembers and academia with all the resolve we can

muster. We owe this to those who were our teachers.

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