“Why I Teach” Lecture Series Begins
Dr. Duane Callahan gives the inaugural address for the College of Dental Medicine’s “Why I Teach” lecture series.
On Tuesday, August 20, the College of Dental Medicine’s “Why I Teach” lecture series began with a presentation by assistant professor, Dr. Duane Callahan.
At noon, students grabbed their lunches and gathered in classroom 140 to hear about Dr. Callahan’s education, his approach to professional practice, and his decision to teach. Following his remarks, he opened the floor for students to ask their questions.
After completing his Doctor of Dental Surgery at the Medical College of Virginia, he completed a residency with the U.S. Army. He chose an AEGD program with the Army because it was very comprehensive and involved a lot of hands-on experience.
“When I was in dental school I did three removable prosthetics,” he explained. “I didn’t feel like I knew what I was doing. But when I was in my in my residency, I did a 6-month rotation through [prosthodontics] and I did 150 cases.” This is just one reason Dr. Callahan recommends students complete a residency.
After finishing his residency, Dr. Callahan spent four more years in the Army and then entered private practice for 27 years. One of his favorite aspects of his clinical work was the relationships he developed with his patients and employees. “They become part of your circle of friends, your tribe,” he observed.
Dr. Callahan provided three recommendations for building these kinds of lasting relationships: (1) be upfront with them, (2) don’t try to sell them, and (3) always give them more than they expect. “If you do that,” he said, “they’re going to become loyal and they’re going to be happy.”
Dr. Callahan’s teaching career began as a direct result of his efforts to develop close relationships with his patients. He explained, “I started out with Roseman College of Dental Medicine because I initially was the dentist for some of the administration faculty who [were] getting the dental school up and running.”
When they asked him to be on the admissions committee, he explained that he wasn’t ready to retire. In response, they suggested he join Roseman as an adjunct faculty. In this capacity, he helped interview Roseman’s very first dental class. Then, three years later, when they were ready to begin working in the clinic, he supervised their work one day a week.
After working at Roseman for seven years, Dr. Callahan sold his private practice and began teaching full-time, working four days a week in the clinics and one day in a dental office in Provo.
For Dr. Callahan, the most rewarding part of working with students is seeing them accomplish something difficult. “It’s really fun to watch you guys master something.” He explained, “When I see you learn to do something that I know is hard … it makes me feel really good.”
And though Dr. Callahan has now taught for many years, he hasn’t stopped learning. “I have worked hard to receive my Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry as well as my Master of The Academy of General Dentistry,” he remarked. “But it has been worth it because it helped me to make friends with like-minded dentists and made me a better dentist that could provide better service to my patients. I’m happy that I now get to share all this with the dental students.”
The next “Why I Teach” lecture will be held on October 15, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. in classroom 140. For more information about this bimonthly lecture series, contact your American Student Dental Association class representative.