An Accidental dentist: (A shaggy dog story)
Growing up, I always enjoyed “making things: models, modifying bicycles (Built 3), eventually sports cars. So, when it came time to go to college I chose to go to an Engineering School. Belonging to a good Catholic family, I had 5 siblings, two of whom were already in private colleges. My father suggested I apply to the Coast Guard Academy since it provided an Engineering Degree and was a full scholarship. I went through an interesting admission process that included having all my fillings changed (at my parent’s expense). During Easter Break of my senior year, I was working at my father’s company when I was supposed to go to the final interview where you get your appointment. My father’s business partner came up to me as I was leaving for this appointment and said, “Paul, I know that you are under a lot of pressure to accept this appointment. But before you accept this appointment you need to take a long look at the ocean and make sure it is calling you. I drove to San Pedro and was surprised to find the Coast Guard Station on a hilltop overseeing the LA harbor and out to sea, I climbed up the stairs and then remembering Mr. Rice’s advice; I stood there looking out to sea. Unfortunately, there were no Mermaids calling! I went in and the interview went well but when it came time to commit to a career in the Coast Guard, I told the officer that I could not due that at this time but I was willing to give it my best and had no problems with the required service time, The result was the alternate appointment and the instruction to go to college for a year and re-apply if I was still interested in the coast guard. He guaranteed that I would get the appointment.
Now what to do? I am now in spring of my senior year of High school. My father went into action, and I was accepted at Notre Dame, and Duquesne based on the USCGA status. I didn’t want to go back East. So, I pleaded my case, He then asked, “Where do you want to go?” I went blank. Then remembering The Rose Bowl game that year, USC popped into my mind. I was accepted to the school of Engineering as a late admission. This decision profoundly changed the course of my life,
Now happily ensconced in Engineering school I was shocked to see a Time magazine cover story with a picture of a Taxi driver in Seattle, with the caption,” Do you believe this guy has a master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering?” One of my classmates brought this article up during a design class. The professor asked us if the article bothered us. There was a consensus of yes. So, he decided to go off curriculum and explained the life cycle of an engineer. He emphasized that if you don’t make the transition to management by your mid-forties you will become not technically obsolete but economically obsolete. My roommate and I went back to the dorm, and both agreed that we were screwed. Hence, we both thought it was important to learn about this “Business Management Thing” we went to the counseling center and were advised that due to the engineering math curriculum we had surpassed the requirements for a degree with an emphasis in Quantitative Business Analysis in the Finance department, Both Denis and I eventually get our MBA’s. Denis becomes a Harvard Educated Attorney.
While this is going on, I met this cute blond girl in my chemistry lab and her roommate in English. It took them a few weeks to figure out I was the same person. You know the blond. Gail, my wife. Another random decision to take a Friday lab and discussion created this encounter and life altering event.
My senior year, I took the DAT and scored well so I applied to USC dental School, I had an interview, and the dean explained that although I had great test scores, due to Vietnam he had a file drawer full of applications that took all the “right courses”. I explained my logic: Dentistry is a business. Answer: yes, I went to business school to learn about business. Then I thought I would come over here and learn about dentistry. I understand doctors make a lot of bad business decisions. Answer: I see your logic, but I can only give you an alternative admission.
Now with the draft breathing down my neck I decided to take the GMAT. Luckily, I scored well and was accepted with advanced placement GSBA so that I was with in one calendar year of getting my MBA degree. (That provided me an additional student deferment). So, I continued with my studies of finance. During late fall my dad asked me what I was doing about dentistry. I told him, well Dad, they didn’t want me so “Screw them”. He told me to re-apply but to also apply to Creighton as a friend of my brother in-law was a student there and he was very happy with the clinical experience compared to a friend of his at one of the California Dental Schools.
So now we are in the Spring of ’69. I received my draft physical notice, and I decide to go enlist in the NAVY Finance Core, I get accepted and receive instructions for a final interview, I also receive an acceptance from Creighton the same week. During that week, I am sitting in the back row of a Capital budgeting class pondering which way to go with my life while the class is discussing a case study that came out of industry that we were to analyze. They would hide the manufactures names, but you could figure it out. This was from one of the Big 3 Auto Makers. It involved a dispute between the Finance department and the Engineering department. The task was to determine with a statistical confidence interval the sweet spot that occurs when you cut engineering standards and make the vehicle less reliable verses the increase in cost of warranty claims. During the discussion one of my classmates stated that he thought this was unethical. The professor responded that he sees our perspective (being products of the 60’s) but he explained that we as analysts are challenged only to make the calculations. Management will make the decisions. So, I thought; wow, am I going to spend my life being an agent for mediocracy or go into Dentistry (Micro Civil Engineering to me) or enter the Navy?
A few days later, I go to the NAVY interview, and I get a minority officer. The questions in this order:
- What do you think about your sister dating a Black man? Answer: That is really my sister’s business.
- What do you think about interracial marriage? Answer: I think it is difficult for both parties due to cultural differences causing problems with acceptance in both cultures and families.
- Do you think you can supervise Black men? Answer: Yes, I think when you have demonstrated your competence, and you treat people fairly and with respect they will respond to your directions.
- What do you think about affirmative action? (Me thinking: What in the hell have all these questions have to do me being in a cubical grinding numbers? This guy is a first-class jerk!! Well, it is time for some fun!) ANS: I am all for giving people opportunities, but it is sad when they are wasted. I do not see you guys over at the school of Engineering or the Science department or in the Business school. Instead, I see you over at the Sociology department studying your navel. That will never take you anywhere. Him: How dare you talk to me like this!! (Red Face, slams hand on the desk!!). I control your future!!!. Me: No, you don’t. So being a good grad student, I reach over to my brief case and pull out the Creighton acceptance letter and respond; talking to you has made me decide to become a dentist. His face goes blank. I walked out. I become a dentist.
Wolf, wolf end of shaggy dog story, beginning to the great adventure.
Most Memorable adventure in the Clinic
Spring of senior year I am working radiology, Susman has stepped out. A pretty young lady came up from oral surgery with an order for a PANO for third molars, She is wearing those large hoop earrings that were popular then, I tell her all the jewelry has to come off, I leave to get a cassette. I come back and realize there has been a miscommunication for she has all her clothes in a neat pile next to her. If I was cool, I would have just put the cassette in the machine, pressed the switch and said you can get dressed now. Instead, she could tell from my expression that a BIG mistake had occurred. I leave her to get dressed hoping that Susman does not come back and I have to explain this!! She got dressed, I take the image, we both apologized and I did not have to visit Susman or the Dean.
Family:
Wife Gail, happily married 53 years this August
Son: Stephen, a Cellular Biologist for Genentech in South San Francisco, presently working on Alzheimer drug development.
Daughter: Nicole: Senior Urban Planner for Transportation, Washington DC.
Grand children: 2, Aidan 12, Olivia 10
Life’s biggest lessons:
Being told you have a ten percent chance of living 36 months, is very liberating. When I went in for my radical neck, I had contacted a practice broker. He advised the practice would never again be as valuable as it was then. I was to sign the papers after the operation. During the initial recovery some of dentist friends suggested keeping the practice so that I didn’t sit home and watch the clock tick down. The result, withdrew the contract and scaled back my procedures drastically and muddled along. My wisest decision was drastically reducing things that caused stress in my life. So, I decided to fire all the annoying patients and insurance companies. I did it nicely. I told them, I was dying and they needed to find a new DDS. Thirty-two months later the cancer was back, Stage 3.
I am alive because of the brilliant doctors at the Cleveland Clinic who accepted me into a phase one clinical trial of Adoptive Immunotherapy. Five- and one-half years later they ordered CT, MRI and PET scans. The PET scan operator thought he had the wrong medical record. He told me that I was cured and that I should go home and take my wife out to dinner! Which I did! That I was cured was a big of a shock as was my terminal diagnosis. Damn, now I have to be responsible. However, I had grown used to my low stress practice and decided to maintain an out of network business model focusing on what I liked to do in dentistry. This model has served me well.
