The 22nd annual Graduate Orthodontic Residents Program (GORP) is heading back to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. From Aug. 6–8, orthodontic residents from across the United States and Canada will gather together to attend the yearly event. More than 400 students are expected to attend this year’s meeting.

The event will feature three days of sessions from such speakers as Dr. James A. McNamara, Dr. Vincent G. Kokich and Dr. John Graham, as well as a golf game or a canoe trip and a chance to visit with some orthodontics companies to get a firsthand look at new products and technology.

The idea for GORP began in 1989 as a means of bringing the orthodontists of the future together for a summer meeting, while at the same time creating an environment to foster professional growth and interpersonal relationships among colleagues and representatives of orthodontic manufacturers. During the past 20 years, the meeting has grown substantially.

The meeting is held every other year at the University of Michigan, with the alternate years at other institutions. Past meetings have been held at Harvard University, University of Texas at Houston, University of Illinois at Chicago, Ohio State University, University of Toronto, University of Kentucky, University of North Carolina, University of Washington and Saint Louis University.

The program is unique in that it is the first meeting to bring together residents in a dental or medical specialty program. The meeting is sponsored by donations from orthodontic exhibitors and by the American Board of Orthodontics and its constituent associations and the American Association of Orthodontists Foundation.

The speakers

During the course of three days, residents will hear from a variety of speakers. Here is a look at who those speakers are and what they will be speaking about:

• Dr. James A. McNamara will be the guest speaker at a dinner on Friday night. He is a graduate of the University of California Berkeley, and received his dental and orthodontic education at the University of California, San Francisco, and a doctorate in anatomy from the University of Michigan. He maintains a private practice in Ann Arbor.
• Dr. Vincent G. Kokich will speak Sunday on “Orthodontic Finishing! Art or Science?” He is a professor in the Department of Orthodontics at the University of Washington in Seattle and maintains a private orthodontic practice in Tacoma, Wash. In his session, he will discuss some of the questions that commonly arise in the mind of a clinician who is striving to establish his or her reputation: What is acceptable and unacceptable in the final result? How does an orthodontist know when to remove the orthodontic appliances? As a former director of the American Board of Orthodontics, Kokich has had the opportunity to evaluate many cases that have been presented for board certification. In this presentation, he will examine the various aspects of orthodontic finishing to determine if these principles are simply artistic ideals or if there is scientific evidence that achieving an ideal result is beneficial to the patient.
• Dr. John Graham will speak Saturday on “Miniscrews in Modern Practice.” He received his dental degree from Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas and then received his medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. After medical school, Graham completed an internship in general surgery at Parkland Memorial Hospital, followed by training in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Following his surgical training, Graham received his certificate in orthodontics from the University of Rochester/Eastman Dental Center in Rochester, N.Y. He is the only orthodontist in Arizona, and one of only a handful in the United States, who is also a physician. In his session, Graham will discuss how skeletal anchorage in orthodontics has expanded treatment possibilities, allowing clinicians to offer patients more options and infusing the profession with a fresh spirit of scientific inquiry. Graham will discuss the literature, explain the techniques and show the results of miniscrew-assisted orthodontics that have positively impacted his private practice.
• Dr. Aaron Molen will present his session, “The 3-D Paradigm Shift: Establish a Practice That Has Your Name All Over It,” on Saturday. Molen received his DDS from Loma Linda University where he did his research using the first cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanner installed in the United States. Molen continued his CBCT research at UCLA where he received his MS in oral biology and a certificate in orthodontics. His session will discuss how there is a paradigm shift in the diagnosis and treatment planning of orthodontic patients. Cone-beam computed tomography has opened up the third dimension and, with it, has increased the diagnostic information available. Molen will review the past, present and future of 3-D orthodontics while also reviewing 3-D diagnostic techniques and how they can affect image quality.
• Dr. Robert P. Scholz’s Saturday session is titled, “Would You Like to Have a Job When You Graduate?” Scholz completed his orthodontic certification at the University of California, San Francisco, in 1963. After spending two-plus years in Athens, Greece, practicing orthodontics for the Air Force, he returned to the Bay Area and began a part-time private practice. He maintained an appointment at UCSF for 20 years, departing as clinical professor in 1987. He is an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and at Temple University in Philadelphia and is the editor of Techno Bytes, the technology section of the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. In his presentation, he will discuss issues that must be addressed early and during your residency including: “What are the pros and cons of the seven possible employment opportunities?,” “When should you start working on this project?,” “What should you first do to get started?” and “What resources exist to help you along?”

The events

Each year, GORP offers residents a choice of two special activities to partake in. This year’s choice is between a golf tournament and a canoe trip.

Residents who want to play golf will compete in a scramble format competition. For those who want to hit the water, there will be a canoe trip down the Huron River. The trip is a 1.5-hour paddle. Along the way, paddlers will encounter an abundance of wildlife in a natural setting.

Here is the daily schedule:

Thursday, Aug. 5

• Noon–11 p.m.: Check in

Friday, Aug. 6

• 8:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.: Dale B. Wade Memorial Golf Outing
• 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m.: Canoe trip down the Huron River
• 5:30–7 p.m.: University of Michigan Art Museum for cocktail hour. Sponsored by Treloar & Heisel and Medical Protective
• 7–9 p.m.: Michigan Union for dinner and program featuring Dr. James A. McNamara

Saturday, Aug. 7

• 8–9 a.m.: Breakfast/exhibitor time
• 9–10 a.m.: Dr. John Graham, “Miniscrews in Modern Practice”
• 10–10:15 a.m.: Dr. Fred Garrett, AAOF
• 10:15–10:45 a.m.: Coffee break/exhibitor time
• 10–11 a.m.: Dr. Lee Graber, AAO president
• 11 a.m.–noon: Dr. Aaron Molen, “The 3-D Paradigm Shift”
• Noon–2 p.m.: Lunch/exhibitor time
• 2–2:15 p.m.: Dr. Russell Sandman, Council on New and Younger Members
• 2:15–2:30 p.m.: Dr. Jeryl D. English, ABO president
• 2:30–3:30 p.m.: Dr. Robert Scholz, “Practice Opportunities”
• 3:30–4 p.m.: Coffee break/exhibitor time
• 4–7:30 p.m.: Palmer Field for picnic and games
• 9 p.m.–1 a.m.: Resident party

Sunday, Aug. 8

• 8 a.m.–3 p.m.: Checkout/breakfast/exhibitor time
• 9–10 a.m.: Dr. James A. McNamara, honorary lecture, and Dr. Vince Kokich, “Finishing: Art or Science? — Part I”
• 10–10:30 a.m.: Coffee break/exhibitor time
• 10–11:30 a.m.: Dr. Vince Kokich, “Finishing: Art or Science? — Part II”
• 11:30 a.m.–noon: Raffle

For more information, visit www.gorportho.com.