Just two months after the much-anticipated Y2K celebration, a new educational program for residents was launched. Entitled Wired For Success, the new program focused on preparing residents for the challenges of running a busy orthodontic practice. Originally envisioned by Bruce Livingston, the president of Boyd Industries, Wired For Success began in February 2000 with six corporate sponsors and 35 residents in attendance.

From the beginning, the focus was not on selling products to young orthodontists but on providing information that was often overlooked during their university years.

Flash forward to 2010 and the consortium of corporate sponsors has almost doubled and the number of residents attending the two-and-a-half-day program has more than tripled. According to Bruce Livingston: “The main reason that our numbers have grown is due to the feedback from alums. Past attendees are spreading the word to their respective programs that this is a ‘must attend’ program.”

Also helping to spread the word in universities are the program’s other major sponsors: American Orthodontics, Hu-Friedy Orthodontics, Kodak Dental Systems and Treloar & Heisel.

Jeffrey Smith, the director of marketing for American Orthodontics, says, “The vision of Wired For Success is to provide a practical educational experience for residents, something many tell us they are seeking as the days of their residency wind down and they start to realize they are going to be a small business owner some day.”

Wired For Success has modified its format over the years based on feedback from residents, but the overall mission has not changed. Over the course of the last decade as new technologies emerged and as new trends developed, the corporate sponsors were quick to add these topics to their presentations.

For example, one of the featured speakers at Wired For Success is Randall Berning, JD, who presents an informative look at practice transitions and life planning. Because of the slowdown in the economy and because fewer opportunities are available to buy a practice, Berning recently added a new component to his presentation called “going it alone,” which offers sage advice for those wanting to start their own practice right out of school.

Other recent enhancements to the program include the tightening of the credit market, operating a practice in a turbulent economy and accumulating long-term wealth, which is presented by Treloar & Heisel, one of Wired’s major sponsors.

Kodak Dental Systems presents the latest developments in 3-D imaging technology and how that affects diagnosis and treatment planning. Hu-Friedy sponsors Jackie Dorst, a world-renowned expert on sterilization, who educates residents on the fundamentals of designing a safe protocol for instrument sterilization using modern equipment.

In addition, many other speakers contribute to the two-and-a-half-day format including Joyce Matlack, Mary Beth Kirkpatrick, Ron Sharpe, Jeff Wherry, Carol Eaton and more.

For 2011, based on input from the residents who attended the two Wired For Success meetings earlier this year, a new component is being added that addresses human resource (HR) issues in an orthodontic office. Brent Erickson & Associates, a consulting firm that specializes in HR issues, will offer advice on making sound staffing decisions and effectively addressing staff relations.

Three Wired For Success seminars are scheduled for 2011. The East Coast seminar is Feb. 18–20 at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater, Fla. The West Coast seminar is March 4–6 at the Laguna Cliffs Resort in Dana Point, Calif. New for 2011 is the Midwest seminar scheduled for Aug. 19 –21 at the Marriott Downtown in Chicago.

As in years past, the only expense that falls upon residents wishing to attend Wired For Success is travel to and from the resort where the meeting is held.

Each venue is capped at 50 residents and reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis. Clinicians in their final year of residency get top priority.

Three seminars will be held in 2011:

• Feb. 18–20 in Clearwater, Fla.
• March 4–6 in Dana Point, Calif.
• Aug. 19–21 in Chicago.

For more information about Wired For Success, contact Kim Damrow at kdamrow@americanortho.com or visit www.Wired-For-Success.com.