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The Fourteenth Annual Graduate Orthodontics Residents Program (GORP) will be held August 2-4, 2002 on the University of Michigan campus. This program began in 1989 as a means of bringing the orthodontists of the future together for a summer meeting, creating an environment to foster professional growth and interpersonal relationships among colleagues and representatives of orthodontic manufacturers. During the past 13 years, the meeting has grown to an event that involves nearly 300 orthodontic residents from the United States and Canada. 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 the University of Illinois Chicago, The University of Toronto, Ohio State University, The University of North Carolina and the University of Kentucky. This 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 vendors and from the American Association of Orthodontists and its constituent associations. As in past years, GORP will pay the living expenses of each resident while they are in Ann Arbor. Each resident will be housed in a double occupancy room at the Mosher-Jordan Residence Hall. There also is the opportunity for residents to participate in the Dale B. Wade Memorial Golf Outing at the University of Michigan golf course on Friday morning. The meeting will begin officially with a banquet that will be held on Friday evening, August 2nd, in the Michigan Union Ballroom. The event will commence with no-host cocktails at 6:00 p.m. followed by a dinner at 7:30 p.m. After dinner, the group will hear remarks by Dr. Jim Vaden, the Chair of Orthodontics at the University of Tennessee and a former clinical faculty member of the University of Michigan. Dr. Vaden will give his perspective on balancing the many personal and professional aspects of an orthodontist's life. The speakers on Saturday will be Dr. William R. Proffit of the University of North Carolina , Dr. Vincent G. Kokich of the University of Washington, and Dr. Thomas M. Graber, editor of the World Journal of Orthodontics. The Sunday speakers will be Dr. Tom Marcel and Ms. Carol Eaton from California, who will discuss managing an orthodontic practice during the first ten years after graduation. Late Saturday afternoon and evening will feature a picnic and barbecue at Palmer field (across from the dental school and in front of the residence halls). The picnic, associated dinner and athletic events again will provide another excellent opportunity for the residents to meet each other on an informal basis. There will be an unofficial tour of Ann Arbor night spots after the picnic. A raffle of donations made by the orthodontic companies will occur after the scientific program on Sunday. The meeting ends about 1:00 pm Sunday afternoon. The faculty advisor of GORP from its inception is Dr. James A. McNamara, the Thomas M. and Doris Graber Endowed Professor of Dentistry in the Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry. The resident liaisons for this year's meeting are Dr. Scott Schulz and Dr. Toby VanLandshoot. Vendor liaisons are Dr. Nicole Jane and Dr. Annie Zionic. They can be reached at 734-764-1520 . Dr. Jim McNamara can be reached by phone at 734-763-3213. All can be reached by fax at 734-763-8100. |
