In January 2023, I interviewed Dr. Kwane Stewart at the VMX convention in Orlando, Florida. A few weeks ago, he was recognized as the 2023 CNN Hero of the Year.
During the interview, it became clear to me that Dr. Kwane was someone special and that’s not unusual in the vet med realm. It’s a competitive career and it’s a challenge to be accepted into a veterinary medicine program, especially at the top schools in the U.S. It also takes a combination of intelligence, curiosity and compassion to choose this career path, which can be incredibly stressful given the lifespan of companion animals.
The world, including our political leaders, can learn a lot from his approach to helping pets of people experiencing homelessness, which has become a crisis in this country in most cities. His memoir, which includes his time at vet school at Colorado State University, is eye-opening and honest, revealing things that he could have excluded about his personal struggles.
Loyalty program tips for vet clinics
Attending this expo and the 2023 WVC through my role at Edra Publishing U.S. also allowed me the opportunity to reconnect with several veterinarians from my days as a science writer at Colorado State University. I love covering this industry and learned about developing a loyalty program from Dr. Stacee Santi, who practices in Colorado. In 2022, she sold her start-up, Vet2Pet, and regularly posts insightful content on LinkedIn.
Heart issues, link to diet in dogs
Dr. Jonathan Stockman, assistant professor at Long Island University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, talked with me about the potential link between certain diets and canine dilated cardiomyopathy. He said FDA’s decision to no longer release public updates on this topic was “unfortunate.” Talking with him over the years and watching him do media interviews has definitely made me think more about the type of food I give my dog.
Diversity, belonging in veterinary medicine
Dr. Niccole Bruno introduced herself to me and a coworker at the VMX in Orlando. I appreciated learning more about her remarkable background and the importance of pipeline events which can lead to a more diverse workforce. Dr. Bruno is the CEO and founder of blendvet, a veterinary certification program in diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. I’m sure this remains a rewarding and challenging realm to work in, given the backlash on DEI programs.
Dental care and the elderly
On the dentistry side of the work I did last year, I met numerous talented clinicians and entrepreneurs in this realm as well. One of my favorite interviews was with Dr. Terry Grant, who specializes in geriatric dentistry.
Dr. Grant and I met at the Greater New York Dental Meeting and I called him to confirm timing and didn’t realize he was on stage at the moment. He swore into the phone (not knowing it was me) and hung up. I thought for sure he would not do the interview but he did and he was a good sport in general. My dad recently turned 90 and when I met Dr. Grant, I was already considering a move home to help support him. Dad has now visited the dentist a few times for cleanings, too.
Developing a patient-centric dental implant
In Colorado, I met Dr. Jim Grant at the Rocky Mountain Dental Convention. (He’s not related to Terry.) He conceptualized designing a better dental implant, one that wouldn’t cause food to be trapped on a constant basis, in 2007.
“We have an obligation to do no harm to patients,” he said during an interview.
Proximerge 2 was cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2022, and Grant was the first patient to receive the implant manufactured by Quadric BioMed, the company he helped found to launch the new implant. A few months ago, he and his team had enrolled more than 30 patients in a clinical study.
New technologies in endodontics
While working at Edra and for Dentistry33, I conducted video interviews at several conventions. I had the opportunity to meet Dr. William Nudera at the American Association of Endodontists annual meeting in Chicago. He is the author of “NuEndo: rethinking endodontics,” produced by Edra Publishing. At the meeting, he spoke with me about new technologies he’s following and what he hoped to learn at the meeting.
Dentist, scientific coordinator for Dentistry33
Last but not least, I enjoyed learning more about my coworker, Dr. Simona Chirico, who had been handling even more editorial duties for Dentistry33 prior to me joining the team.
Based in Milan, Italy, Dr. Chirico specializes in restorative and digital dentistry and endodontics. She serves as scientific coordinator for Dentistry33 and ensured that we had scientific content for our readers on a weekly basis.
Top posts on LinkedIn
Other highlights in my storytelling this year from my LinkedIn feed:
My top post based on impressions was an interview with Dr. Vineet Dhar, lead author of the American Dental Association’s Tooth Decay Treatment Guideline, published in July 2023 in the Journal of the American Dental Association.
My second most-popular post was a profile on Dr. Carol Bloom, DVM, who is still practicing at 84 and happens to be my dog’s veterinarian. How could a storyteller not tell this remarkable story? I’m still pitching her to local news outlets and was thrilled that ABC7 in Chicago featured her on Localish. She’s inspired me since I met her last April and I so appreciate her and her team.
My third most-seen post was a story I edited featuring Dr. Christopher Phelps, an entrepreneur, general dentist and an Amazon best-selling author of the book, “Grow Your Dental Membership Plan.” He shared dental marketing tips during a presentation at the International Academy of Ceramic Implantology. My former coworker Paola Omini was the author of this story. I always loved interviewing Dr. Phelps because I would learn something new, and his marketing tips can be applied beyond dentistry.
As we close out 2023, I’m looking for a new position in science or medical writing, editing or media relations. I’m hopeful that in 2024 and beyond, I’ll continue to meet as many remarkable dentists, veterinarians, researchers, heros and entrepreneurs as I have this year. Cheers!
Photo: Project Street Vet
Mary Guiden 