Are You a Politician? The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon Leader

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• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Who Have Led Us
• Reference
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Did that feel like a pejorative question? Admittedly, even the word “politics” evokes squeamish hilarity in the average American today. Whether it be the scandals of personal impropriety, feeding at the public trough, cash in the freezer, or simply pandering with unctuous insincerity to special interests, direct participation in the political process is, on superficial examination, completely alien to the precise, orderly practice of surgery that we know. Only late night talk show viewers seem to enjoy the posturing, the positioning and, most of all, the pathetic stumbling of our messy political process.

No wonder that few physicians and dentists have the stomach to tolerate the political world for very long. Yet several of our colleagues in oral and maxillofacial surgery have revealed their altruism and leadership in disarming ways to their many lawyerly colleagues in the political world. They have gained respect in large part due to their oral and maxillofacial surgeon mentality of promoting the common good with surgical precision.

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Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Who Have Led Us 

We have oral and maxillofacial surgeon leaders who have made America better. Some of those who have served as political leaders and made us proud:

These are examples of oral and maxillofacial surgeons who have led us in the world of politics both in our profession and beyond. What are the qualities in these surgeons that have served us best? Another of our leaders, JOMS Editor Emeritus James Hayward said it well in his tribute to General Shira: “With disarming humility, Bob could choose his teams and inspire them … he emphasized the use of judgment and empathy.”¹

These leaders knew how to pick the future leaders in their midst. They sought those whose qualities could sustain their achievements. Having personally observed each of these great surgeon politicians, it must be said that they are unique people. There is no formula to create their successors. However, they share genuine warmth, humor, wit, and humility.

Bob Shira was a truly great storyteller. He could hold his eyebrow in the air as long as it took for you to get the joke, or the point. When he grabbed your hand and looked in your eye, you knew you were hearing something important. David Frost exudes the genuine warmth of experience of good deeds. He is all Tarheel, both quiet and determined. Jim Edwards exhibits steely authority combined with in-depth understanding. After a few minutes with Scotty McCallum, a great listener, you feel as though he really understands what you think. At the R.V. Walker reception each year, Bob is more than an emcee and raconteur. He is charismatic in his black tie. With a bit of septuagenarian romanticism he takes ladies by the arm and greets and congratulates each new foundation donor.

Every oral and maxillofacial surgeon is acutely aware of the special qualities it takes to be successful in our unique surgical specialty. Think of these qualities as you imagine what characteristics you will seek in our leaders in this presidential primary season.

Many of those qualities are the same that we should expect in all of our political leaders. Our Washington leaders need to act more like doctors and less like lawyers. Ah, hope springs eternal each November.

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Reference 

1. Hayward J. Our general marches on: Robert B. Shira, DDS, DSC, 1910-2002. Oral Surg. 2003;95:1
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