On Friday we finished the 6th or 7th version of our sinus grafting course (I’m beginning to not remember anymore).
The middle part of that course is a practical day which was supposed to be on cadaver heads. Normally we begin the first day at the clinic for the theoretical and model surgery day and then transfer to Coventry for 2 day for the cadaver day and then return to the clinic on the third day for live surgery.
Two weeks ago, we got a call to say that we couldn’t get cadaver heads because they are in very short supply.
We insist on self-donated cadaver heads because we need to know where they came from and so we had to make a choice.
A few weeks ago, in London I provided a sinus grafting study day for the Osteology group where we used deer heads as a model.
Mostly deer heads are a much, much better model than cadavers and they are less expensive and much more accessible and able to be practised on in the clinic.
We explained absolutely clearly to everybody who was coming that this is what we were doing, and, in the end, it was better than a cadaver study day for so many reasons.
When you order cadavers for £750-£1000 each you sometimes get some with no sinuses.
This leads to disappointment and some disillusion from delegates who then have to watch other people work or to share heads that they were not expecting to share.
Deer’s have very big sinuses
These deer are already culled for other purposes so we’re not killing deer for teaching.
Everybody was able to be in the same place for 3 days in a row and it made for things which were much more connected and much more remarkable.
One of the great secrets of this course though is Craig Wales and Mark Ansell.
Craig and Mark and Maxillofacial surgeons from Glasgow who come to help on the practical day and to provide extraordinary insight and expertise on a course which is of high surgical value.
I’ve known Craig since 1989, since we were both at the same school Basketball game in Glasgow prior to us attending dental school.
Is it better that you bring someone into the academy who’s brilliant who you’ve never met or is it better that you bring a friend, who you know is brilliant, who you can sit at dinner with a relive stories from the past and visions for the future?
Long-term relationships take a long time to become a long-term relationship.
These are some of the most valuable connections, why don’t you start another one today.
Blog Post Number - 3074
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