Most people experience adversity. The true test lies in overcoming adversity and making a positive contribution to one’s community and profession. A majority, who have lived a life like mine, end up one of two places— in jail or dead. To say I had a misguided upbringing is an understatement. Parents that didn’t care, a suicide in the family, and no hope for the future. I wandered aimlessly as a youth. Drugs, alcohol, and trouble were my middle name. Fortunately, there were people that positively impacted my life and I was able to focus my attention on bettering myself. That was over 3 decades ago but those life experiences have made me who I am presently.
Today my goals are simple: Become a great endodontist, give back to my community, and lastly share my life and professional experience for the rest of my career.
I have worked in private practice over the last four years. During this time, I consistently devoted a minimum of 100 hours per year to advanced professional training, in order to ensure that I remain abreast of current research and related diagnostic and treatment options.
I have worked hard to maintain a diverse and broad-based background in my field: my experiences range from working as adjunct faculty in the Department of Oral Medicine at the University of Washington, to that of assuming current responsibility as the president of the Thurston Mason County Dental Society. I also enjoy working as a volunteer dentist with the Union Gospel Mission, performing both routine and endodontic dentistry for individuals who lack the financial means necessary to secure ongoing dental care.
While my work in private practice continues to fulfill and sustain me, I have also enjoyed my volunteer work. I was fortunate enough to have worked as a volunteer in Honduras and Guatemala during my 13 years as a general dentist. I am also proud to be a co-founder of the Carr-Downing Smiling D.D.S Scholarship, an endowment scholarship that commits $1200 annually to worthy recipients studying at the University of Washington’s School of Dentistry.
