Recipient of the School's 2010 Distinguished Service Award 
(download Dr. Dawley's remarks)

The University of Michigan School of Dentistry prepared me for a future in dentistry better than I could have ever imagined. And I appreciate my dental education. I sit here now as president of the American Dental Association, and I owe it all to the dental school. Dr. Raymond Gist

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Selected Professional Achievements

• DDS U-M School of Dentistry (1966)
• General practice dentistry (1969-present)
• Genesee District Dental Society
  • President (1984-1985)
  • Board of Directors (1976-1987)
• Michigan Dental Association
  • President (2003-2004)
  • Secretary (1999-2001)
  • Board of Trustees (1997-2001)
• American Dental Association
  • President (2010-2011)
  • President-elect (2009-2010)
  • Board of Trustees, Ninth District (2005-2009)
• Fellow, American College of Dentists (2001-present)
• Fellow, International College of Dentists (1995-present)
• Fellow, Pierre Fauchard Academy (2002-present)

Ann Arbor, MI — October 14, 2010 — The last 12 months have been a whirlwind for Dr. Raymond Gist (DDS 1966).

Last fall, he began serving a one-year term as president-elect of the American Dental Association. In May, he delivered the commencement address to dental students at Hill Auditorium. On October 13, he became president of the ADA.

The road to the presidency of the nation’s largest dental association actually began in Flint, Michigan, nearly 68 years ago.

“My parents were hard workers and I learned from their example,” he said. His mother, Vesta, was a maid; his father, Isaac, was a janitor at Buick City, the massive General Motors facility. Others in his family also worked at GM.

Listening to them talk about their jobs, young Ray Gist began developing plans for his future. When he was in the sixth grade, he told his parents and an elementary school counselor that he wanted to become a dentist.

“The dentists I knew were intriguing,” he said. “I liked the respect they got from the general public, and I liked their lifestyle.” Gist said he thought going to dental school would be less expensive and would take less time than if he decided to become a physician.

“I don’t think they believed that I would be able to do it because I would be the first member of my family to go to college,” he said in an interview that can be seen on the School of Dentistry’s Web site. Gist said “they took me under their wing and said, ‘that’s a really good idea, and if you’re able to do this, we’d just love it. But make sure you don’t get too overly excited about it, just in case you’re not able to pull it off’.”

Gist said he was one of a few students who took college preparatory courses in high school. With his goal in mind, he concentrated on physics and chemistry. Counselors at Flint Northern High School were impressed and supported his efforts. After graduating in 1960, he attended Flint Junior College, later known as Mott Community College. He said the good grades he earned there in science and math “were crucial to my acceptance” at the U-M School of Dentistry.

Advice for Dental Students

“Difficult.” That was the word Gist used to describe the dental curriculum at U-M. “The workload was surprising. I didn’t realize it would be as intense as it was,” he said. “A lot of my classmates did not make it past the first year. I think it was designed that way, just to see who was tough enough to stay focused.”

In class five days a week, eight hours a day, Gist said that despite the workload, he never thought about quitting. “That’s one thing I could never do is quit,” he said.

He successfully met the challenges he faced and enjoys sharing some of the important lessons he learned with dental students.

“I learned early on that I had to stay focused. With the workload, there was hardly any time to do anything but study because if I faltered, I knew I would be in trouble,” he said. The other important lesson he learned was maintaining self-confidence, “knowing I could get through this, regardless of how difficult it was.”

Gist also said there are other words of encouragement he likes to pass along.

“The reason a student is in this school is because they have something special to offer. They’re selected from a multitude of other applicants to this university,” he said. “That means they have a talent that’s recognized by faculty and by those involved in accepting them to the university. They should take that to heart and use it to their advantage. The confidence will come as they realize their input is significant, their ideas are accepted, and they have the creativity to practice dentistry.”

Addressing the Cost of Dental Education

As president of the 157,000 member ADA, Gist said he would focus on several important issues during his one-year term, including the high cost of dental education.

“I borrowed $25,000 from the government to pay for my dental education and had a very easy repayment system when I left the armed services. But today’s students build up a tremendous amount of debt,” he said, paying for their dental education. At the U-M School of Dentistry, for example, the average debt level of U-M graduating dental students in 2009 was $161,609. Tuition, fees, books, and instruments for the 2010-2011 academic year totaled more than $38,000 for a first-year in-state student and more than $55,000 for a first-year nonresident.

The ADA, he said, is investigating ways to try to offer new options for students to repay their education loans so financial burdens don’t limit their professional and/or personal plans after graduation.

He noted that a commitment to the military or other government service is one way to manage student debt. Lobbying the government for loan forgiveness programs for those who provide care to underserved populations is one option, as is an initiative to encourage dentists to pursue a career in dental education.

Getting Involved in Organized Dentistry

“Get involved” could be his motto.

Pointing to his own experience, Gist said his initial involvement with organized dentistry began with the Genesee District Dental Society’s legislative committee.

“I saw the benefits right away,” he said. “What we could get done as a group with policy makers was just amazing. Realizing that my input and the input of our committee was so effective made me think ‘if we can get this far at this level, then what could we do at higher levels’?” When opportunities arose, Gist became involved in leadership roles with both the Michigan Dental Association and the American Dental Association.

He urges dental students to get involved in organized dentistry as soon as they begin their dental education. “That will allow them to learn more about what’s going on with the dental profession at state and local levels,” he said.

“Organized dentistry has much to offer,” Gist said. “It helps us have a united voice” in educating legislators at state and national levels about what concerns members have, the direction the profession is taking, and more.

Asked about the future of the dental profession, Gist said, “I think the future is bright, but we have to show the value of membership. …My objective is to make new graduates realize that they need to be a member of organized dentistry, and without organized dentistry they would be lost.”

Still Involved with U-M

Drawing on experiences from his past and trying to make a difference in the lives of dental students, especially at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, is deeply embedded in Gist. In addition to delivering this spring’s commencement address, he spoke to first-year dental students at their White Coat Ceremony in 2003. He has also gifted $100,000 to the U-M School of Dentistry for scholarships for dental students.

When asked to look back on his career, either as a dental student or new practitioner, if he ever thought that one day he would deliver a commencement address at his alma mater as president-elect of the ADA and that he would become the organization’s president that same year, Gist smiled and said, “No. Never in my wildest dreams.”