Three-term Georgia Senator and renowned healthcare provider addresses graduates
ATLANTA, GA (September 2024) -- Atlanta-based Georgia School of Orthodontics (GSO), established in 2016, celebrated its sixth and largest graduating class of 40 residents from its 36-month Advanced Specialty Education Program in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. The graduation ceremony was held this month at the InterContinental-Buckhead.
“With this latest group of graduates, GSO is fulfilling its mission to educate talented dentists to become highly qualified specialists in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics,” said Randy Kluender, D.D.S., M.S., President & Chairman, Board of Trustees. GSO’s extensive curriculum provides residents with the opportunity to assist in providing orthodontic treatment to patients in the school’s two patient clinics in Atlanta and Duluth.
The recent graduates underwent intensive didactic, clinical and research components taught in GSO’s state-of-the-art facilities with technologically advanced equipment, research and materials. GSO also collaborates with the renowned oral surgery program at Emory University, which exposes the resident doctors to the most unique and uncommon cases in their field. And to increase their level of success, they were instructed in the business aspects of operating an orthodontic practice.
“Our curriculum also encourages our graduates to promote diversity and offer affordable orthodontic care to underserved communities. We have treated over 12,000 patients and have saved the Atlanta communities over $35 million* in orthodontic treatment costs,” said Ricky E. Harrell, D.M.D., M.A., GSO’s Program Director Emeritus, Clinical Professor, and a Diplomate of the ABO.
To date, GSO has given more than $2.5 million in scholarships to its residents since opening in 2016. The company has also provided more than $250,000 in complimentary orthodontic treatment to veterans, children and community heroes nominated by Atlanta residents.
GSO recognized 13 scholarship recipients during the ceremony. The Doctor Melvin S. Polk Professional Integrity & Academic Achievement Scholarship, awarded to outstanding third-year Chief Residents Dr. Ariel B. Banks and Dr. Leo Freitas. The Doctor Gasper Lazzara Diversity in the Field of Orthodontics Scholarship was awarded to Dr. Ariel B. Banks. The Doctor Nathaniel Glover Leaderships & Professionalism Scholarship was awarded to deserving residents: Dr. Hikmat Aboudan, Dr. Arash Afkham, Dr. Anas Aljumali, Dr. Ariel B. Banks, Dr. Daniel Escobedo, Dr. Leo Freitas, Dr. Anahita Javadpour, and Dr. Osama Younis.
Two special awards were presented during the ceremony. The Doctor John W. Stockstill Outstanding Research Award recipient was Dr. Mason Childers. The President’s Award was presented to three-term Georgia Senator and nationally renowned healthcare provider Dr. Lester G. Jackson III.
Senator Lester G. Jackson III, who previously served as Chairman of the Georgia Senate Urban Affairs Committee and represented Georgia’s 2nd District, delivered the ceremony’s keynote address. Dr. Jackson served in the Georgia General Assembly’s House of Representatives for 10 years prior to being elected state senator. Before entering politics, Dr. Jackson was commissioned as a dental officer for the United States Navy. He obtained the rank of Lieutenant Commander and then served as Detachment Commander of the Beaufort Marine Corp. Air Station Dental Clinic in Beaufort, SC., where he provided dental services to military personnel and their families. He later established the Jackson Dental Center in Savannah, GA. Dr. Jackson is an active member of the American Dental Association, the National Dental Association, and the Georgia Dental Association.
For more info about Georgia School of Orthodontics Residency Program, visit GAorthodontics.org. To schedule a complimentary consultation, visit bracestoday.com or call 770.351.7737.
*Based on estimated median treatment costs as reported in the 2023 Journal of Clinical Orthodontics Practice Study (Oct-Dec 2023 JCO issue).
About Georgia School of Orthodontics
Atlanta-based Georgia School of Orthodontics offers an advanced specialty education program in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics. The 36-month residency program, the largest in the world, is structured to provide collaborative and evidence-based learning for residents, while providing quality orthodontic care to patients in the school’s two patient clinics in metro Atlanta. GSO’s mission is to educate outstanding dentists to be proficient in the clinical specialty of orthodontics, while providing Georgians with the highest level of patient care available. GSO faculty and staff are dedicated to diversity in both education and practice. For more information about GSO, visit GAorthodontics.org. To schedule a complimentary consultation, visit bracestoday.com or call 770.351.7737.
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