Building a Biomimetic Community
This June saw the Alleman Center’s second-annual Retreat in Park City, Utah. Doctors from as far as Denmark, Belgium and Chile gathered to share their work, celebrate science and connect with other doctors in the field. With ten classes of expert doctors already trained through the Alleman Center Biomimetic Mastership, the pool of alumni is quickly growing, but the bonds formed between the doctors who learn together are here to stay.
Attendees at the 2022 Alleman Center Retreat after the first day of lectures
“Our goal when we started our first class in January 2020 was to help doctors around the world access my dad’s protocols without having to travel and take more time out of their already busy schedules,” recalls Alleman Center CEO, Hillary Alleman. “We had no idea that halfway through the first nine weeks of lectures, we would be experiencing a global pandemic together.”
The doctors studying Dr. Alleman’s Six Lessons Approach finished their weeks of lectures eager for more opportunities to connect with their colleagues, so, when it was feasible to gather again in person, the first Alleman Center Retreat was held in 2021.
“I remember finishing our first retreat feeling like I had had time to talk with every doctor there and learn from them and their work. Hearing about how our alumni apply SLA inspires my own work every day, “ says Alleman Center Founding Instructor and son of David Alleman Sr., Davey Alleman. The retreat was created to be just that: a place for doctors to learn from each other and connect in person after studying alongside their colleagues for so many months online.
When alumni first expressed an interest in meeting for an in-person event, they talked of a small gathering near the Allemans in Utah, but Hillary had bigger plans. “We were ready to celebrate our growth, our alumni, our work. I was determined to create an event where the doctors could continue to get to know each other through learning and fun.”
The small gathering among friends became a weekend of lectures given by Alleman Center alumni, a hands-on session to practice SLA under the guidance of Alleman Center mentors and shared delicious meals full of conversation about biomimetic dentistry. “At this year’s retreat, we had many alumni returning from last year along with some new faces,” explains Davey, “but when I meet many of these doctors in person for the first time after having talked with them online, some since January 2020, we pick up right where we left off. Yes, we talk about work, but the first thing I normally ask is, ‘How’s your family?’ or ‘How was that trip you said you were going to take?’ and we get caught up from there.”
In what seems like no time at all, the weekend is over and doctors are saying their goodbyes and heading home. In all of our experiences with our alumni, we are grateful that they show up with an attitude of sharing and generosity towards their dental colleagues. The Alleman Center would not be the same without you. Thank you to everyone who helped make our first two Alleman Center Retreats such successful weekends!
Photos by Erica Rascon/Justin Hackworth Photography
Published: July 29 2022
Author: Audrey Alessi