Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2014 - (Page 25)

Portrait of a Professional DR. GERALD NELSON SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA By Dr. Shahram Nabipour, PCSO Bulletin Central Region Editor SN (Shahram Nabipour): Tell me something about your childhood: where you were born, a bit about your immediate family, and where you grew up. Are there other dentists in the family? GN (Gerald "Jerry" Nelson): I was born in Oakland, California, on May 8, 1941. The next day, the German submarine containing the Enigma cryptography machine was captured, thus allowing the Allies to crack the Nazi encryption code. WWII is still one of my earliest memories from Mill Valley, CA, where we lived until I was six. I still recall having to turn off all the lights in the house during an air raid drill. I remember the ice man and milkman making deliveries. I'm the third of four boys. My dad's family immigrated to Oregon on the Columbus River from Lulio, Sweden, when he was a year old. My dad, Carl, had an eighth-grade education, and my mom, Violetta, had a high school degree. They both studied for and obtained real estate broker's licenses before I was born. By the time I was ten, we had moved to Castro Valley, California. From that time until I left home for college, we four boys remodeled and flipped East Bay houses for my parents. As a result, I'm a somewhat competent amateur painter, plumber, and electrician! There are no other dentists in the family. SN: How did you choose dentistry and orthodontics? GN: My first dentist provided poor service for our family; in fact, he extracted my two lower first molars, which were replaced with bridges in dental school. Fortunately, my parents transferred me to a very competent Castro Valley dentist, Dr. Tom Pursiano, who educated me about my teeth. In my senior year of AT THE 2013 AAO MEETING IN PHILADELPHIA, VINCE KOKICH PRESENTS A COVER TO JERRY. high school, he suggested I consider the orthodontic specialty, which he had always thought would be rewarding. I took his advice and made my plans. In those days, you could apply after 120 units of predental courses; no degree was necessary. So after three semesters and a summer session, I was accepted in 1961 to the UCSF School of Dentistry. SN: Tell us about your orthodontic training. GN: In that era, the competition to enter orthodontics was a lot less intense. UC had a special program called Curriculum II, which was an undergrad orthodontic specialty program. A first-year dental student could apply for one of nine positions in the orthodontic curriculum. Only UC students were considered. Earl Johnson, my best friend among my classmates, and I were admitted. Starting with the second year of dental school, our time in perio, endo, crown and bridge, and oral surgery was cut back to make room for the orthodontic classes and clinic. We both graduated in four years with a DDS and an ADA-approved orthodontic specialty certificate. In 1970, the ADA decided to require orthodontic S P R I N G 2 0 1 4 * P C S O B U L L E T I N 25

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2014

A Magical, Spooky, International, Educational Time in Anaheim
New Columns
View From The Top: President’s Perspective
AAO Council on Scientific Affairs (COSA) Report
PCSO BUSINESS
AAO Trustee Report
ABO Update
AAOF REPORT
COMPONENT REPORTS
PCSO AT A GLANCE
How To Save a PCSO Bulletin Article as a .PDF File
The Importance of Healing
Incoming and Outgoing Radiographs
Resident Spotlight: A.T. Still University, Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health Postgraduate Orthodontic Program
Use of the XBOW™ Appliance Vs. the FORSUS™ Appliance for Class II Correction
Advanced Research Avenues at the Roseman University of Health Sciences Orthodontic Program
Dr. Gerald Nelson
CASE REPORT PRE-TREATMENT
The Interdisciplinary Team: Managing Patients with Impacted or Ectopically Positioned Teeth
Miniplate Anchorage for Midface Protraction in Class III Patients and Molar Distalization in Class II Malocclusions
Achieving Financial Independence: A New and Younger Members Featured Lecture
The Role of Orthodontics in Trauma Management
CASE REPORT POST-TREATMENT
Converting a Tube

Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2014