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GORP – What’s Happening Among New Grads? by Krista Houstoun, Associate Editor, Orthotown Magazine

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This year's annual Graduate Orthodontic Residents Program (GORP) was held on August 1-4, 2013, at the University of North Carolina Campus at Chapel Hill. It was the 25th anniversary of the conference, but Orthotown's first year on the scene. Our conclusion? Where have we been? We're never missing another GORP. Ever.

What makes GORP so successful?

The Mission

GORP began in 1989 in efforts to bring orthodontists of the future together for a summer meeting, creating an environment to foster professional growth and interpersonal relationships among colleagues and representatives of the orthodontic industry. The conference successfully connects like-minded individuals for life within a profession that is historically painfully solitary - a mission very similar to ours here at Orthotown. So, we automatically appreciated the bones of this conference.

The Education

From a welcoming from the American Association of Orthodontists president Dr. Gayle Glenn to lectures from various respectable doctors throughout the weekend, GORP attendees really had the chance to nerd out. Perhaps the most prized lecture of the event was Dr. William Proffit, author of Contemporary Orthodontics, who drew a standing-room-only crowd. Dr. Proffit's laid-back southern charm (and his extraordinary wealth of experience) made him a unique speaker who offered a sober look at different methods and products that promise faster orthodontic tooth movements. Other speakers included Dr. Gary Starr, Dr. Peter Wing Hong Ngan, Dr. Hugo De Clerck, Dr. Rick Steedle and Ms. Rosemary Bray.

The Fun

I looked at my GORP itinerary on the long flight from Phoenix to North Carolina, and realized the conference was meant not just to be educational, but - maybe even more so - entertaining. Social events from a brewery tour (with an Orthotown-sponsored lunch!) to a southern cooking class to golf rounds peppered the schedule and brought attendees together for some serious hobnobbing.

The People

If the more than 500 orthodontic residents that attended GORP this year are any indication of the promise of this generation of orthodontists, I am happy to report that the future looks grand! After meeting many of those 500+ residents between Orthotown's booth on the exhibition hall floor, the Brewery Tour and numerous social hours, I can personally say these residents are superior. No joke: Not only are they highly committed to bettering the profession, they are one of the most engaging, information-hungry crowds we've encountered at a conference (next to Townie Meeting, of course!) - we even ran out of magazine subscription cards!

Did you attend GORP this year? Did you think it was as awesome as we did? Will you go next year? Share your comments to this article on Orthotown.com.

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September 2025
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