Alumni Profile Q&A: Dr. Timothy Bizga, DDS (2006), FAGD5 min read
Dr. Timothy Bizga is a general dentist practicing in Cleveland, Ohio, with special interests in implants, cosmetics and facial aesthetics. He earned his DDS in 2006 from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, where he received the Francis B. Vedder award for excellence in prosthodontics. After graduation, he joined the practice of his father, Dr. Chester Bizga, who is currently transitioning to retirement. Tim is a member of numerous professional organizations and has received advanced training in implants and facial aesthetics. He has been active in Continuing Education and traveled extensively as a lecturer and consultant for various dental organizations and companies. About 10 years ago, he joined Smile Source, a network of more than 1,000 independent dentists who benefit from group buying, collective education and peer-sharing programs. As the current Director of Education for Smile Source, Bizga organizes and leads its annual trade show, The Exchange. For the last five years, Bizga has traveled from Cleveland to Ann Arbor two days a month to teach as an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Dentistry at his alma mater. He and his wife, Amber (Castonguay) Bizga, also a 2006 U-M DDS grad, have four children, ages 6-13
Q: You have a successful practice in Cleveland and contribute a significant amount of time to several professional dentistry organizations, including Smile Source. Why do you add to your busy schedule by driving two and a half hours each way two days a month to teach at the dental school?
A: It’s my way of giving thanks. I really enjoyed dental school here. I felt like my time here was perfect for me. There are many ways to serve the community at large. For me, this is my way of paying homage and giving thanks to what the faculty and the school did for me and how great a career it has been. I could just teach at Case Western’s dental school because it’s in my backyard in Cleveland, but I have no ties, no allegiances there. This is where I cut my teeth literally. And if I’m going to give back in any way, shape or form, it’s going to be at the place I owe a lot.
Q: What made your time at the dental school so satisfying?
A: We had an unbelievable faculty, with great instructors. I didn’t appreciate it as much at the time as I did later after I had graduated, when I saw that, wow, they really made me prepared. They held us to high standards. I am a conglomerate of all of those great professors. I had the Heys brothers – they’re now my bosses here, which is great. I had William Gregory, Hal O’Kray, Mary Ellen McLean, Jeffrey Shotwell, Robin Schumacher, Charlie Beard and lots of others. All these people who poured into me and took time for me, I’m a conglomerate of them. By coming back and getting to be a part of this community for the past five years, now I get to be that hybrid for the students. I can share all the little things the faculty taught me – the nuances – plus I have 18 years of my own mistakes to be able to shed light and share with the students as well.
Q: How would you describe your teaching methods as an adjunct?
A: In my day, we had faculty that I felt were tough, but fair. As a student, you remember the ones who were hard on you, and the ones that were tough but fair. And I love that – we had a lot of tough but fair faculty. I try to model that. I’m not here enough days each month to be hard on the students. My job is shed a little light, share a little wisdom, and prepare them for the real world that is coming. In jest, I often tell students, “I am here to help you get your money’s worth today, so buckle up!”
Q: Describe the two Thursdays a month that you drive in from Cleveland. How do you pass the time with five hours of driving?
A: I get up at 4 a.m., make the coffee, empty the dishwasher, leave my wife her cup of coffee. I’m out the door by 6 and in the dental school parking garage at 8:30. At the end of the day, I usually leave at 5 and I’m back home by 7:30. In the mornings, I may listen to talk radio or a podcast, sometimes instrumental music, sometimes rock music. On the way back in the evening, I make a lot of phone calls – hands-free – because it’s a great time for focusing on people with no interruptions. I really don’t mind the driving. I love my windshield time. My favorite days of the week are when I’m going to the dental school because it doesn’t feel like work, at least not for me.
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The University of Michigan School of Dentistry is one of the nation’s leading dental schools engaged in oral health care education, research, patient care and community service. General dental care clinics and specialty clinics providing advanced treatment enable the school to offer dental services and programs to patients throughout Michigan. Classroom and clinic instruction prepare future dentists, dental specialists and dental hygienists for practice in private offices, hospitals, academia and public agencies. Research seeks to discover and apply new knowledge that can help patients worldwide. For more information about the School of Dentistry, visit us on the Web at: www.dent.umich.edu. Contact: Lynn Monson, associate director of communications, at [email protected], or (734) 615-1971.