EIOH Resident Spotlight - Dr. Zack Zeiler

During his time at EIOH, Dr. Zack Zeiler distinguished himself both academically and professionally. He presented a research poster at the annual meeting of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, and was honored with the OMFS Department Resident Award for Excellence in Teaching, as well as the OMSITE Achievement Award.

Q: Why did you choose Eastman?
A: I chose the OMFS residency through EIOH for its well-balanced program that provides a strong foundation across the full scope of OMFS practice.  After many years of living across the country from my family, it also provided the opportunity to be closer to my home province of Ontario, Canada.  By far the most important factor however, was the strong resident culture and camaraderie. that the program fosters. Even through my initial Zoom interview, I could tell that this was a group of residents and attendings that genuinely enjoyed working together.  It’s been a challenging four years, but the people are what got me through it.

Q: In what way did your Eastman experience allow you to grow?
A: After nearly six years of practicing as a general dentist, it was jarring to once again find myself at the beginner level as a first-year resident.  As I looked to senior residents and attendings, I learned a lot about the power of a leader to influence culture, the impact they can have on a junior resident’s development and the influence they can have on who that junior resident will ultimately become. This, alongside leadership courses in my EMBA program through the Simon School of Business led to a lot of reflection on the role of leadership and mentorship in surgical education and shaped the kind of senior resident I wanted to be. 

Q: The most important thing you learned at EIOH?
A: When I was in first year, I remember my chief telling another senior resident, “Whenever you feel your learning start to plateau, it’s time to go off-service again.”  Although my time spent on-service in OMFS is what ultimately prepared me for my career, the months spent outside of my comfort zone in off-service rotations were some of the most important points of personal and professional growth.  Whether on Hospital Medicine, Anesthesia or General Surgery, shaking off the imposter syndrome to dive headfirst into a world completely outside of dentistry led to some of my most significant increases in skill and knowledge, and allowed me to come back on-service with a new sense of confidence and perspective.  

Q: Best memory of your EIOH residency?
A: Radio Social, BBQs, Halloween and 4^th of July parties – the time spent with my co-residents outside of work was the best part of residency.  It wasn’t always easy to get off the couch and socialize after a tough week, but I never once regretted it.   

Q: What are your next steps after graduation?
A: After graduation, I’ll be staying on as a part-time attending in addition to working part-time private practice.  I’m excited to continue to hone my surgical skillset surrounded by colleagues and friends, and to pursue my love of teaching.

Q: Any advice for a new resident?
A: “You do not rise to the level of your goals.  You fall to the level of your systems”.  James Clear’s quote from Atomic Habits is perhaps never more true than in an OMFS residency.  Balancing a full clinic schedule, inpatient care, the OR, and lectures against sleep deprivation and stress means the stars rarely align in a way that allows you to perform at your best.  It can be tempting to tell ourselves that when the time comes we’ll expend that extra bit of effort to do well when it matters, but circumstances rarely allow for that on a day-to-day basis.  Develop systems, habits, and routines that allow you to continue to perform at a high level even when you’re at your worst, and you’ll create something sustainable.