Dr. Murray: Why I Became an Orthodontist

I grew up 25 miles north of New York City in the town of Greenwich, Connecticut, the second of four children and the son of an orthodontist. I paid little attention to what my father did for a living until the age when most children get braces.  At that time, many of my classmates had braces and many of them saw my father. He knew what was going on in their lives, and they would know certain things about me that he had shared with them.

As I grew older, I realized I liked the fact that he was plugged in to the community. He knew what was going on. He also came home for lunch every day. He was home at the same time every evening for dinner. This was significant as my hometown was a bedroom community of New York City for many families whose parents (fathers) worked on Wall Street. The town was empty of most men from 6AM until 6PM.

In the summer I used to love riding past his office to stop by and pinch an apple juice and snack from the refrigerator while Dad saw patients. The staff always made me feel special. (It took me years to figure out why!). If I got to his office at the end of a summer day, on my bike, occasionally we’d grab a snack at the local hospital across the street.  He knew everyone and they knew him. Again, I was always greeted and made to feel very special. It was a great feeling; a Norman Rockwell kind of feeling.

By the end of eighth grade, like many of my classmates at that time, I went off to boarding school. And quite frankly, I never went home again. Summers were spent playing sports in camps far from home. Then it was back to boarding school. Then college.

I had a great desire for adventure as a young man and I traveled around the world picking up jobs along the way to make ends meet after college. Alaska was one of those stops “along the way”. Like many people who come to Alaska I fell in love with the place and could not get enough of it. My occupation at that time consisted of pushing crab pots and dragging for pollack in the Bering Sea. After several years of commercial fishing I decided to go back to what I was familiar with growing up. That consisted of being home every night, helping with family, and being involved in daily community life. Orthodontics as an occupation would give me that life. By that time, I discovered I liked working with my hands. I liked being engaged with people. I liked being a member of the community. I liked the purpose of the job; helping those around me reach their full potential, be it staff or patients. It didn’t hurt that when one goes off to boarding school at the age of thirteen their emotional growth stops. This has been an asset as I traffic all day in this age group.

From my base in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, I applied to dental school, was accepted, and spent eight years back in New York City attending dental and orthodontic programs at Columbia University. I met my wife Vivienne there. I told her I was headed back to Alaska as soon as I completed my training. Her thirst for adventure was even greater than mine as she was already a citizen of the UK living in New York. What was another 4500 hundred miles to her? She joined me and we’ve been grateful to the community of Anchorage and Alaska for taking us in and giving us the opportunity to flourish, raise two wonderful children, Katherine and Alex, and be an integral part of the community.  It’s been a blessing. I am grateful to serve my neighbors.