Founder
Founder
Bud Schulman
“This (the Schulman Group) has been among my life’s most important work.
I feel grateful to have been a part of this amazing group of people.”
Martin “Bud” Schulman, Founder
The Schulman Study Group
Bud
Schulman and Dr. Ron Redmond May 2008
Martin “Bud” Schulman and the Schulman Study Group reinvented my orthodontic
practice and the methods I used to care for patients and communicate with parents.
Bud Schulman’s practice management concepts were revolutionary and created
enthusiasm in my office, and that filtered into my family life. Our two sons were
“infected” with this enthusiasm and decided to follow me in their education
and become orthodontists. We began practicing together in 2003. I believe my sons,
Drs. Bill and John Redmond, were influenced by Bud Schulman’s teachings as
much as I have been.
Bud Schulman retired as mentor to the Schulman Study Group in 2003, and I was asked
to continue the leadership in his absence. Sadly, Martin “Bud” Schulman
passed away in September 2008. We will all miss Bud’s insight, coaxing, and
encouragement. I will especially miss his smile of approval when I finally got it
“right.”
Godspeed Bud!
–W. Ronald Redmond, DDS, MS, FACD
My relationship with Martin L. “Bud” Schulman dates back to my early
days as an orthodontist, beginning in the early 1960s when he was president of Dental
Corporation of America (DCA).
Dr. Henry Zaytoun, Sr.
Bud was not only an astute businessman, but he conducted himself ethically and professionally
in such a fashion that he was admired by all. It was my good fortune that, whenever
I sought his advice, it was always given freely and thoughtfully. He had few equals
in wisdom and generosity.
Dentists throughout the land are richer physically and spiritually because of Bud,
and he will be missed by the entire profession. He has been one of the shining stars
of my life and I pray that God will reward him abundantly for all of his goodness
while on earth. I consider myself indeed fortunate to have been able to call him
my dear friend for these many years, and I will miss him.
–Dr. Henry Zaytoun, Sr.
We
are all saddened by the passing of Bud Schulman. As I read the responses by our
members, I realized that many of the newer and younger members did not have the
opportunity to meet or know him. Therefore, as a remembrance of Bud, I would like
to provide everyone with a brief history of his professional life and how he became
our mentor. One of my greatest honors as an orthodontist was being awarded the coveted
Martin “Bud” Schulman award in 2003. It was a culmination of knowing
Bud personally for 33 years.
In 1967, after completing my orthodontic education at Columbia University, I joined
the orthodontic practice of Drs. Harry Galblum and Hito Suyehiro in Washington,
DC. In that year, Dr. Galblum formed an orthodontic lab with two partners: Dr. Harold
Eskew and Mr. Bud Schulman. The lab was called Dental Corporation of America, or
DCA, located in Rockville, Maryland, and was to serve the local orthodontic community.
I met Bud in 1967 and learned that he had previously bought a photo developing company
and increased its value through proper management. He sold it at a large profit
and retired at age 40. Being an active businessman he could not stay retired. He
knew nothing about orthodontics, but Drs. Galblum and Eskew knew of him. They persuaded
him to come out of retirement and use his management skills to run DCA. DCA made
retainers as well as custom-made metal bands. It was quite an advancement. We would
take alginate impressions, send them to DCA, and they would form the bands and solder
or weld on the attachments. We would receive all the bands and, for the most part,
they fit well. Remember this was before bonded brackets were developed and before
preformed bands were popular. The lab grew rapidly in its early years and Bud met
many orthodontists at various meetings. I was fortunate to know Bud and become his
friend during his early years in the orthodontic business. He always looked after
me as the young associate and advised me many times on investments as well as practice
management.
In the early 1970s many orthodontists came to Washington to visit DCA and see Bud.
Eventually Bud realized that most orthodontists were good clinicians but poor businessmen
and managers. In a very short time, Bud spent most of his time advising orthodontists
on both personal and business issues. He then gave up leading DCA and formed his
consulting company to assist both young and older doctors. DCA was eventually sold
and Bud was on his own.
His recognition grew rapidly and he even wrote an early book on practice management
and personal investing. His friendly personality became dogmatic when he was discussing
finances. His philosophy was to invest conservatively in corporate or municipal
bonds, buy real estate, especially storage facilities, then let your income from
the investments grow slowly but securely. He was honest to a fault.
Many of his practice management strategies came from observing the two practices
he knew best, Dr. Eskew’s and our large practice. He was convinced for a long
time that a partnership was the most efficient and profitable. Over the years he
changed and preached the sole practitioner with just an associate. He did not recommend
a partner until the senior doctor was ready to retire.
In 1980 I decided the group practice with 6 offices was not for me. I resigned from
my practice and opened a boutique practice in downtown Washington, DC. Bud was very
encouraging to me and advised me on all aspects of opening and managing a solo practice.
He was always my friend and mentor and I would not have the practice that Andrew
and I have without his support.
Bud started a newsletter in the 1980s and it was widely read and very successful.
He began to hold seminars for dentists to assist them in all aspects of practice
and business. His fame spread and he was very busy consulting, mostly with orthodontists.
As his seminars became more popular, he organized some specifically for orthodontists.
Some of us older ones, such as Ron Redmond and me, thought it might be a good idea
to form a study club to follow Bud’s examples. In the late 1980’s the
Super Schulman Study Club was formed. It was decided to limit it to 40 practices
with a gross income of at least 1 million dollars. We decided to meet once a year
at a beautiful resort. Bud ran the meetings with an iron hand. He would personally
review the statistics and berate anyone who had too high an overhead or worked too
many days. We all loved him and the meetings were the beginning of the sharing from
which we all benefit.
With his trusted assistant, Betsy, he did the newsletter, ran the annual meeting
and met personally with any orthodontist who needed his advice. For the most part
he did not charge for his consulting; he did it for the love of orthodontics and
orthodontists. As he spent more time consulting, he had less time to devote to his
newsletter. He made inquiries to other writers about buying his newsletter and mailing
list. Finally a young upstart management consultant with his own small newsletter
decided to purchase the newsletter. Before we knew it, John McGill was writing the
newsletter, and the Super Schulman Group grew rapidly. At the meetings John would
provide the tax information and Bud would still review the statistics.
Finally, Bud realized he could no longer run the meetings. John McGill took over
and the group has continued to prosper. As John decided to step back from his leadership
position, we needed to have a new leader. With somewhat positive support from Margaret,
we convinced Ron Redmond to be our fearless leader. We have continued to grow and
improve under his leadership.
Dr. Jerry Orchin
I consider myself the most fortunate orthodontist in my relationship with Bud. My
office is across the street from the condo in which he lived. I treated his grandchildren
and knew his two sons well. He and I went out to lunch on a regular basis for many
years until it became too difficult for him. At every lunch Bud would ask questions
about the group and always said, “You are so fortunate to be orthodontists.
You are the best specialists in all of medicine.”
We will all miss him. Those of us who knew him will always remember him, his personality
and all he has done for the orthodontic community. For those of you who did not
have the pleasure of knowing him, please always respect him for what he stood for
and let us continue the wonderful Super Schulman Study Group in his memory.
–Dr. Jerry Orchin
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