Credentials

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CREDENTIALS: OR WHAT DR. GRIMES HAS BEEN DOING IN HIS SPARE TIME

I owe most of what I was able to accomplish to my mother, Allie Sue, and father, Dr. O.R. "Shorty" Grimes. They gave me the backing that I needed, both financially and psychologically. I went to Gadsden High School long enough so that they let me come to their alumni parties. I sure do appreciate that. I did graduate from Baylor School for Boys, a military prep school in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Uniforms were worn and there were no girls allowed. What a bummer. They have since changed to no uniforms and actually have girls in dormitories on campus. From there, I went to Emory in Atlanta, where I received a B.A in English with a minor in pre-med. I belonged to SAE fraternity. I lettered in three sports--at Emory? Golf, wrestling(was captain of team) and football, made All Emory? Well we know that was no big deal.

From there, I went to University of Alabama Dental School in Birmingham, where I earned a D.M.D. degree. I made OKU, the honorary scholastic dental fraternity. The fun fraternity I belonged to in school was Psi Omega. There was a great bunch of guys! Psi Omega honored me with their award for the member with the highest grade average. I think I was third in the class, though. But, that was long ago. From there, I went to Washington University in St.Louis to get an M.S. in Orthodontics.

I practiced in Atlanta's Sandy Springs for eight years before I decided to return to Gadsden. The big city life wasn't for me, after all.

What have I done lately? Well, I was secretary, vice president, and president of the Alabama Association of Orthodontists a while back.

Aside from giving up smoking a long time ago, the best thing that I did was earning certification by the American Board of Orthodontics. I was the tenth orthodontist in the state of Alabama to attain this honor, and that was only in 1989. I was in the same ABO class as Lionel Sadowsky, head of the orthodontic department at UAB. Only about one in four orthodontists are Board Certified.

I am a member of the American Association of Orthodontists, the American Dental Association, the Southern Association of Orthodontists, the College of Diplomates of the American Board of Orthodontics, the Alabama Dental Association, the Fifth District Dental Society, and several other necessary associations whose dues total almost $2000 a year.