1 minute read
Staff Spotlight
Getting to Know James Cousar
James Cousar is a man of many talents. The selfdescribed “GOAT” of dental assistants (his coworkers would agree!), James is also multi-talented, serving as an entrepreneur and an ordained minister Known at the college as someone who provides exceptional patient care, James’ first passion is dental assisting—a career he learned during his eight-and-ahalf years in the U.S. Army.
Q) After living abroad and throughout the U.S., you could have settled anywhere. Are you still happy with your decision to spend your career at the Ohio State College of Dentistry? A) Q) What do you like best about your job? A) Q) What do you like best about the College of Dentistry? A)
I’m very happy with my decision to come to Ohio State because there has been lots of room and demand for me to move around the college over the years. I worked first in the Division of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, then moved on to the OHIO Project, working with underserved children in Columbus via our beautiful mobile coach. Then, I worked in the faculty practice for a little over a year before getting recruited to supervise the Sterilization and Dispensing Department. But Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery was calling to me, and I was welcomed back to the resident clinic with open arms. I have remained there for over 11 years.
I like helping others. I have worked in a customer service capacity in all of my jobs since I was a paperboy at the age of 14.
I like the College of Dentistry because of the opportunity to work alongside some pretty well-known oral surgeons. I am able to work and socialize with people from all over the globe and many different walks of life. As an oral surgery tech, I work side-by-side with students, interns/externs, four-year residents, anesthesiologists, pathologists and some of the most talented oral surgery techs in the country.
Q) What do you like to do outside of work?
A) Outside of work I am the husband of my “Wonderful Woman” who is a College of Dentistry dental hygiene graduate, and I am blessed to be the proud father of two. I enjoy traveling—taking road trips as well as flying the friendly skies— plus the shooting range, fishing, and camping. I am a martial arts practitioner and a gun collector.
