Leading the Way
Dr. Philip Schefke champions the dental profession and the value of a collegial community, both of which he promotes as president of the Chicago Dental Society
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Whereas many of his elementary school peers dreaded a trip to the dentist, Dr. Philip Schefke, ’87, looked forward to his bi-annual oral health adventure as a pre-teen. In fact, every appointment meant a day off school, a train ride into downtown Chicago and a lunch date with his father.
“Going to the dentist was actually exciting for me,” Schefke said.
Those formative trips into the city piqued a young Schefke’s interest in the dental profession, even if thoughts of a potential career in the field seemed “out of reach” for a working-class Polish kid born in Chicago. So, as a DePaul University undergraduate, Schefke studied psychology and envisioned riding the 1980s tech wave – that is until Thomas Brown, ’84, one of his track and field teammates at DePaul, urged Schefke to consider dentistry.
For Schefke, Brown’s mere suggestion awoke fond memories of those childhood trips to Dr. Hackman’s office in the Pittsfield Building on Washington Street. Quickly, Schefke’s youthful dalliance with dentistry transformed into concrete plans. He knocked out the necessary pre-requisite courses at DePaul, captured a spot in the UIC College of Dentistry’s Class of 1987 and never looked back. Schefke moved from dental school to clinical practice to academia and has championed the profession along the way, culminating in his current stint as president of the Chicago Dental Society (CDS).
UIC sets the foundation
At UIC, lively clinical training and enthusiastic mentors helped Schefke sharpen his passion and purpose. Instructors like Dr. James Bryniarski, ’78, Dr. Robert Deaver, ’82, and current UIC College of Dentistry Dean Dr. Susan Rowan, ’84, MS ’19, provided sound clinical education and earnest mentorship, as did Dr. Thomas Lakars, ’67, who once handed Schefke a glob of wax and tasked him to create a replica of a tooth.
“I remember that assignment really instilling in me the nuance and beauty of teeth and the necessary skill dentists needed,” Schefke said.
Outside of the clinic, Schefke embraced opportunities to connect with his peers and gain leadership experience. He served as president of Delta Sigma Delta fraternity and as vice president of his dental school class.
“UIC provided the foundation I needed and launched me on a great trajectory,” Schefke said.
Practitioner to educator
After his 1987 graduation, Schefke worked in multiple dental offices before his entrepreneurial energy overran cautious pragmatism. Less than a year after leaving UIC, Schefke opened his own practice in Tinley Park, building out the single-chair office with his brother, John.
“I had one chair because that’s all I could afford. Even so, I wanted to be in control of my outcome,” said Schefke, who spent 13 years in Tinley Park before launching a seven-chair office in neighboring Orland Park in 2001.
In 2014, the College of Dental Medicine at Downers Grove-based Midwestern University approached Schefke with an offer to join its clinical faculty. Inspired to give back to the profession and model the mentorship he received as a UIC student, Schefke accepted the overture. He left private practice and has devoted the last dozen years to readying Midwestern students for general dentistry practice.
“It’s been a tremendously valuable and rewarding experience to prepare the next generation of dentists to hit the ground running,” he said.
The path to CDS president
Throughout his career in practice and academia, Schefke has remained deeply involved with organized dentistry to strengthen the profession, elevate its practitioners and, ultimately, serve patients.
When Schefke opened his own office in 1988, he immediately became involved with the CDS’s South Suburban branch, where he found collegiality, mentorship and ideas to drive his upstart practice.
“One of the greatest things I ever did in my career,” Schefke said of joining CDS.
Schefke continued attending branch meetings and eventually hopped on the organization’s leadership ladder, holding key positions with the South Suburban branch before graduating onto the CDS board.
As CDS president – a one-year role he began at the start of 2026 – Schefke was a prominent face at the CDS’s annual Midwinter Meeting last February. The organization’s crown jewel, the 2026 Midwinter Meeting featured more than 225 continuing education courses and workshops, 600-plus exhibitor booths and over 150 speakers. More than 22,000 attendees representing all 50 states and 63 countries around the globe attended the event at Chicago’s McCormick Place.
Working with a full-time CDS staff of 15 as well as spirited volunteers, Schefke is now overseeing planning for the 2027 Midwinter Meeting, which includes constructing a curated list of speakers, workshops and vendors designed to elevate and advance the profession.
But Schefke’s CDS responsibilities to promote the best interests of dentists as well as the public they serve extend beyond the Midwinter Meeting. In a recent trip to Washington, DC, for instance, he lobbied Congressional members about pressing issues in the profession, including soaring student debt. He also stewards key CDS initiatives, such as the CDS Foundation’s clinic in west suburban Wheaton, the nation’s only free clinic supported by a dental society.
“There’s always something to do and something on our radar,” he said of the CDS agenda.
The power of collegiality
In addition to his CDS involvement, Schefke has held leadership positions with the Illinois State Dental Society and served on a council for the American Dental Association. He is also the former president of the Dental Arts Club of Chicago, a group connecting Polish-American dentists in the Chicago area.
“I couldn’t imagine the career I’ve had without my involvement with organized dentistry,” he said. “These groups have given me wonderful friendships and helped me become a better clinician, a better teacher, a better person.”
It’s why Schefke, eager to leave the dental profession “better than [he] found it,” urges young dentists to get involved in professional organizations to broaden their network and expand their knowledge base.
“When you open these doors,” he said, “you create great opportunities for personal and professional growth and become more engaged in your profession.”