parrish or perish continued
parrish or perish, cont. continued from page 46
for one year; the trend is definitely upward. I can quibble with the use of debt vs. actual cost of dental school (a better measure in my opinion), but the point is the same: the trend is probably unsustainable. And we can all imagine the pressure on the new graduate who is not yet making a median income but has to begin paying back that debt. And none of this takes into account the interest on top of the overall debt. Are we going to be able to attract anyone but those with lots of family money, military scholarships or some category of student who holds “special interest” to a dental school which is willing to underwrite their educations? Let’s ask Dean Joel Berg how much scholarship money he has to dole out every year. I’ll bet it is not all that much. And speaking of Dean Berg and the UW School of Dentistry, a major overhaul of the curriculum and approach to educat-
ing a 21st Century dental student is well underway. I hope there are those who are part of that process who recognize that the model cannot continue as many of us knew it. Somehow the cost of a dental school education cannot continue to expand and might need to contract. Even the bargain that the UW SOD represents for students is not immune to economic laws and events. Brian Palmer writes in Slate on 3/13/14 with regard to the high cost of a medical school education, doctors should “turn the microscopes on themselves and their own training, and accept that the system that produced them may be imperfect.” I don’t know if that in dental education means attracting more higher paying patients, raising fees, having students produce more billable income, less undergrad time—both pre-dent and dental school, cutting expenses somewhere or exploring
some other totally radical approach that we cannot even imagine at the moment. But if the authors of this article are correct, no dental school can ignore the future and the potential of the dental education bubble bursting. We would all be worse off if that would happen. And you students have some responsibility in all this. You cannot assume that student loans are an endless source of money to allow you to continue the lifestyle Mom and Dad provided while growing up. Delayed gratification has to be the rule of the day. Government has made the money too easy to get, and they are making a handsome “profit” off the interest you have to pay them over the next 10-15 years while you are trying to start a successful practice. Wise up: borrow the minimum, live frugally. The perks will come in due time.
of time at the Club or League level. The WHL will honor Dr. Mary Smith in Spokane on Friday, March 14, in a special ceremony prior to the Spokane Chiefs game against the Tri City Americans.
front of 4,000 of your peers through a series of ads in the WSDA News. The best part? It’s free! The Marketplace is open only to those who were members of the last two graduating classes (2012 & 2013) and are WSDA members — this includes those who have completed specialty programs and residencies. Those who qualify can place an ad about themselves in the WSDA News that will run for six issues. Get started here
newsflash
newsflash issue 5, april 2014
Dr. Mary Smith honored
WSDA Member Dr. Mary Smith has been named the recipient of the 2013-2014 Distinguished Service Award by the Western Hockey League, league commissioner Ron Robison announced recently. Smith has been the team dentist of the Spokane Chiefs since 1985. She routinely works on WHL players, referees and WHL Personnel. Smith has been instrumental in keeping the Chief players safe, by equipping them in the most current protective mouth guards, preventing dental injury. All Chief players are fitted for mouth guards every training camp, at the expense of Smith and her clinic. With almost 30 years as part of the organization, Smith is the longest serving member of the Spokane Chiefs. “Given her long standing dedication and contribution to the Spokane Chiefs and the WHL, Dr. Mary Smith is a very worthy recipient of the WHL Distinguished Service Award,” said WHL Commissioner Ron Robison, “It is individuals such as Dr. Smith who not only provide essential dental care, but go above and beyond by serving countless games and post-game hours for the Chiefs organization and visiting teams. These contributions make Dr. Mary Smith most deserving of this recognition.” The WHL Distinguished Service Award, which was introduced by the WHL in 2004, is presented annually to an individual associated who has made an extraordinary contribution over an extended period
WOHF needs volunteers!
The Washington Oral Health Foundation needs your help to provide Oral Health presentations in the following cities through May. Presentation materials, hygiene kits, slide presentations, and instructions on how to present the materials will be provided by Foundation staff. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Launa Lea at (206) 973-5234 or email Launa at launa@wsda.org. Dates and locations: April 23 · Puyallup — One or two volunteers are needed (est. attendance 90 kids) April 24 · Puyallup — One or two volunteers are needed (est. attendance 60 kids) April 29 · Kent — One or two volunteers are needed (est. attendance 210 kids) May 2 · Sequim — Four or more volunteers are needed (est. attendance 440 kids)
Membership Marketplace
The Membership Marketplace (page 42) is one of the WSDA’s newest benefits targeted at younger dentists — it’s a way for you to get your name and qualifications in
The ad parameters are as follows: • To maximize the number of ads we can run we ask that copy be limited to no more than 30 words • Ad must include an email or phone number however, names can be left out upon request • We suggest uploading a CV to Google docs and including a link/web address to it in the ad (use tiny url to shrink the link). The Membership Marketplace debuted in the January issue of the WSDA News. To submit your ad, please visit http://www. wsda.org/membership-marketplace/. Questions? Contact Laura Rohlman at laura@wsda.org or by phone at (800) 4483368
4 4 · th e wsda ne w s · issue 5, april · 2014 · www.wsda.org