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MOUTH
JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY DENTAL STUDENT ASSOCIATION
ISSUE ONE 2017
© 2017 Word of Mouth All rights reserved. For permission requests, write to the editor, addressed “Word of Mouth Permissions,” at the address below, publications@jcudsa.org.au For more information about James Cook University Dental Student Association, please visit our website at www.jcudsa.org.au or send your queries to our group email at info@jcudsa.org.au. Facebook: facebook.com/jcudsa.inc Instagram: instagram.com/jcudsa YouTube: youtube.com/jcudsa Printed in Cairns, Australia.
CONTENTS IS S UE O NE | 2 0 1 7
07 09 11 13 17 19 21 23 29 34 37 40 41 42 44 46 51 52 53 57 59 60 63 68 73
from the editor jcudsa committee members 2017 from the jcudsa president monday morning sim clinic from the jcudsa academic president how to survive convention from the jcudsa social president how do you de-stress? q & a with dr. kevin ang amazing race welcome first years jcudsa award christina alifraco jcudsa award sophie roberts helping out at rosies breaking records - charity report q & a with mrs. gina mcelhinney class II third year the jcu nicci p run club report cambodia international placement the feeling of having your life together featured photographer: tim collins q & a with mr. farid kazemy hidden cooks in dentistry upcoming events
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Good notes, good practice, good defence
Legible notes are good practice and support a good defence – so does MIPS 1800 061 113 | mips.com.au Medical Indemnity Protection Society | ABN 64 007 067 281 | AFSL 301912
JCUDSA
geofilter
WOM
jcudsa now has its own snapchat geofilter! swipe to the right until you find it try it out with location setting and wifi enabled AVAILABLE IN THE D1 AND D3 BUILDINGS
6
PHOTO BY JOSE ORONOS
FROM THE EDITOR This semester’s WOM publication has been the result of collaboration between committed JCU Dentistry students. They’ve dedicated their time and talents to make this is our best issue yet. Hi everyone! I’m Julian Oronos, Word of Mouth (WOM)’s editor in chief. This is the first issue for 2017 after our revamped issue just last year. WOM received lots of positive reception and feedback from readers in our local community and at other universities around Australia. This issue of WOM is full of new content involving the multitalented students of JCU Dentistry. From interviews to photography and cooking, this issue has it all. We’ll hear from the executive members of the JCUDSA committee, including Kae Jenn Tchia (JCUDSA President), Khilan Shukla (Academic President) and our new Social President, Nadia See. We’ve also been fortunate enough to interview more of the great staff members that work closely with our JCU Dentistry students. This issue will feature some very interesting interviews with Dr Kevin Ang (academic) Mr Farid Kazemy (Simulation Clinic Technician) and Mrs Gina McElhinney (from JCU Dental). From first to fifth year, get to know what’s been happening for each cohort in the first half of 2017. O-Week, ‘The Amazing Race’, school visits, third and fourth year clinical experiences, ‘Assassins’, and fifth year placement are just a few happenings from this hectic but enjoyable first semester. Continuing JCUDSA’s benevolent tradition, this year’s Charity Officers Hema Choda and John Xiong have held many successful events. We’ll cover a few of them in
the following pages. We also sat down with Sophie Roberts and Christina Alifraco, the recipients of the JCUDSA award, to hear their goals for this year. George Guirguis and Lynlee Tatnell , the leaders of JCU Dentistry’s first Christian Medical and Dental Fellowship of Australia group, also have a few words to share! Don’t forget to look out for the great recipes shared by the budding cooks of the JCU Dentistry cohort and try them out yourself! This semester’s WOM publication has been the result of collaboration between committed JCU Dentistry students. They’ve dedicated their time and talents to make this is our best issue yet (if we do say so ourselves). Credits are found at the end of the publication! The WOM publication team and JCUDSA would like to thank our sponsors MIPS, ADEC, Dental Protection Limited and Endodontic Group Expertise. Check out our social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat (search JCUDSA), to keep up to date on our academic, social and fundraising events throughout the year. Email publications@jcudsa.org.au or leave us a message on any of our social media pages if you are interested in contributing to the next issue of WOM. Thank you once again for your positive words and encouragement following our 2016 issue of WOM. We appreciate your continued support of JCUDSA and the students of JCU Dentistry.
WRITTEN BY JULIAN ORONOS | JCUDSA MAGAZINE EDITOR
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committee members
JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY DENTAL STUDENT ASSOCIATION 2016 7
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KAE JENN TCHIA President
ANDREW PARK Vice President
ASHLEY ONG Secretary
Strength: Loves all types of food Weakness: Food when you least need it
Strength: Many Weakness: Few
Strength: Driving on the road Weakness: Parking on the road
SOPHIE ROBERTS Treasurer
NAUSHEEN MOHAMED MUHAJIR Publications & Media Officer
JOHN SWAIN I.T. Officer
Strength: Organisation extraordinaire Weakness: 1L tubs of Murray River Salted Caramel Connoisseur ice cream
Strength: Public Speaking Weakness: Chocolate is my kryptonite
Strength: Focused and efficient Weakness: Taking on too much work
HEMA CHODA Charity & Community Aid Officer
JOHN XIONG Charity & Community Officer
NADIA SEE Social President
Strength: Can burp on demand Weakness: Indecisive, but I can’t decide
Strength: I have a unique last name Weakness: Sometimes I can’t pronounce it correctly
Strength: Street Fighter Weakness: Pizza and doughnuts
KATIA ALBRECHT 5th Year Social Representative
CHRISTINA ALIFRACO 4th Year Social Representative
RENEE AITKEN 3rd Year Social Representative
Currently on Placement
Strength: cramming for exams Weakness: cramming for exams
Strength: Optimism Weakness: Dogs
CASSIDY REDDEN 2nd Year Social Representative
AIDEN POTTS 1st Year Social Representative
KHILAN SHUKLA Academic President
Strength: I’m Batman Weakness: Honesty
Strength: My glutes Weakness: Picking my nose
Strength: Fierce determination when consuming an entire pasta box in one sitting Weakness: The feeling afterwards
JAMES MEURANT 5th Year Academic Representative
ORANI LANCASTER 4th Year Academic Representative
THANH CAO 3rd Year Academic Representative
Currently on Placement
Strength: I have no weakness Weakness: See above
Strength: I have a second stomach for dessert Weakness: Inability to resist phone app games
MICHAEL TIEN 2nd Year Academic Representative
SHELBY ARMSTRONG 1st Year Academic Representative
SOPHIE BENNETT 5th Year Placement Representative
Strength: I can get to uni, from the Lodge, in 3 minutes Weakness: ... with a bike
Strength: Can floss in record time Weakness: Missing 9 teeth, I would never win a steak-eating contest
Strength: Extremely organised, like OCD Weakness: Chocolate!
LISA LIM 4th Year Clinic Representative
LINDA HUANG 3rd Year Clinic Representative
HILARY BELL International Student Representative
Strength: Still really good at chopping vegetables Weakness: German anything
Strength: I don’t sweat, I sparkle Weakness: Can’t skip the gym
Strength: Chugging and chugging Weakness: Coles-brand choc pops
NICK SAVEKA ATSI Representative
ALEX DANCYGER Sponsorship Co-ordinator
SHAIEL PARIKH Sponsorship Officer
Currently in 3rd Year
Strength: Too many too mention Weakness: Humbleness
Currently in 4th Year
KASHFIA JAMALI ADSA Liaison Officer
REEZA HONORICA Well-being Officer
Strength: Persistence Weakness: Weaknesses don’t exist, only challenges and solutions
Strength: My eyebrows Weakness: Clumsiness
FROM THE PRESIDENT 2017 has also seen continued and further partnership with our medical student sister organisation, JCUMSA, seeing our students come together for another fantastic Cairns Clinical Cocktail Party! Welcome back to another issue of Word of Mouth! What a busy first semester of 2017 it has been. Within the first nine weeks of the semester, JCUDSA has been busy launching several exciting events for our student body. Since our official incorporation at the end of 2016, we have set our focus on the students, working hard to create a student culture which thrives on fun events and supports all students. We have also have been expanding our engagement with students through our official Facebook page and Instagram! JCUDSA has also just launched a Snapchat account which we encourage all students to add. Here you’ll get exciting updates on the daily happenings on campus! Our calendar year has already kicked off to a good start thanks to our amazing social committee led by our dedicated social president, Nadia See. Our fantastic community and charity officers, Hema Chodha and John Xiong have also been very busy. JCUDSA O-Week 2017 was an even bigger and better event this year thanks to secon year social representative, Cassidy Redden! The Amazing Race was a highlight of this year’s O-Week, and we had a record number of revellers attend our annual Party Bus night. JCUDSA has also been busy compiling a comprehensive gold membership package, which helps to explain the record number of gold member sign-ups we’ve had. 2017 has also seen continued partnership with our medical student sister organisation, JCUMSA. Most recently, our students came together for another fantastic Cairns Clinical Cocktail Party. JCUDSA Trivia night was also another hit with students; 108 of our students went head-to-head with their general knowledge and intellect, smashing yet another participation record! This year we have also continued our strong tradition of giving back to the community. In February, JCU Dentistry students wore red for RedFeb in support of heart disease awareness. Our
bake sale, combined with donations from students donning red clothing, saw us raise a grand total of $410 for Heart Research Australia, beating our 2016 fundraising record! Campus life has also been busy, with our first-year students settling into their studies and second years completing their school placements. Our third year students have been meeting their first patients at JCU Dental while our fourth-year students have been expanding their skills, now seeing two patients a session. Year four students have also been busy with research projects and systematic reviews. Our fifth year students are once again spread across the country on their final year placements, working and learning in many different locations from Launceston and Alice Springs to Thursday Island and Sri Lanka! Aside from our academic studies, 190 of our students registered for our first game of Assassins. This initiative masterminded by our social committee sees students pitted against each other (armed with rolled up socks) to see who can be the last person standing on campus. As the number of ‘assassinations’ increase throughout the weeks, all students have been kept their toes! Be sure to keep updated on safe zones and keep up the great work! I’d to thank the 2017 committee for their help and support in yet another fantastic ‘Word of Mouth’ publication with special mention to our editor in chief, Julian Oronos. JCUDSA is also in the midst of preparations for the mid-year launch of our new website, which we encourage our students to stay tuned for! Finally, I would like to thank our major partners and sponsors A-Dec, MIPS, DPL and ADAQ for their continued support of this publication. You have providing us with the driving force we need to produce so many fantastic events for students. I’d like to wish our students all the best for the rest of the semester. Keep an eye and ear out for more exciting opportunities and events to come!
WRITTEN BY KAE JENN TCHIA | JCUDSA PRESIDENT
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PHOTO BY JULIAN ORONOS
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monday morning
SIM clinic
second year sim clinic PHOTOS BY JULIAN ORONOS & ANDREW PARK
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clinic tutors PHOTO BY JULIAN ORONOS
water fight 2016 PHOTOS BY BRAYDEN FRACCHIA
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PHOTO BY JULIAN ORONOS
ACADEMIC PRESIDENT Hint: if you spot a dome shaped asymptomatic radiolucency in the Maxillary sinus, it’s probably a retention pseudocyst. Underline: Retention pseudocyst 2017 brings a new and exciting academic year for us all. Our new first year cohort are progressively learning how to adapt to university life and its many challenges. This includes trying to decipher what ‘the clay teeth guy’ (Stefan) means when he says “You build it, nice and sexy and curvy” while handing out plasticine and tooth models. Most of us in fourth year are still trying to figure out what that means... When faced with exams and quizzes, the general consensus is that the performance that is expected is of an O-lymph-ic level. Too easy, right? As a sim-clinic tutor of second year students, I have had the pleasure of being the first person to experience the many avant-garde interpretations of what an upper Class II cavity preparation is supposed to look like. It has also been very entertaining to watch the emergence of several budding contortionists as they desperately attempt to avoid using indirect vision. To their credit, their performance has improved significantly over the course of the semester, and I trust that they will soon be ready to begin treat patients in the clinic. Our third year students are well and truly settled into treating patients at JCU Dental. At this stage, this mainly involves trying to convince patients that they’ve done the scheduled procedure “loads of times”, while muttering “on plastic teeth” under their breath. We’re also still waiting for word that someone has managed to break last year’s record of 9 alginate impressions in a single session. The fourth years are progressing well in clinic and have developed excellent rapport with our patients over the last year. The new Triage system provides an excellent way to develop our clinical skills, though we must be constantly vigilant to avoid getting ‘roasted’ when assessing OPGs by Dr Amar — Hint: if you spot a dome shaped asymptomatic radiolucency in the Maxillary sinus, it’s probably a retention pseudocyst. Underline: Retention pseudocyst
Lastly, our fifth year cohort are steeling themselves for the final hurdles that await them before they are finally able to escape graduate as dentists. We wish our graduating cohort all the best for the coming year, and look forward to having them join our growing list of alumni. Earlier this year, JCUDSA organised first aid/CPR training for the first and second year cohorts. Gary Woolrich (Cairns First Aid Training) once again provided a thorough and informative course, with many real-life examples of administering first aid/CPR. With the recent increase in ‘assassinations’ around the JCU Dentistry building, these first responder skills are sure to come in handy — In a pickle, a (hopefully clean) sock can double as a bandage. One of the most successful academic events of 2016 was the Clinical Skills Night hosted by the JCUDSA and RHINO clubs. Dental students in clinical years were able to attend courses on suturing and emergency airway management, and medical students were able to learn more about oral cancer diagnosis and management of dental trauma. We are looking to repeat this event again in 2017, so keep your ears pinned if you’re interested in attending. As part of the academic calendar for 2017, JCUDSA are looking to create more opportunities for students to broaden their knowledge, and we plan to host a number of guest lectures in collaboration with the Australian Dental Student Association (ADSA) this year. We would also like to thank Drs. Ang, Amar, Anura, Xu and Lee for volunteering their time to facilitate a Luxator workshop for third year students in 2016. Your commitment to student learning and clinical excellence is greatly appreciated. 2017 is shaping up to be an exciting year, and JCUDSA’s academic team is eager to ensure that it is enjoyable for all. We wish the students all the best for the remainder of the year.
WRITTEN BY KHILAN SHUKLA | JCUDSA ACADEMIC PRESIDENT
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PHOTO BY ANDREW DOMADIUS
P HOT O BY ADSA
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how to survive
CONVENTION W RI TTEN BY ABBY R O B E R T S , E M M A F R E E M A N , N H I T R U O N G & F A Y S C H OWA LTER
C
onvention is a fantastic event that you NEED to go to at least once. Other than Dent Ball, passing chemistry or cuddling your puppy after a long semester, it’s probably one of the best events to happen all year. It‘s a week of meeting new people, learning (somewhat) new things, and partying. With the ADSA 2017 Convention in Sydney just around the corner, here are some tips to get the most out of Convention.
1
Go to Convention. Don’t get me wrong, convention can be a bit pricey, but at the end of the day, Dentistry shouldn’t just be about sitting in a home room studying. It’s all about experiences. Trust us, this is an experience you don’t want to miss.
2
Bring a friend. A good friend isn’t essential as you’ll make new ones, but we all know it’s more fun with the besties. So, kindly guilt trip a friend into going, eventually they will crack.
3
Don’t try and do everything. A sure-fire way of turning the best week of the year, into the most tiresome week, is to go to all the academic activities and all the social events. If you’re a superhuman who can survive on 2 to 4 hours of sleep and doesn’t get a hangover, sure. If the lectures don’t interest you, or the party doesn’t sound fun, don’t feel obligated to go, miss it and take a break if you need.
4
Explore the city. Use some time to explore the city as much as possible. If you have a local friend even better! Find a nice shop to grab a coffee and just get a feel for what it’s like to go to Uni or holiday in the area.
5
Be a social butterfly. Don’t be a afraid to meet and talk to people, they don’t bite. Patients do. So, spread your wings and take as many photos with people as possible, so you remember you’ve met them. We’ve met some of the best people at Convention and we’re sure they’ll be friends for life.
6
Take photos and pain killers. Take as many photos and Snapchats as possible. This is so that you can remember the events, there is proof you were there and evidence to convince your friends next year, if they didn’t go. The pain killers are for the morning after the social events... you may need them.
7
Don’t party too hard. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to be off your face to have fun. Other benefits include: you remember what happened and the people you met; no hangover the next morning, so you can understand the lectures; your liver will thank you very much. There is also a planned sober/dry night, so take advantage and rest up.
8
Just have fun. Whether your idea of fun is a raring party, having coffee, meeting people or learning new things, tailor Convention to suit you. It’s a great experience and one you won’t forget.
SO C I A L P R E S I D E N T Assassins is a game where your weapon of choice is a rolled up pair of socks. You are given a target to “kill”, you are someone else’s target... Stakes were high, so to say people were “on edge” for a few weeks is an understatement. 2017 is shaping up to be an exciting year, with many social events in store. The social team has been working together to bring you many social events for the very first time, while keeping traditions alive with beloved events like Trivia Night and everybody’s favourite, Dental Ball. We are excited to bring some new ideas and events to get everyone involved, some of which have already taken place. These include bubble soccer and the Amazing Race, both of which took place in O-week and were a huge success thanks to the one and only, LCD. Together with the newest member of our social team, Aiden, the idea for the game, Assassins came to life. To put it simply, Assassins is a game where your weapon of choice is a rolled-up pair of socks. You are given a target to “kill”, you are someone else’s target, and the last assassin standing wins. This year, the big prize for becoming the Ultimate Assassin is a free ticket to our annual Dental Ball. Stakes were high, so to say people were “on edge” for a few weeks is an understatement. Now, get out your calendars (or calendar app) as we have a lot of events coming up. The first weekend back in second semester will be our first “Back to School” party. Be sure to stay tuned for more details! The following weekend, on the 5th of August, the Inaugural MIPS Cup will be held in Townsville. This is a friendly competition with JCU Townsville Medicine, during which sports like soccer, basketball, touch football, netball, and dodgeball will be played
throughout the day. The winning faculty gets a sizable trophy and, of course, bragging rights. To finish off the day, a social night with medicine and dentistry will undoubtedly take place. We are also proud to announce the production of JCUDSA’s first calendar where all year levels are designated particular months to battle it out for the best picture. With the success of multiple other events in the past, it was only right to keep the traditions going. Cairns Clinical Cocktail Party took place earlier this year in collaboration with JCUMSA, which is a growing success each year. Trivia Night this semester was held at Bluewater Bar & Grill for the second time and was the most successful Trivia Night to date. What is there to look forward to? Thanks to Renee, third years can look forward to their Halfway Ball, which celebrates their achievement of making it halfway through the dental degree, as so eloquently described by its name. Shortly after, JCUDSA’s biggest night of the year, the Annual Dental Ball, will be taking place at the Hilton Cairns. Get ready for a big night with great food, drinks, and live music. Don’t forget that there will be another Trivia Night in second semester and a Halloween Party to finish it off before we get into the exam study grind. 2017 is an exciting year and JCUDSA’s social team wish it to be nothing but enjoyable for everyone. We wish everyone all the best for the rest of the year!
WRITTEN BY NADIA SEE | JCUDSA SOCIAL PRESIDENT
PHOTO BY JULIAN ORONOS
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how do you
de-stress?
COMPI LED BY ANDREW PARK
We asked a few people, how they relieve their stress after a long day. If it works for them, it might work for you...
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ALIYA , 2ND YEAR STUDENT
ABBY, 3RD YEAR STUDENT
I usually watch movies or the TV show Friends. I also go to Palm Cove for lunch, or have a long FaceTime chat with family and friends back home!
Running, not studying everyday and go to the beach.
SUSNA , 1ST YEAR STUDENT
JAMES, 4TH YEAR STUDENT
Exercise and go to the gym.
Sometimes it’s great to slow things down. Just observe your surroundings, listen to your friends or the branches swaying in the wind. Other times, a nap is always the best.
LEAH, 4TH YEAR STUDENT
JORDAN, 1ST YEAR STUDENT
I bake stuff.
I go for a swim or I read.
STEPHAN, PROS LAB
IVAN, 4TH YEAR STUDENT
I work on my boat.
Gym and eat food.
AMBER, 1ST YEAR STUDENT
LIAM, 2ND YEAR STUDENT
Watch movies.
I try to involve myself in lots of activities outside Uni, like soccer and music, becuase it helps me to relax and take my mind off Uni and its struggles for a bit.
JAN, PROS LAB
AMANDA , PROS LAB
Mountain bike riding.
Online shopping.
JOEL, 3RD YEAR STUDENT
THEDINI, 1ST YEAR STUDENT
$15 night market massages and happy hour beers!
I exercise and go to the gym.
MADELEINE, 4TH YEAR STUDENT
CAMERON, 3RD YEAR STUDENT
I talk to friends and family, exercise or do something with people that make you laugh.
Read the next page to hear Cameron’s response...
if you’ve tried
everything
FO LLO W CAM ’ S “ 9 TI PS TO GE T T I N G T H R O U G H D E N T I S T R Y ”
1
Identify the cause of your stress.
2
Visualise your end goal.
3
Make yourself a big cozy mug of green tea.
4
Light your favourite scented candle.
5
Pour youtself a big bubble bath.
6
Crawl in.
7
Don’t come out.
8
Cry.
9
Repeat the above, or call a friend for assistance.
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jcudsa snapchat
shenanigans
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PHOTO BY JULIAN ORONOS
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Q& A
DR. KEVIN ANG SENI O R LECTU R E R I N C L I N I C A L D E N T I S T R Y JAM ES CO O K U N I V E R S I T Y
PHOTO BY JULIAN ORONOS
I NTERVI EW & T R A N S C R I P T I O N B Y J U L I A N O R O N O S & P A T R I C K F O S T E R
Where and when were you born? North east side of Malaysia, on the island of Penang, in the late 60’s What year did you arrive at JCU? I flew in with Yasi! I think it was end of 2010, start of 2011. Where were you coming in from? Was in Mt Isa since 1990. Got there as a new grad, straight into private practice. I graduated from University of Queensland. Worked in Mt Isa just over 20 years and I’m still normal. *twitches So you’ve been to a lot of places!? Yeah, so when we migrated from Malaysia we moved to Cairns first, which is my hometown, I did my high schooling at Cairns High, then Uni in Brisbane and then Mt Isa for 21 years and now I’m back. So moving back to Cairns to teach, was that something you had planned to do? Not really, I sort of fell into it I suppose. When they said, “we’re building a dental school in Cairns”, I went, “hey that’s cool, that’s my hometown, maybe we should think about moving back, there could be like a tutorial or supervisor position.” Deciding to move back and leave Mt Isa was actually really hard. It took like seven years of actually deciding okay we’re going to move. I have to tell my dental nurses first, I had 3 nurses at the time and I told them and 2 said, I’m going to go drive trucks! And I had one nurse left and she couldn’t drive trucks because it clashed with her hockey. With the loyalty I showed her I said, whenever you go for
your hockey trips, that’s when we’ll take our time off. So that’s what we did. Unfortunately, we couldn’t keep that up because 1 person doing reception, steri, assisting, office stuff to scouting is very hard and in a practice accreditation point of view. And this dental assistant actually went on to go to UQ and study dental hygiene. And luckily she began her course only 1 year before we actually finally left Mt Isa. What is one of the best things about working here? Well you know, if you do something well, for long enough, you go: I need to pass this on to someone, to anyone before I go! I mean that’s something. If you do something well, you want to pass it on. None of my kids want to be a dentists so whatever, I can’t pass it on to them, but I can pass it on to students and anyone interested in my knowledge. My background is safety and stress free, so it needs to be safe and stress free and I’m happy. I’m not so much into the speed side of things, although, once you have safety and stress right, guess what! everything flows and it gets faster! Do you have any proud moments during your career? Well, I’ve been told by periodontists, that I’m the only one who doesn’t give them overhangs. So I thought. Really?! That’s sad. Why? What else is everyone doing? So this is the reason why I want to teach how I do contact points in sim clinic. Because you’re not going to find it in the textbooks. The supplemental wedges, matrices and adaptation, to me that’s worth every bit! So this was my push to get into academia. Hey guys think about it first!
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Have there been other happiest moments in your life? Kids are good. Well adjusted, and that makes me very happy. I’ve got one from high school to an 8 year old. It’s a proud thing to have contributed to, it’s not just me! The way they turned out was excellent! But they don’t want to do dentistry! But I don’t blame them! There’s a lot of things that can go wrong with your health in dentistry so ergonomics is very important for me Is there a quote that you like to say? “Safety before speed” I use it all the time! Movie recommendations? Hahahaha. What is the best movie franchise now? I would say Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings and Hobbit. Okay? It’s about friendship, loyalty, about all those things. And I love it! Student advice? Too many to fit in this page! JCUDSA would like to thank Dr Kevin Ang for sharing his time, story and knowledge with us.
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PHOTO BY JULIAN ORONOS
about to start! PHOTOS BY ANDREW PARK & NADIA SEE
AMAZING race WRITTEN BY CASSI DY REDEN | 2N D Y E A R S O C I A L R E P R E S E N T A T I V E
One of the new events to appear in O Week in 2017 was ‘The Amazing Race’. After having an unsuccessful first attempt to get people along, some forceful messaging had decent numbers turn up on the second attempt. Partnering up our newbies with some of the older years, this event was targeted as a fun and interesting way for the first years to meet older students while also getting to check out some of the sights in and around Cairns. From selfies with lifeguards at Palm Cove to sweaty runs to Crystal Cascades, the teams explored Cairns from top to tip. The locals of Cairns even got to see our student’s great vocals in action at the Cairns Central Shopping Centre. While there may have been doubts about the event from those who attended at the start, by the end of the race, everyone had big smiles and had gotten to know each other a lot better. It will definitely be an event to look out for again in the future.
more photos over the page...
next clue please! PHOTOS BY ANDREW PARK & NADIA SEE
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afternoon vibes PHOTOS BY ANDREW PARK & NADIA SEE
welcome
first years WRITTEN BY SHELBY ARM STRO NG 1ST YEAR ACADEM I C REPRESENTATI V E
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The first year cohort was welcomed into James Cook University with several enjoyable orientation week activities, including an ‘Amazing Race’ which left many of us fearing for our lives as we were introduced to Cairns’ roundabouts at top speed. Orientation was a great time to meet other first years and students from other year levels, and some of us encountered perplexing language barriers. The Canadians had a particularly hard time finding their way around the college (bubbler = fountain, toilet = washroom). With most of the cohort having completed year 12 last year, we had to adjust to our new lifestyles living out of home and this meant learning how to ‘adult’. Doing our own washing, going grocery shopping and organising our own doctor’s appointments are some of many responsibilities we have stoically taken on. While attempting to settle in, we quickly found out why many of the conversations with students in upper years started with “I don’t want to scare you, but...” We realised that staying up to date was virtually impossible and nightmares about the citric acid cycle was just the beginning. We were pleased to see that the content we studied payed off for our first dental science and chemistry quiz. This however wasn’t the case for anatomy and physiology, where most of us were ‘lymphing’ as we walked out of the test. Yet, by a STROKE of luck, we POWERED through, thanks to some helpful memes to guide us along the way. The semester is currently building up to tackling our first set of exams, which of course means staying at the dental building until 7 am and consuming way too many 2 minute noodles. We just hope that being able to draw the brachial plexus in under 10 seconds will pay off this time around.
ice-breaker with all year levels PHOTOS BY ANDREW PARK, NADIA SEE EMILY TRINH & JEREMY YANG
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JCUDSA
AWARD
WRITTE N BY CHRI STI NA ALI FRACO RECEIP I ENT O F THE 2016 JCUDSA AWARD
My goal as Community and Charity officer in 2016 was to get students involved in the community and to raise the most money in comparison to other years for our usual charity events. This was to start the legacy of raising money for the JCUDSA award which we were successful in raising and I hope to see it continue. My greatest achievement for the year was receiving the JCUDSA award. In 2017 I will continue to work with as many charity and community groups as my schedule allows and also contribute to this year’s epic dental ball. I would encourage all students to engage with the JCU community and the broader community. Just put your name down for any local events that require volunteers, if you have the time. It is a very rewarding experience and you meet many new and different people. People who may end up surprising you on how much fun you will have.
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JCUDSA
AWARD
WRITTEN BY SOPHI E RO BERTS RE CEIPIENT OF THE 2015 JCUDSA AWARD
What were your goals in 2015? My major goal for 2015 was to maintain balance in my life. We all know how full-on Dentistry can be at times, so at the beginning of the year I really wanted to establish a ‘work/life’ balance that I could maintain as much as possible! What was your greatest achievement so far which helped you get the JCUDSA award? I don’t know if there was one specific achievement, but rather a whole range of activities that I became involved in during my time in Cairns. I am heavily involved in our student organisation JCUDSA, and have had various roles but my major role for the past two years has been Treasurer. Outside of JCU I volunteer for an organisation called Camp Quality, who help support young children and families affected by cancer. Attending one of their camps was a very rewarding and enjoyable experience, and is something that would love to do more of, when I can get some time off clinic!
PHOTO BY JULIAN ORONOS
What are your goals this year? This year my goal is to make the most of my last year in Cairns, in every aspect of my life. I love quotes, and my favourite at the moment is “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got.” I use this as a little motto – whether it’s when I’m trying to cram in that last bit of content before an exam, or running out that last quarter on the netball court, I know that with a little confidence and determination, I’ll be alright!
?
How would you encourage other students to get involved in the community at JCU and broader? Simply make the most of every opportunity and to quote the famous slogan – just do it! The easiest way to get involved in an organisation is those that you’re most closely associated with, so JCUDSA is a great way to start! JCUDSA is associated with many different charities, and have some very dedicated volunteers who are more than willing to help others get involved. Other than that if you have a sport/hobby that you’re interested in, look it up online and see if there are local clubs/organisations. Becoming a member of Saints Netball Club has been one of the best things I’ve done in Cairns, I’ve met lots of local people and found it a real outlet from the stress of uni life!
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helping out at
ROSIES
BY C H R I ST I N A A L I F R A C O , H EMA C H OD A , D A N FR A N K , M IC H A EL TIEN & JOH N XION G
Over 330 toothbrush and toothpaste kits were donated from Year 2 students who had remaining supplies from community placement in local schools. This is part of our continued support for Rosies ‘Friends on the Streets’ program, and also to provide oral health promotion to the homeless in the Cairns community.
PHOTOS BY JOHN XIONG
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trivia night celebration PHOTO B Y ANDREW PARK
B R E AK I N G R E C O R D S With the sound of coins rattling, they check their pockets; one by one they present their copious spare change. “Click”. With the sound of victory. The cold air smells heavily of vanilla and sickeningly sweet cakes. Crowds of people immediately gather around the tables, ready to snatch the delicious goods that entice the eyes. With the sound of coins rattling, they check their pockets; one by one they present their copious spare change. “Click”. With the sound of victory. John and Hema here and we’re JCUDSA’s Charity and Community Aid Officers for the year. With 2017 kicking off strong. To start things off, we decided to do a new feel-good initiative this year for Valentine's day: we placed heart shaped sticky notes with hand written pick up lines/positive sayings. They were placed on each student's locker, along with bowls of chocolates in the communal kitchens, to help spread the love. The response for this was overwhelmingly supportive, so definitely keep an eye out for more game changers next year. As well, the annual Red Feb fundraiser - in support of heart research, took place on February
27th. The bake sale was a great success with a haul of $410 donated to the Heart Research Australia. Special shout out to the student bakers and to Grandma’s coconut ballz for selling out almost right away. And of course, we can’t forget trivia night. The annual trivia night at Trinity Blue Water Bar and Grill on April 20th blew the roof with a record breaking number of participants in dental history. Apologies for those who didn’t have a table at the start of the night! The numbers were just so overwhelming and we are extremely grateful for your cooperation. Thanks to everybody who were present for the evening with a special thank you to our killer MC Aiden Potts. Without his help, the event would not have run as smoothly as it did! Thank you for everyone’s help thus far. Nothing would have been possible without the endless support we receive from staff and students. We hope to continue our endeavours and finish off 2017 with a bang. Stay tuned for more.
WRITTEN BY HEMA CHODA & JOHN XIONG JCUDSA CHARITY AND COMMUNITY OFFICERS
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PHOTOS BY ANDREW PARK
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Q& A
GINA McELHINNEY SENI O R DENTAL RECEPTI O N I S T JCU DENTAL CLI NI C
PHOTO BY ANDREW PARK
I NTERVIEW & TRANSCRI PTI O N BY JULI AN O R O N O S & M A X M I L O S E V I C
Where and when were you born? Darwin, 1961 When did you move to Cairns? 1987, so I’ve been in Cairns since then. What were some factors that determined you moving to Cairns? Peter, my husband, is a Cairns local, so he came to Darwin to work in what we call “The Crocodile Jabaroo” and that’s where I met him and that’s why we decided to move back here to Cairns.
I do, but every job has its day, where I’m just cranky. But no, no, I like the job here, I like the interaction I have. And it’s good to teach you guys the administration part of it all and how to interact to patients and what to say. And I get a great comfort in knowing that we’ve taught you that. And I’ve enjoyed the company, we’ve had some fantastic kids come through, really enjoyed their presents… and gifts! Hahahaha. Okay Gina, no pressure.
When you moved to Cairns did you first start off at JCU?
Is there a piece of tech that you’ve found most helpful in your job?
No, I started off as a legal secretary, I was there for a couple of years and I left to have my second son. From there I stayed at home for about 7 years and when my daughter turned school age, that’s when I returned to work.
Ohhh, I guess, cause my job is the technology. I need my phone and computer. If they’re not working, then we’re screwed. Especially the computer program.
What year then did you start at JCU? 2011, that was when the first cohort was here, which was in the tiny little clinic building in D1. Kind of here from the beginning. Original. So from your history, that’s why you became a dental receptionist here at JCU? Yes from my work background, before JCU I was a medical receptionist and Ingrid from D1 knew my husband and asked If I was looking for work and that’s how I ended up here!
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Do you like to talk to people then, since it’s your job?
So I guess you’re attuned to working with computers now? Oh now, I’m still not attuned to working with computers! Hahahaha. I always ask Dani to help me. I’m not really into computers. So don’t ask me to cut and paste anything, that’s Dani’s job. What are you most proud of in your career here at JCU? Most proud here, I would say, when our cohorts come back and we can how they have progressed. Looking at the pictures of students getting married.
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PHOTO BY ANDREW PARK
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Are there any other happy moments to mention?
Do you have any movie recommendations?
Having children, and watching them grow up and become who they are now. My daughter is now a practice manager for a medical centre. My son is doing well in the mines. I pretty well just chug along happy and content.
My favourite movie is the Green Mile. I can watch it over and over and over again. It has Tom Hanks and he’s a jail warden, in the 80s something. That one and the Notebook. Apart from that I’m a very into action, Fast and Furious, Transformers and the list goes on!
Do you kind of see the students as your kids as well?
One piece of advice you can give JCU Dentistry students?
My other children! Because sometimes I forget and I say “the kids”
I always like to get the students to think of the patient’s point of view, when you’re trying to change appointments to suit yourself, think of how they would feel when you’re ringing up saying, can you do this. You’ve got to think about how they would feel. So put yourself in your patient’s position first. Without patients, we’re nothing. So we can’t boss them around like furniture.
Thank you for giving us your motherly love. Hahaha! Do you have a favourite quote? I don’t think I have one. Just straight out “No!”
JCUDSA would like to extend a big thank you to Mrs Gina McElhinney for allowing us to interview her and sharing her time with all of us!
PHOTO B Y ANDREW PARK
MAINTAINING faith WRITTEN BY G EO RG E G UI RG UI S & L Y N L E E T A T N E L L | J C U C M D F A L E A D E R S
CMDFA (Christian Medical and Dental Fellowship of Australia) is a nation-wide organisation that unites health professionals (both graduates and students) and integrates their faith and practice in their specific medical field. This group has just recently formed at the James Cook University campus in Cairns with the help of senior dentist, Dr Ross Dunn, who has been a clinical supervisor at JCU Dental for many years and the National Chair of CMDFA. Here at JCU, CMDFA is a student-run university group that encourages students to become united together in the love of God. It is set up to help university students maintain ties to their faith while completing their degrees. This is achieved by having Christian doctors and dentists, who can understand the roller coaster of university, mentor university students and regularly meet on campus. The student group meets once or twice a month to serve the university campus, read the Bible, pray together and catch up with each other to encourage and support fellow members. The CMDFA national board outlines the aims of the group: 1. To provide a Fellowship in which members may share and discuss their experiences as
Christians in the profession of medicine and dentistry. 2. To encourage Christian doctors and dentists to serve and honour God in their professional practice. 3. To present the claims of Christ to colleagues and others 4. To provide forums that consider how the Christian faith applies to the problems of national and local life as they relate to medicine and dentistry. 5. To foster interest in and support of cross-cultural medical and dental mission. 6. To encourage members to play an active part in their local churches. 7. To strengthen and encourage Christian medical and dental students in their faith 8. To provide pastoral support to colleagues. A Facebook page under the name “CMDFA at JCU Cairns Dentistry� has been set up which provides information about meetings and timing and helpful links to videos and articles. We encourage all students to attend the meetings. If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact Lynlee Tatnell or George Guirguis, fourth year dental students.
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lynlee & george PHOTO BY JULIAN ORONOS
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CLASS II WRITTEN BY MICHAEL TI EN 2ND YEAR ACAD EM I C REPRESENTATI VE
To put it simply, it has been an eventful and rewarding start to the second year of our degree. A stronger focus on operative dentistry allowed us to practise our clinical skills and we were also provided the opportunity to promote good oral health practices to the local community with our school visits. Our senior colleagues had warned us of the trials and tribulations of the rubber dam. And damn, they were right. It was a common sight to see students struggle for a good proportion of each simulation clinic session, but eventually the war was won by the students. Most of our tasks also involve the upper teeth, and the number of molars used to make class two cavities is unfathomable. Apparently this type of preparation is the hardest task in dentistry, quote-unquote Khilan (Academic President), so we kindly request our friends and families to send us their prayers for our success in the competency exam in June! In other news, we broke the stereotypes of ‘scary’ dentists and became best friends with the school children at Balaclava and Cairns West State Schools. Our school visits aimed to educate the children with healthy lifestyle choices relating to their diet, oral health and hand hygiene habits. It was a privilege to be able to give these lessons and we made sure to keep them interesting and fun. A big shout out to Geordie, Lani and Manahil for their story book that features themselves and their new school friends, what a great way to conclude a memorable experience. We hope we have made a positive difference to the lives of these children, and it was certainly nostalgic to go back to primary school!
PHOTO BY JOHN XIONG
THIRD YEAR WR I T T E N B Y L I N D A H U A N G 3 R D Y E A R C L I N I C R E P R E S E N T A T IVE
I think it’s safe to say that starting clinic has been a learning curve for many third years. At first everything was a bit daunting in the clinic. After zooming through induction week, reality set in and we truly understood what was meant by “fake it ’til we make it”. I think some of us can agree that “gosh the sim lab mannequins really are a much easier clientele”. By now the words “yep just open a bit wider” would have passed our lips perhaps even hundreds of times. Some of us have accepted that sometimes, when both your hands are in the patient’s mouth and fluids are flying everywhere in a critical moment, you’ve no choice but to grin and bear it.
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PHOTO BY JULIAN ORONOS
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running and
MORE RUNNING W RI TTEN BY NI CO LE PERR Y | C O A C H & 4 T H Y E A R S T U D E N T
It has been a big year for the JCU Nicci P Run Club. Toward the end of last semester we held the JCU Campus Km and Dash which successfully found us the fastest and fittest students on campus. Our 1km King and Queen were Fraser Lyon (third year dentistry) and Hilary Bell (third year dentistry) with Zoe Haralampopoulos (second year dentistry) and Liam White (second year dentistry) crowned our sprint champions. Numerous personal challenges were won and lost at this event, making it a little more fun for all involved. The start of the 2017 academic year has seen a lot of new members join the run club, particularly first year dental students. Many of them have been attending training very consistently and have already become valued club members and improved out of sight. We have just held the 2017 JCU Beer Mile with numbers of competitors and spectators exceeding last year’s event. With
many laughs (perhaps more for spectators), impressive costumes, and some impressive (or unimpressive) beer chugging, we declared Hilary Bell (third year dentistry) the beer mile champion for 2017 (yes she did beat all the boys). The club will participate in the Mother’s Day fun run on the Cairns esplanade on May 14th, which we are anticipating will be a lot of fun as we all don our club singlets and pink headbands to support a great cause. Semester 2 will see the club road trip to Townsville to participate in the Townsville Running Festival which should be a lot of fun. We’re also hoping to see a few personal bests run over 5km and 10km. The run club welcomes any new member regardless of ability, so if you are keen to get active, meet some new friends and have a lot of laughs, then pop on down to one of our sessions. Who knows, you might just become one of our regulars!
FOR TRAINING DETAILS check our Facebook page “The JCU Nicci P Run Club” WOM 53
PHOTO BY JOE GUAN
more photos from beer mile over the page...
2017
BEER mile first year ice breaker event
PHOTOS BY JOEY GUAN
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cambodia
PLACEMENT WRITTEN BY SO PHI E BENNET 5T H YEAR PLACE M ENT REPRESENTATI VE
It’s hard to believe that just five years ago I was finishing up my first semester of the BDS program. Back then, 5th year placement seemed so far away; the light at the end of the tunnel. Since first year, I’d always wanted to undertake an international clinical placement during my final year, like many others in my cohort. There were plenty of international options on offer for students this year, which didn’t disappoint! Destinations included Sri Lanka, Japan, Taiwan, Cambodia and Fiji, just to name a few. I was fortunate to receive a Cowan Grant Experimental Learning Scholarship to fund my placement in Cambodia. It was a truly unique, satisfying and challenging learning experience for me, both personally and professionally. I travelled to Cambodia with one other 5th year student. We treated patients at a local school, university clinic and provincial prison and performed a wide variety of treatment over 11 clinical days. This included extensive experience in oral surgery, extractions and paediatric dentistry (all areas where I had limited experience previously). The clinical conditions and protocols were extremely different to what we are used to in Australia and really tested our skills!
PHOTOS BY SOPHIE BENNETT
PHOTO BY JULIAN ORONOS
Thailand and Indonesia). I suffered significant culture shock and isolation on arrival. All patients were obviously from a non-English speaking background and had very limited English-speaking skills. The language barrier was significant, however after learning a few basic Khmer phrases we learnt to get by in the clinic. We were also really lucky Professor Andrew Sandham (JCU’s previous Head of Dentistry) was in Phnom Penh at the same time. He welcomed us into his Cambodian family with open arms; we really appreciated having a familiar face around. We also had lots of time for personal travel and sightseeing. We travelled to Kep Beach and Rabbit Island; Sihanoukville and Koh Rong; and Siem Reap; we also had a brief stopover in Singapore on the flight over. A highlight was visiting the temples around Siem Reap, including Angkor Wat, where I received a blessing from a Buddhist monk for “luck and longevity.” I’d highly recommend an international clinical placement to future students. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions!
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We were treating patients in very challenging (and back-breaking) conditions. For example, children laying down on school desks in dimly lit classrooms or prisoners sitting on low-set chairs in the middle of a prison yard while dozens of other bored prisoners watched for entertainment. Apart from the Uni clinic, we were extracting in the dark! Quite literally – there was minimal lighting and no radiographs for pre-operative assessment (a mandatory requirement at JCU). There were also no suction units in the mobile clinics, so patients had to spit out in a rubbish bin! But we had plenty of opportunities to advance our skills and learn new techniques from very skilful and knowledgeable supervisors. We were shocked at the devastating burden of oral disease, particularly in such young patients. But they were all so grateful and compliant – particularly in comparison to some we see in Australia! It was extremely rewarding and satisfying to provide treatment (relief of pain) to patients who would otherwise go without. The level of poverty was extremely high in Cambodia; much higher than other third world countries I’d travelled to previously (including
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PHOTO BY TIM COLLINS
the feeling of having your life
TOGETHER
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By the time you have reached your 5th year of study, you are - to say the least, exhausted. Little do you know; 5th year is an entirely new ball game. From working full time hours on top of study and of course, having a little bit of fun here and there, you will be busier than you can even imagine. However, this is the point everyone waits for in this degree. This is your time to finally feel like you have your life together. The end of your first week of clinical placement has you thinking, “what in the world have I been doing for the last two years?!” But, do not let that dishearten you. Take that motivation and dive straight into it. You will learn a magnitude of things every week from what it is like to work with a dental assistant (if you are lucky enough) to how to actually use a luxator. And your clinical supervisors will be your new best friends, seeing you at both your worst and your best. Thanks to Dr. Felicity Croker, your choice of clinical placements is practically endless; each with their own pros and cons. I am currently at Mackay Base Hospital and wouldn’t swap it for anywhere. The Mackay placement is the perfect concoction of hard work, laughter and sometimes just outright craziness. Similar to many other placements, there is the opportunity to do the difficult procedures such as surgical extractions and root canal therapy. However what I have enjoyed the most – and I do recommend the same view for your first placement – is the time I have spent perfecting the basics of dentistry. Who would have thought, taking the time to place your matrix correctly will actually reduce the time spent finishing your fillings? For the future 5th years, the advice I can give you is endless, but what I will say is this; your placement year is supposed to be the most fun. It does not matter what you have done or haven’t done, you have your whole career to work on that. Take the time to work on yourself and remember why you chose dentistry in the first place. Choose wisely and have the lowest expectations, you’ll be pleasantly surprised about what 5th year has in store for you. W RI TTEN BY KATI A ALBRE C H T | 5 T H Y E A R S O C I A L R E P R E S E N T A T I V E
featured photographer
T IM COL L IN S 4TH YEAR STUDENT
photos over the page...
PHOTOS BY TIM COLLINS
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PHOTO BY ANDREW PARK
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Q& A
FARID KAZEMY DENTI STRY O P E R A T I O N A L T E C H N I C I A N JAM ES CO O K U N I V E R S I T Y
INTERVIEW & TRANSCRI PTI O N BY JULI A N O R O N O S & P A T R I C K F O S T E R
Where and when were you born?
I’ve just followed that path.
Iran 1963
Is there a piece of technology that you really rely on?
So how did you end up moving to Australia? I moved because I had to join the military at 18. There was a war back then that I didn’t want to be apart of, so I had to escape. I journeyed to Pakistan and then to Australia. What year did you start working at JCU? 2009, when JCU Dentistry opened up, helped put the first bolt in here! Why did you become a technical officer? I’ve always been technically minded and had a hands on approach, so did a degree in engineering and IT. When they offered me the job, I took a risk and came up from Townsville. I got here on a 6 month contract and there was nothing for me. Practically nothing to do. But slowly, the dental faculty grew, the position became more clear and I’m doing what I do now. And hopefully I’m doing a good job! Well you’re doing a good job! There’s so many graduates now! Well I wouldn’t be here without you guys! Was there someone who influenced you to become a technical officer? My father was also a technician and worked in a laboratory, always been that sort of environment, got my hands dirty very much from the beginning. Looking at TVs, touching things, getting electrocuted, and I’ve done it all and since then
Most of my work with the dental chair is electronics; these days electronics change so rapidly that you don’t do any repair – all the components are self-managed. So we just have to diagnose the problem and change the parts. But still, my job requires some technical background. Mechanical components like the water and hoses, o-rings and handpieces break down all the time, so we need to do those manually. So working with the situation; is that something you enjoy the most in Sim Clinic? I mostly enjoy my interactions with the students. What are you most proud of in your career? My job is very much a speciality. If this does not work out, it would be very difficult to get another job, because all the fields I’ve worked in are unique. So I am a jack of all trades and a master of none. I can repair everything! But I don’t know anything! Is there another aspect in your life that has given you happiness? A long time ago when I was working in Townsville I visited Cairns and said: ‘It would be nice to get a job here’. And then I did! This is probably the last place I’ll be, so im very happy. My job is good. I like to work with all the people here. The team behind me keeps me going and the students keep me on my toes.
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PHOTO BY ANDREW PARK
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Are there any bad days for you? There are no bad days, they just come from your thoughts. As for me, my holiday begins when I come to work! Because when I go home, I have to do real work! Nagging kids, doing this and doing that. Do you have a favourite quote you like to say? “Do you know how much this is?” Or when students say: “I didn’t break this, it was like that when I got it” Do you have a favourite movie? Bourne Identity, that series was good. Any advice to JCU Dentistry students? Ahhh, there’s a lot I can give. Study hard, make the most out of Sim Lab, be on time and I think you will be okay. JCUDSA extends a big thank you to Farid for sharing his time and story with us. We’ll see you in sim clinic Farid!
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PHOTOS BY ANDREW PARK
PHOTO BY JULIAN ORONOS
hidden
cooks in
dentistry
recipes and photos over the page...
kevin’s secret mapo tofu
BY KEVIN LI | 4TH YEAR STUDENT
INGREDIENTS
INSTRUCTIONS
Place the pork mince into a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, white ground pepper, black pepper, salt and oil. Mix the mince with the condiments and leave to marinate for 10 minutes. Cut the tofu into 2cm thick cubes. Heat a pan and add some oil. Mince the garlic cloves and pan fry in the oil till golden. Add the marinated mince pork to the pan and stir fry until the mince separates. Once the mince is 70% cooked, add the tofu cubes and 500 millilitres of water. To this add the Chinese cooking wine, Chinkiang vinegar and chili pieces (the chili is optional). Stir. Add XO sauce, Lao Gan Ma, dark soy sauce, the rest of the soy sauce and a touch more black pepper. Stir. Taste the sauce and adjust the saltiness to your taste, by adding more salt if required. Turn the flame to low. Mix the flour with some water in a small bowl and dissolve the flour completely. The flour-water ratio can be changed, depending on how thick you want the consistency of the Mapo tofu sauce to be. Add the flour mixture to the sauce gradually and stirring constantly, while on a low flame. This may take a few minutes. Once the desired consistency is acheived, let sit for 5 minute on low flame. Add chopped spring onions to garnish. Serve with rice. Makes 5 servings
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540 grams pork mince 900 grams firm tofu 500 millilitres water 3 garlic cloves 5 small chili pieces 1 tablespoon oil 2 teaspoons XO sauce ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon white ground pepper ½ teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine 1 tablespoon Chinkang vinegar 1 teaspoon Lao Gan Ma chili 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce 4 tablespoons plain flour 1-2 spring onion
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PHOTO BY MICHELLE CHOOI
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student one pot pasta
B Y C A M E R O N S U L E Y & D O R O T H Y T A N G | 4 T H Y EA R STU D EN TS
INGREDIENTS
450 grams of smoked Italian sausages 450 grams of dry linguine noodles 3 cups halved grape tomatoes 1 large onion 20 basil leaves 4 garlic cloves 1½ teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 4½ cups water 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese Reserve 1 cup halved tomatoes, 10 basil leaves and the cheese. INSTRUCTIONS
Slice the onion lengthwise and separate. Mince the garlic cloves. Slice the Italian sausages into rounds. Remove large stems from the basil leaves. Pan fry the sausages, garlic and onion until fragrant. In a large braising pan or Dutch oven, combine all remaining ingredients over a medium-high heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, remove the cover and cook for another 7 to 9 minutes, until the pasta is al dente. Toss the pasta with tongs occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking. The liquid will be mostly absorbed when the pasta is finished cooking. Add the reserved cheese and toss to combine. Toss the remaining tomatoes and basil into the dish before serving. Makes 6-8 servings
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PHOTO BY DOROTHY TANG
UP C O M I N G eve n t s JCUDSA holds many events and also participates in external events held in Cairns and Far North Queensland. Here’s a list of what’s coming up soon:
J UN 17
3rd Year Halfway Ball
J UL 28
Back-To-School Party
J UL 29
Relay for Life
AUG 05
MIPS Cup (Townsville)
AUG 12
Dental Ball 2017
AUG 31
Trivia Night Semester 2
OCT 28
Halloween Party
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PHOTO BY JULIAN ORONOS
W O RD OF MOU TH committe e
JU LIAN OR ON OS
ANDR E W PAR K
HEAD EDITOR & PHOTOGRAPHER 4th year dentistry student
PHOTOGRAPHER 4th year dentistry student
JOE GUAN
TIM COLLINS
PHOTOGRAPHER 4th year dentistry student
PHOTOGRAPHER 4th year dentistry student
MAX M ILOSE V IC
PATRICK FOSTER
EDITOR 4th year dentistry student
EDITOR 4th year dentistry student WOM
the word of mouth committee would like to thank everyone involved in making this issue of WOM possible; writers, photographers, guests, sponsors, editors and also the jcudsa committee of 2017
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