DE NTI STRY, S T U DENTS, A N D A S DA
NovaCaine News
2nd Edition Summer 2016
Dental Students take their skills to Jamaica during the Missions Trip
Summer in the Sunshine State Just because the undergraduates are finished with classes for the summer does not mean that the students of NSU College of Dental Medicine are ready to slow down. In fact, the rising third year students are moving on to working full time in the clinic. In the photo above, Lauren Valency (‘18), enjoys her lunch break before treating her afternoon patient.
Memorable Missions: A Journey to Jamaica Jay Ghiya (Class of 2017), was fortunate enough to attend the missions trip a second time after previously participating the year before. Every year, the College of Dental Medicine, led by Dr. Diane Nichols, ogranizes and participates in both the Spring and Summer Mission trips. Jay talks about the preparations and his experiences during this June’s Missions Trip. Preparing for these trips is an around-the-year effort, fueled by students who are committed to exploring new countries and helping those communities by providing volunteer dental work. Before arriving on any island, serious time is dedicated to fundraising for resources and instruments, and heavily planned to ensure that every portion of the trip will run smoothly. After months of preparation, this year’s Jamaica Mission Trip took place from June 8th to the 17th. While the Dominican Republic mission trip that took place earlier this March was an exclusive dental trip, the Jamaica trip also included volunteers from the NSU College of Medicine, Alabama College of Medicine, Pennsylvania College of Pharmacy, and nursing students from Fort Myers as well as undergraduate NSU students. Student dentists comprised the majority of the group, with fourteen third year students on the Kingston portion of the trip, and a new batch of fourteen third year students on the St. Mary’s portion of the trip. Eight fourth year dental students stayed for the entirety of the trip with six different faculty members. Needless to say, there were a lot of moving pieces during the trip, and lots of quality dental work to go around.
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Summer break is not a term that the NSU dental students use in their vocabulary. While other second year students across the nation are studying for the Part 1 of their boards, us second year students at NSU are transitioning from an academic based curriculum to a predominantly clinic based one. Having the opportunity to begin building a patient pool in the beginning of May allows us ample time to grow comfortable and acclimate to our new environment. The summer semester is what pushes us to get our feet wet, without diving in head first. Thanks to our deans and faculty being so receptive to the students feedback, the new system that pairs a rising D3 with a rising D4 successfully relieves some of the stress of being so new in the clinic. I like to think that the professors have taught us about all of the parts of the bicycle and now we have to figure out how to ride the bicycle. Although it might seem frightening, we have the training wheels (our paired D4’s) to assist us in getting to the point where we are able to ride the bike on our own, or treating patients with confidence. With fall semester right around the corner, the early exposure is sure to go a long way in our clinical careers. -Rachel Dorfner (‘18)
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Expand Your Palate: Local Eatery Rundown Libby Finer (Class of 2018) relieves the school day stress by enjoying good food with friends and family. She’s a seasoned foodie and is always ready to explore the myriad of dining experiences offered in South Florida.
I experienced two similar cuisines this month, each with their own unique South Florida flare. The first, Los Verdes, located in Weston, offers a Colombian styled menu with a casual fast-food vibe. I ordered the Perro Hot Dog and a Chocolate milkshake. The dog comes with smashed potato chips, bacon, mozzarella cheese, their special pink & green sauces and the cutest, most delicious quail egg on top! I highly recommend.
from student debt to dentist to partner. “Perro”
The second venue I tried was Budare Bistro - a small, gourmet Venezuelan joint located in Downtown Brickell. I wanted everything on the menu but narrowed it down to the Sweet Patacones with both shredded meat & chicken and a Chicha made of boiled rice, milk and sugar - basically rice pudding in drink form (extremely sweet!). If you’re looking for a worth-it cheat meal, either of these two places will do the trick. Enjoy!
“Sweet Patacones”
Los Verdes Location: Budare Bistro Location: 1948 Weston Road 1830 SW 3rd Ave Weston, FL 33326 Miami, FL 33129
In this Issue
Volunteering, Food, & The Future Check out our website at: Http://www.nsuasda.org/ Click on the buttons below to like us on facebook or follow us on instagram!
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EDITORIAL STAFF
EDITOR IN CHIEF EDITOR WRITERS
- Kathryn Champion (‘18) - Rachel Dorfner (‘18) - Jay Ghiya (‘17), Libby Finer (‘18), Rachel Dorfner (‘18), Monica Bucun (Pre-Dental Student)
NOTE: GIVE KIDS A SMILE PICTURES FROM OUR LAST NEWSLETTER WERE KINDLY SHARED WITH US BY DR. STANLEY HACK.
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..Continued from Page 1 Each working day began at 9am, followed by an hour drive up the bumpy Jamaican coastline into the mountains of the St. Mary’s parish. Each worksite presented itself with a variety of challenges, from deciding where to place the sterilization units to optimizing workspace and patient flow to prevent any injuries and accidents. Along with providing dental treatment, students were also assigned tasks such as monitoring sterilization, keeping records for patient statistics, and restocking equipment. Each member rotated jobs every day to allow all the students to receive maximum exposure of different cases and group leaders. Each day in the unbearable heat, students pitched in to help set up and break down the site, and the group really worked as a team to ensure that our efforts and efficiency were being maximized. Of the twenty-four dental students present, we were divided in to two teams led by two or three faculty members each. D3’s were paired with D4’s whenever possible, which allowed for the less experienced D3 students to be guided by a D4, and for both students to assist each other and work more efficiently. For the newly minted third years, Missions provided an opportunity for students to go beyond the PMT’s and Prophys of D1 and D2 year and begin to really think like doctors. It was a stark transition from being in a comfortable air conditioned clinic with adjustable patient and doctor chairs to the humid, 98 degree church rooms where each operatory was furnished with only two metal folding chairs and a tray to hold instruments. Patients received a variety of treatments ranging from dental cleanings and fluoride varnishes to restorative work and oral surgery extractions. Each patient was educated on caries prevention and oral hygiene practices as well to ensure that dental extractions were the absolute last choice option in saving their teeth. The first leg of the trip was centered in the heart of Kingston where we stayed, and services were provided to the nearby churches. Each day brought an average of 100 new patients screened for dental care. At the end of the trip, a total of 795 people of low socio-economic status, including children, benefitted from the services provided. For some, it was their first visit to the dentist, while others would only see the dentist when the NSU mission’s team visited Jamaica annually.
After four days in Kingston, the full team embarked on a cross-country trip to Ocho Rios, where we stayed at Rooms On the Beach, meeting the new faculty and new group of third year students. With Sunday being a full free day, most dental students chose to use their leisure time by jumping off waterfalls at the Irie Blue Hole on the border of the parishes of St. Ann and St. Mary. Fun aside, this time allowed the new students to ask questions to the fourth years on what to expect and prepare for the full work week ahead. Working with the other disciplines was an invaluable resource. Whenever triaging patients, any patient with high blood pressure was immediately sent to the medical team so that they could be evaluated and diagnosed. We were able to send patients to the pharmacy team for post-operative pain medication as well as to provide antibiotics for infection control if abscesses or oral pathology were diagnosed. The nursing team partook in triaging patients and providing patient education so that young and old members of the community could enlighten themselves on the importance of dental hygiene. One case that comes to mind is when the medical team had a patient whose ring was squeezing so tight around her finger that it was constricting the vessels so much that she was in danger of losing the finger. The medical team brought it over to the dental team and our faculty, Dr. Rae Gaines, was able to successfully remove the ring with a hand-piece and a carbide bur. If the ring had not been removed in the next few weeks, it would have been safe to assume the finger would have become necrotic and then ultimately lost. Although the ten-day trip was extremely physically demanding and at times strenuous, the benefits and rewards of the trip outweigh the negative aspects a million to one! The Jamaican people were extremely grateful for our aid and held a welcoming party for us on our second night in Kingston as well as a thank you party at the famous Sandals beach resort in Ocho Rios on our last night. An added benefit to returning on this trip was that some of the local children still remembered us from the previous year. Although the faces of the dentist’s change, patients still remembered past faculty and students. Dr. Gaines, who has been on this trip almost consistently for close to sixteen years, has seen patients grow from children to young adults, all of whom still remember her fondly. Knowing we provided a much needed dental service to groups of people who do not have access to dental care in their daily lives made this trip such a rewarding experience. Participating in dental missions doesn’t only enrich the lives of our patients but also makes every dentist on the team a better healthcare provider. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Nichols, Dr. Gaines, Dr. Oliviera, Dr. Aldorri, Dr. Kalra, and Dr. Kolodziej for imparting their experience and their wisdom unto us dental students. It is experiences like these that remind us of the care and compassion we owe to our patients.
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Pre-Dental Students from universities all over the state of Florida spend time in the newly renovated simulation lab during ASDA’s PreDental Weekend. From the moment I checked-in as a pre-dental visitor in the Health Professions Division Atrium, I felt very welcomed by all of the participating staff and students. Whether I was introduced to a dental student during a
Due to the large number of highly qualified applicants, applying to dental schools has been an intimidating experience thus far. Thankfully, the NSU student body helped relieve much of this intimidation by offering valuable
time here at Nova Southeastern University. I also met the dean of admissions, Dr. Lippman, who provided us with the opportunity to participate in mock interviews. Listening to constructive feedback gave me a better idea of the type
workshop or directly approached them with a question, I always encountered a pleasant interaction. Between the clinical workshops and various presentations, I left the event with a heightened sense of anticipation and excitement toward entering the profession.
presentations on how to prepare for the Dental Admissions Test, critiquing personal statements, and providing general recommendations for strengthening applications. In addition to formal presentations, I took advantage of Q & A sessions with D1-D4 students to learn more about their
of interview questions that may be asked. Throughout the program, I learned about the university’s values and what makes the program different than others. Attending this event was a testament to many of these values. During the two-day event, I had
ASDA Pre-Dental Day: Pre-paring for the Future many opportunities to interact with current students. Each conversation provided me with an added unique perspective on what dental school is really like. There were multiple Q&A sessions where a variety of topics were discussed, ranging from academic schedules to maintaining personal relationships during dental school. I enjoyed getting to know the students individually, and found it very valuable to receive advice from those who have gone through the experience. Many of the students I
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spoke with were kind enough to share some of the obstacles they endured throughout school. I truly appreciated their time and honesty in sharing these sensitive topics. While I had the opportunity to get to know the faculty and students at NSU, I also attended several workshops that provided insight into dental practice. During these workshops, I learned how to make composite restorations, make impressions, followed by pouring the casts. Personally, these workshops
were the highlight of the event; not only did I learn clinical aspects of dentistry, but also received valuable clinical pearls from the faculty. Most notably, Dr. Goldberg gave us a lecture on CAD/CAM technology. He mentioned that people are very reflective by nature, and that a patients perception of you as a dentist could be from something as simple as how you showcase your office. For instance, he correlated keeping outdated magazines in your office as a potential sign of using outdated methods or technology
Summer 2016 - NovaCaine News
in your practice. I admired this piece of information, because it is not something you can learn from a textbook. Overall, I found this event to be very valuable, and would highly recommend that all predental students seek out similar opportunities to enhance their journey to dental school. I would like to say thank you to the NSU ASDA committee, NSU faculty, and volunteer dental students for creating this two-day event. The positive culture and strong sense of community at NSU was evident, and made for a truly delightful experience. Monica Bucun, Barry University
Dr. Goldberg teaches Pre-Dental students about CAD/CAM Technology
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Thank you to all the participants in the ASDA WEEK Video!
With Rachel Dorfner (‘18), Kalynn Foster (‘18) , and Jared Gibby (‘17) shooting video and Jared editing, they were able to showcase the students and faculty of the Dental School. The students are very lucky to work in such a fun and welcoming environment. Although school may be stressful at times, the student body can always count on each other to cheer one another up.
Here’s to a great Fall Semester! Welcome new students! 6
Summer 2016 - NovaCaine News