Pdl newsletter spring %2717

The PDL, Spring Ed.

April 4, 2017

THE PDL Periodic | Dental School | Low-Down

Upcoming Events • ASDA EC Elections

In this issue: - Annual Session pg.1 - Letter from the Editor pg.2 - CDCA pg.2 - The Match pg.3 - Pre-Dental Impression Day pg.4 - MDA Mentorship pg.5 - Legislative Update pg. 5 - Laughing Gas pg. 6 - Lobby Day pg. 7-8 - ASDA Ball: A Night in Atlantis pg. 7

Annual Session 2017 This years’ annual session had students experiencing the magic that is ASDA. This is the pinnacle of organized dentistry at work. It’s an enlightening experience interacting with over 600 students from all over the country. As an ambassador for our program, my goal was to be the sponge that could learn what other programs are doing to be successful and bring that back to UNE. We’re still a young chapter and each year our growth depends on events like this.

Annual Session serves to bring the House of Delegates together to vote in new national leadership, and vote on policies that shape the future of the ASDA organization. This year we collectively worked on and voted for policy related to a future dues increase to ensure continued growth, universal support for undocumented citizens in dental school, and the unification among DDS and DMD. While there is a lot of fun to be had at these events, there are also countless opportunities to supplement our education with a lunch &

The PDL, Fall Ed.

1

The PDL, Spring Ed.

Letter from the Editor: “And now, the end is near- and so I face the final curtain…”

-Frank Sinatra I still remember those first weeks at UNE well. As an undergraduate alum I had a group of friends and knew the area, but it was all new. I could barely distinguish pulp from what I like in my orange juice. They called us the guinea pigs, and constantly reminded us- “there’s only one inaugural class.” Most of all I remember the quiet halls, 64 of us with an empty clinic. I recall when it was prestigious to be called upstairs to take on the first fillings. The chosen ones, we called them. Now here we are, four years later. After countless hours of study, and ASDA, we’re being called up; the guinea pigs that became colleagues, and the inaugural class that became dentists. Congratulations Class of

April 4, 2017

learn from a CPA, a lecture series on a variety of topics, and a leadership presentation by Jeff Skiles, who walked us through his experience as the co-pilot for the miracle on the Hudson.

This is an amazing opportunity for students looking to explore their leadership opportunities in dental school. It awards participants more than a resume builder, but a network of friends and colleagues that will stay with you throughout your career.

Kailee Williams, ‘19

CDCA: The CDCA, formerly NERB, is possibly the scariest acronym we come to know in dental school. With the DAT, NBDE, CDCA, and ADAT, it becomes a daunting task to simply explain the steps required to get our DMD. This was the final hurdle, and we had no reference. The CDCA is broken up into three portions: manikin based, patient based, and written. Countless horror stories laid a shadow of fear and anxiety leading up to each portion. My experience however, contradicted everything I thought I knew about the exam. The proctors were surprisingly kind and kept us informed at every step. At events to this day, I still hear praise from several examiners on how highly they regard their experience with UNE CDM. Keep in mind there are a million things that can go wrong in this exam, but there’s also a million ways it can go right. You’ll have many preparation sessions prior to this exam but here are a couple keys to success in reflecting on my situation: 1. Read the manual! Even the smallest detail will be the difference between finishing on time or re-taking the exam.

2. Offer to pick your patient up and consider the personal qualities of

2017!

The PDL, Fall Ed.

2

The PDL, Spring Ed.

April 4, 2017

your patients. If they don’t show up, you fail. On that same note, have a back-up ready!

3. Take the written portion soon after NBDE Pt2! I did not do this, and it is much more difficult to re-teach yourself material a year later. These exams are very similar.

4. Practice! Utilize the sim clinic and get your routine down. I promise the canals don’t move between your practice session and on game day.

5. Pick an assistant you can count on, he/she is your teammate and they shouldn’t be slowing you down or losing you points. In my opinion, their main duty is to know the process and keep you calm.

This worked for me and it doesn’t mean there’s a cookie cutter method to success. Take your time and find out what works for you. If things go wrong, roll with the punches and stay positive. In the end, all roads lead to DMD.

The Match...what is it?

The four years of dental school seemingly fly by in a moments glance. You may be thinking to yourself that I’m crazy and how can I possibly be saying such nonsense…but as a fourth year dental student with graduation quickly approaching, take my word for it. There will be days and weeks that feel as though they drag on forever, but looking back now, I can hardly believe my time here is almost up. Moral of the story- enjoy your time while it lasts!

Upon graduation you will have various options to choose from in regards to the path after dental school you want to follow. One of those may be a residency program. Whether you want additional training with less supervision, to hone your training in a focused discipline and specialize, or simply unsure of the next move you want to make, applying for a residency is a terrific option. After all the paperwork, applications, site visits, and interviews, you may have to utilize the “Match”. It can be intimidating so we’ve pulled together some quick facts about the ADEA matching program to familiarize you with this process.

In a nutshell, the postdoctoral matching program is organized by ADEA (American Dental Education Association), and is a way in which applicants are placed into their residency. The postdoc programs that participate in the match are: advanced education in general dentistry (AEGD), US and CAN general practice residency (GPR), oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS), orthodontics (ORTHO), pediatric dentistry (PED), and dental anesthesiology (ANES).

You will need to register separately for the Match ($90) and other than being a dental school graduate or soon-to-be graduate, no other qualifications are needed. However, for acceptance each program will have specific requirements, so please check those out first. It is recommended to register for Match by October 1 the year you are applying. The good news is you don’t need to submit anything else to Match (it is all sent to the programs via ADEA PASS, which in itself is plenty of paperwork!). Let’s say you’re only interested in 1 program, if they participate in the Match, you still must register and participate in the Match to be placed in that residency.

After you register, you will be given a unique five-digit Applicant Code Number- screen shot this, write it down, just make sure you save it! Programs will request this number in your applications and you will need it to rank your sites; it is your identifying code to programs. Is there someone special in your life that you aren’t ready to be physically apart from?

The PDL, Fall Ed.

3

The PDL, Spring Ed.

April 4, 2017

Are they applying to postdoc programs also? Good news! The Match offers “Couples Match” where both parties identify themselves as a couple when ranking sites in order to coordinate placements in similar regions.

Once interviews are over and the dust settles, you will be required to rank the programs you like/want to attend.

Those programs will do the same with the applicants. Through the Matching mechanism, students are placed. But what if you don’t match? That’s okay! There are post-match positions available across the country and you will be contacted with all that information after the initial placements are given. Keep in mind, however, that if you do Match with a program, it is a binding commitment from which neither the applicant nor the program can withdraw. You agree to the terms and services when you register for the Match (read the fine print always!).

Not all residencies use Match and those that don’t are still completely legit programs. However, many do participate in the Match and some programs will only allow you to apply to other Match-only programs. In the end, the choice is yours so make sure you do your research and I wish you all well in your postdoctoral journeys!

For more information, including a list of participating programs, schedule of dates, and more, please visit https://natmatch.com/dentres/.

Katie-Jo Hunt, ‘17

Pre-Dental Impression Day The UNE ASDA Predental Committee hosted a successful Predental Impressions Day on Saturday, February 18. Twenty college students from across New England attended the event to explore the dental field, learn more about UNE College of Dental Medicine, and engage with current dental students. The day began in the Sim Clinic with an introduction to ASDA and admissions presentation from Dr. Tsao . This was followed by dental student panel featuring Brandon Barnett (D’20) Miguel Velez III (D’20), Kailee Williams (D’19), Kathryn Olsheski (D’19), Jess Hines (D’18) and Bobby Belanger (D’18).

The panel and question and answer session covered a range of topics including life in Portland, admissions advice, how to prepare for the dental school workload, and the public health focus of UNE CDM. After the panel, predental students took maxillary alginate impressions on typodonts in the Sim Clinic with the help of dental students and then toured the campus.

At the end of the day, dental and predental students mingled over lunch. Attendees responded very positively in a post-event survey and appreciated getting to know UNE’s unique mission. Thank you to the volunteers who helped make this event possible, we look forward to continuing Impressions Day an Minjin Yoo, ‘18 annual ASDA Predental initiative!

The PDL, Fall Ed.

4

The PDL, Spring Ed.

April 4, 2017

MDA Mentorship Committee “Show me a successful individual and I’ll show you someone who had real positive influences in his or her life. I don’t care what you do for a living-if you do it well I’m sure there was someone cheering you on or showing the way. A mentor.” –Denzel Washington

A recent article in Forbes explains the value of mentorship as a “key to career success for young professionals”. It further explains that we shouldn’t be afraid to seek out mentorship because the end results are lessons, connections and opportunities invaluable to the young professional. However, the article cautions readers to remember that communication with a mentor is a two way street, this will ensure you get the most our of a mentor relationship.

One of the ways that New England ASDA is helping UNE dental students meet dental mentors is through the ASDA/ MDA Mentorship Program. Whether or not you plan on practicing in Maine, establishing a dental mentorship during dental school will only help your success as a future dentist. If you would like to be partnered with a local Maine dentist as a mentor, please join the ASDA/MDA Mentorship Program. Applications will be made available soon and we will be launching the Mentorship Program this Summer!

Please check our website at: http://www.uneasda.com/mda-mentor-program.html Or email our committee at: unedentalmentorship@gmail.com

Lindsey Cunningham, ‘19

Legislative Update ASDA members Amber Meyers (D2), Lindsey Cunningham (D2), Kailee Williams (D2), and Kat Olsheski (D2) attended the Kennebec Valley Dental Society’s “Legislative Night” in Augusta on February 1st. The meeting was held at the Senator Inn with our own Dean Ryder as keynote speaker. These ASDA ambassadors spoke to local legislators about our role as students and incoming professionals into the state’s economy. We hope maintaining a continuous relationship with the legislative community will translate into our needs as future dental professionals being integrated with future legislation. Dean Ryder discussed the CDM and the impact our college has made on the community in its first 4 years. He hopes its growth will continue and further our commitment to Maine and the greater New England community. As ASDA members, we are all able to attend legislative events like these, including our upcoming Lobby Day. Please reach out to your ASDA leadership team to find out how to be more involved!

Amber Succi, ‘19

The PDL, Fall Ed.

5

The PDL, Spring Ed.

April 4, 2017

Laughing Gas

By Erica Knarr

The PDL, Fall Ed.

6

The PDL, Spring Ed.

April 4, 2017

ADA/ASDA National Lobby Day Too often we are asked, what is ASDA? What’s the point? There are social events, fundraisers and networking opportunities, but we are best defined as advocates in this profession. This was the first year we teamed up with the ADA to lobby on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.. That means we were there to represent 24,000 dental students and 161,000 ADA member dentists across the country. It’s easy to keep your head down, do dentistry, and go through the motions. If you look up, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes directly impacting your day to day. You have a voice, but you have to be at the table first.

This year we met with Senator King, Representative Pingree, and Representative Poliquin. Due to a scheduling conflict we were unable to meet with Senator Collins but she was met by our legislative liaison from the MDA later on. They were all eager to hear from us on three topics including: 1. Health Care Reform 2. McCarran Ferguson Repeal 3. Graduate Student Debt Reform Continued on Page 8*

Nate O’Neill, ‘17

ASDA Ball: A Night in Atlantis

The PDL, Fall Ed.

7

The PDL, Spring Ed. ADA/ASDA Lobby Day

April 4, 2017 Descriptions

Student Loan Programs under the Higher Education Act

Advocating for lower interest rates on federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, reinstate eligibility for graduate and professional degree students to use federal Direct Subsidized Stafford Loans, permit federal loans to be re-financed multiple times, extend the deferment period, simplify the loan application process, and remove barriers that prohibit those with private grad student loans from taking advantage of loan forgiveness programs.

Health Care Reform: Support Oral Health

Medicaid Reform: Preserve the EPSDT benefit for pediatric patients, allow states to preserve or expand on adult benefits, authorize HHS to provide guidance to States to assure adequate access to care.

Choice with Transparency: Assure transparency with dental plans to support consumer understanding and ensure consumer protection measures are required for dental benefit plans.

Using Pre-Tax Dollars to Help Purchase Coverage: Provide meaningful tax credits for health and dental plans to address affordability. Preserve the current tax exclusions for employer-provided health and dental plans. Expand the availability of Health Savings accounts (HSA’s) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA’s).

H.R. 372: Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act of 2017

The PDL, Fall Ed.

This would amend the MCarran-Ferguson Act to authorize the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department to enforce the full range of federal antitrust laws against health insurance companies engaged in anticompetitive conduct.

This is limited to dental insurance, and aims to help interject more competition into the insurance marketplace by authorizing greater federal antitrust enforcement. This had overwhelming, bi-partisan support in the House and is now being reviewed by the Senate.

8