Probe 2021 - issue 4

Dec 2021, Issue 4

THE PROBE UWA DENTAL STUDENTS' SOCIETY MAGAZINE

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Dental Dinner - 5

Graduation - 11

Halfway high tea - 13

TIMA volunteering - 15

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR MEDIA REPS

JOANNA & RACHAEL In just a blink of an eye, 2021 has come to an eventful end. It has been an absolute pleasure being the Media Representatives of 2021, as we enjoyed bringing you precious moments from all the events in the past year. A special thanks to the whole committee for their tireless work in making this year such a wonderful event-packed year.

For this last issue of The Probe 2021, we will be reminiscing on the important events of the last quarter of the year. The UDSS committee really did end the year off with a bang!

From Dental Dinner, to DMD2 halfway high tea, there is much to look forward to in this issue!

Lastly, we are immensely grateful to have been your media representatives for this year. Although we have certainly enjoyed this role, we are excited to be welcoming your 2022 Media Representatives - Peter and Sarah. We can't wait to see what they have installed! Keep a lookout for the mesmerising media content they will be putting out on all our social media platforms!

Lots of love - Joanna and Rachael

WHAT'S INSIDE:

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CONTENTS 03 05 07 09 11 13

President's Farewell Dental Dinner Quiz Night Laser Tag Class of 2021 Graduation Halfway High Tea

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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE FAREWELL FROM THE PRESIDENT Dentistry is a strange beast. It is possibly the hardest course offered at a tertiary level. However, to anyone outside our little bubble of teeth, the difficulty does not compute. The apparent 8 to 5 schedule seems similar to working a full time job, “welcome to the real world” oft comes to mind.

But, to those privy to how our profession functions, it is common knowledge that the trials and tribulations faced in dental school are second to none.

The relationships we developed, forged in the fire of the DMD program, are amongst the strongest material known to humans (even better than amalgam).

ETHAN LLOYD UDSS PRESIDENT 2021

It is with that in mind that I would like to congratulate the graduating Class of 2021. I would also like to thank them for their efforts in reducing the struggle for years to come; through invaluable notes (you know who you are), to being the pilot group of the DMD2.0, the departing class have tried their absolute best to make life as easy as possible for us, which we are eternally grateful.

I wish them, and all the continuing students, the best of luck for the next year, and a safe holiday season.

"Welcome to the real world"

Signing off for the final time - Ethan

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Dental

Every year UDSS holds a Dental Dinner to celebrate the graduating DMD4 cohort. This year the Senior Social Representatives and MCs for the night were Francis Fong and Shan Li. It was held on the 27th of November, at the Astral in Crown Perth with a record number of 275 attendees. Students, staff, and sponsors were all present and made for an amazing celebratory night for our graduating class.

Food and drink were provided, and people were dancing late into the night.

Sally Tan and Philip Tsen helped direct and edit the end of year video which debuted on the night and is now available to view on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY1sQDUuQSs). The event would not have been possible without our generous sponsors – ADAWA, MDA, A-dec, POMDSC & Envision Medical Imaging. Congratulations and best of luck to our graduating DMD4s and we hope everyone who attended had a great night.

-Written by: Shan Li & Francis (Senior social representatives 2021) 05

Dinner

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z i qu ht g i n

Trivia time!

Our annual quiz night is UDSS’s final event to celebrate the dreaded start of exam season. This year it was held at the Hollywood Bowls Club, accompanied by delicious nibbles and free flowing beer. It was a chance for students to go head to head and show off their knowledge of food, pop culture, sports and entertainment trivia as well as demonstrate their lung capacity, dance moves and agility in a variety of mini games.

A huge thanks must go out to all our sponsors particularly BOQ, DPLA and the ADA without whom this event could not have been possible.

One lucky winner even got to take home a generously donated Apple Watch!!

We hope everyone had a lot of fun, and enjoyed our final event for UDSS.

- Love Shi Han and Priya (Junior social representatives 2021)

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SUMMER SPORTS VOLLEYBALL Due to COVID-19 restrictions and the abundance of dental students spending the holiday summer away from family, UDSS decided it would be a fun idea to register a summer volleyball team! With Anooshree as captain, ‘Set and Bond’ has gotten off to a fantastic start! Team members include Gia Nguyen, Kevin Jin, Nick Goh, Erin Miller, Shenelli Croos Dabrera, Jordon Wong, Sarah Boon, Xuan Zhu, Monnie Abbas, Ryan Leung and Rachel Geow. The team is half way through the season, but are taking a break for Christmas and New Years!

- Anooshree (Volleyball captain)

Welfare Week!

The UDSS sports team held Welfare Day on the 22nd of August at Lazer Blaze Willeton! We had ONLY DMD1s, DMD2s, DMD3s battle in the arena in groups of 2, 3 and 4 people.

Another benefit was having THE WHOLE ARENA TO OURSELVES. The goal was to shoot as many people in other teams as possible and find and destroy 3 other home bases. "Captain America" was our overall winner with a whopping score of 10474, with runner ups: "Vampire", "Iron Man", "Dexter" and "McCoy" all 9000+ (you guys know who you are). We celebrated with a mountain of hot chips and had a relaxing evening to finish off our midsemester break. That is a wrap from your sports representatives for the rest of this year! We hope you have enjoyed the events we have put together and continue to stay healthy and active!

Signing off for the last time - Amy & Mona (Sports Representatives 2021)

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Congratulations

Class of 2021

GRADUATIONS IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC There are many words to describe the Graduating Class of 2021, but the most appropriate is ... Resilient.

In 2020, at the start of the pandemic, the class of 2021 were impacted by the long lockdown in Perth. Although their schedule was disrupted and their clinic sessions were halted. They remained determined to finish the year while providing excellent care to their patients.

In 2021, their final year, Perth experienced multiple snap lockdowns. However, this did not deter them from persevering and carrying on with becoming a great dentist.

The Class of 2021 has also been great support and help for other year levels. From the detailed and informative notes to the clinical advice, the subsequent year level cannot thank them enough for all the help they have provided.

Congratulations Class of 2021, you have made it through a tough course and we cannot wait to see what you achieve.

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All the best, Class of 2021!

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DMD2's

HALF WAY HIGH TEA

The end of 2nd year marks the half way mark of the long DMD course. Previous years celebrated with high tea. However, last year's DMD2 changed the tradition and planned a half way high "picnic" in Kings Park. This year's DMD2 has followed suit.

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, the DMD2s met up at Kings Park for a picnic to celebrate making it halfway through the DMD course. Feasting on a tasty selection of savoury and sweet treats, we spent the afternoon relaxing and laughing in relief at having survived an intense year. Thank you to everyone who contributed food and picnic blankets to help make a memorable afternoon!

- Thomas (DMD2 representative and UDSS president 2022) 13

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TIMA

Helping Perth's most disadvantaged and vulnerable population By: Dr. Samuel Deng I first heard about TIMA when I was a first year dental student at the Oral Health Centre. At the time, I was still new to dentistry and had a very basic understanding about dental treatment planning and clinical techniques. However, many of the other volunteers spoke highly of the experience as they were able to closely observe clinicians, learning different technical skills and how to effectively communicate with patients. I started as a volunteer dental assistant, and witnessed many different things, learning important skills and techniques. I watched how clinicians clearly explain certain problems and treatments to patients, as well as picking up specific clinical techniques that may not have been found in a lecture or textbook. Being involved in such a close team has helped me build a strong network of dental colleagues, making lifelong friends whom I can consult and discuss different cases with. Moreover, being able to contribute to the greater community and provide care that people so desperately needed was fulfilling. The gratitude patients had when receiving their first set of dentures and finally being able to confidently smile will be something I will never forget. Now my responsibilities have switched to being a member of the core team. I am now in charge of recruiting new volunteers to the program, while also ensuring smooth clinic operations on the day. I remember how enjoyable and crucial volunteering as a dental assistant was as part of my academic and professional journey, which is why I am enthusiastic about spreading the word and encouraging more dental students to volunteer.

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For feedback and suggestions, contact us at: udss.media.officer@gmail.com https://www.udss.online https://www.facebook.com/uwadss

Find us at: University of Dental Students' Society 17 Monash Ave Nedlands, Western Australia

All photo credits to their respective owners