ASDA's National Leadership Conference

Chicago, IL

This past fall I had the opportunity to attend ASDA’s National Leadership Conference in Chicago, IL. The National Leadership Conference sets itself apart from the other conferences I have attended in that it teaches the attendees leadership skills that they’re able to implement during their time in dental school and after graduation To kick off the beginning of the weekend, ASDA hosted Josh Sundquist, an American Paralympian and Author to give a motivational speech Josh shocked the audience with his inspiring story of how he lost his leg at the age of nine due to bone cancer and then later joined the U S Paralympic Ski Team Josh Sundquist kept reminding the audience that during his training for the Paralympics, he would frequently tell himself, “One more thing, one more time” This mindset and self-made motto, enabled him to get back to the top of the mountain no matter how many times he may have lost his balance during his ski trips Josh easily made connections with hundreds of dental students when he told us to do our best to complete one more prep, one more extraction or one more practice exam even when we would feel like giving up By listening to Josh’s powerful exchange with the crowd, I was reminded about the importance of staying resilient, facing my struggles with courage and to maintain a sense of humor during difficult times These lessons are transferable in that their significance can benefit my livelihood and my time as a dental professional

Throughout the weekend, my classmates and I explored the plentiful leadership opportunities available by attending breakout sessions such as, “Dental Angles of Success”, “The Importance of Advocating for Yourself” and “Applying To Residency” During the “Dental Angles of Success” session held by A-Dec, I learned about the importance of maintaining proper ergonomics throughout your dental career I was also introduced to their mobile app, A-dec, which has a feature where you can input which quadrant of the mouth you are working on, and the app will tell you the proper operator position to ensure healthy habits to prolong your longevity while providing dental care Another breakout session that I attended, introduced me to key strategies to effectively learn how to better recognize my needs and address my challenges by learning how to self-advocate. I learned that by taking the time to learn this skill, I will develop strong problem solving and communication skills along the way. As my personal postgrad interest involves applying to a residency program, I made sure to listen in on a discussion that focused on the residency application process. The presentation included an organized timeline to follow during the application cycle, the do’s and don’ts during interviewing and other useful resources to reference when getting ready to apply.

In addition to these educational sessions, the conference held a Dental Marketplace and Tech Expo where dental students met with numerous dental organizations to explore tools, services, possible career opportunities and learn about exciting cutting-edge technology. At the end of each day, fun social events were held which created a welcoming environment to network with other dental students from the other 69 dental schools in the USA and ASDA alumnae. Reflecting on this experience, I feel extremely fortunate I was introduced to resources like ASDA and my selection to attend the National Leadership Conference of ’22.