MARCH 2016 NEWSLETTER
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Welcome back! Dear ADSA students, Welcome to 2016 ! This year might be your first or last year in dental school, so lets make it special ! As we hit the nice Autumn weather hopefully transition back to school was just as nice. To our first year newbies hopefully you have settled in well and made some cool friends, though it’s still not too late to check out our First Year Booklet on the ADSA website (www.adsa.org. au) if you haven’t already! It’s full of useful tips and tricks and a great go to place if you have any conerns. Be sure to approcah your university representive sometime for a chat and let them know of any concerns or questions you might have. This is going to be another action packed year full of fun and exciting events, convention, volunteering, on capmus competitions and much more. In this issue: get to know your uni reps and some information on uni updates. Look out for a number of Dental Aid Projects rolling out in the coming months and how to get involved. Not to mention, the long-awaited annual Dental Students’ Convention will be hitting up the cultrual captial of Australia, the theratical Melbourne in July this year. There are some interesting things emerging in the community events section so be sure to stay tuned with the events . Also get an inside look to a volunteering trip overseas to India, with one of our oral health student. If you are interested in rural volunteering, check out all the awesome opportunities on our Dental Aid Project page, as well as social media updates. This year is off to a busy but exciting start with a bunch of awesome lineups, make sure you contact ADSA if you have any questions, or like to be involved ! Smile and show some teeth ! Regards
Anna Jiang
Publications Officer Australian Dental Students Association
CONTENTS 04 06 13 14 15 16 18 21 23 24
president’s report met your reps thinking about volunteering? candian dental board exams adsa events melbourne convention 2016 university updates community events rural updates dental outreach india
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www.adsa.org.au
Design & layout by Cheryl X. Chen
ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Amanda Lin sponsorship@adsa.org.au PUBLICATION SUBMISSIONS AND ENQUIRIES Anna Jiang publications@adsa.org.au MAR 2016/ 03
FROM THE PRES.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT Dear Students, Welcome to the new year! Many of you should be well-immersed back into that dental school routine / mad rush again. To our fresh-faced first years, hopefully you have settled in quite comfortably by now, though it's still not too late to check out our First Year Booklet in the Student Centre on the ADSA website (www.adsa.org.au/StudentCentre). For the year of 2016, the Australian Dental Students' Association (ADSA) will focus on increasing engagement within the dental student community and increasing productivity within our team to bring the rewarding opportunities to dental and oral health students nationwide. Our goals for 2016 can be found on the ADSA website. In consideration of the aforementioned, the key initiatives we have launched or progressed to strengthen this year are aimed at establishing ADSA as an organisation that enhances the lives - both academically and otherwise - of our student members. Though we are still early into twenty-sixteen, ADSA programs are already busy brewing behind the scenes. Our newest projects for this year include: >ADSA Orientation: This is a newly developed program for 2016, built on our previous introductory presentations for first years. Orientation activities have been underway since February with our ADSA University Representatives providing presentations to first year students as an introduction to the association. The ADSA Orientation program has also included the running of raffles at each university and an online photo competition for all ADSA members, and the release of the First Year Booklet. See pg 22 for more information on this year’s ADSA Orientation. >Online Student Centre: The ADSA Student Centre has been launched on our website. Here, you may find updates, events, opportunities and educational materials pertaining to your degree/s. It remains a work in progress, though many exciting resources lie ahead! Feel free to check it out at www.adsa.org.au/StudentCentre. >National Dental Students’ Awards & Scholarships Program: ADSA currently working on the fabrication of an Awards Program for students to be recognised for their efforts in leadership and community engagement. External scholarships for students run in coordination with the ADSA are also being discussed for 2016. >Canadian Dental Board Exams: This year, ADSA is playing a crucial role in the communication between students and the Australian venue coordinators at the University of Sydney for the NDEB Exams. Students interested in taking these exams should turn to pg. ??for more detail. >International Connections: This year, the ADSA is looking at upgrading from an affiliate member of the International Association of Dental Students (IADS) to a full member. This will allow all our students to benefit as a member of IADS. More information to come. Apart from the new initiatives mentioned above, ADSA will be sustaining and expanding upon its existing portfolios. A large focus will be placed on community events: the annual ADSA R U OK Day, with plans to release an ADSA Mental Health Awareness Booklet, and Red Cross’s annual blood drive. Our ADSA India Dentistry Challenge, created in partnership with Challenges Abroad, is continuing this year and available for all interested students. For more information, refer to www.adsa.org.au/IndiaDentistryChallenge. The ACDEADSA Scholarship will be once again available for final year students to apply for this year as well. Above all, the association will, of course, be continuing out annual National ADSA Convention for the year of 2016.
04 / MAR 2016 PRESIDENT’S REPORT
FROM THE PRES The long-awaited annual National Dental Students’ Convention will be hitting up the bustling city centre of Melbourne in July this year. This years’ National ADSA Convention will be hosted by La Trobe University in cooperation with the University of Melbourne. The Convention team, headed by Jyoti Anand and Vincent Nguyen, have organised a fantastic and diverse program from the 5th - 10th of July, 2016. The program includes a enriched academic program with seminars, lectures, hands on workshops and several giveaways! I urge all students to try and attend this week in July as it is the perfect way to network with potential work colleagues whilst taking a holiday break from university. Turn to pg 17 to hear more from Co-convenors Jyoti and Vincent about what the La Trobe and Melbourne university teams have had planned! Amidst the busy start, I have to take this opportunity to that our national professional partners, the Australian Dental Association (ADA) and the Royal Australian College of Dental Surgeons (RACDS). In addition, we have several corporate stakeholders who are supporting us this year, which will be acknowledged in the upcoming newsletters. We encourage the cooperation and input of all our student members to help us accomplish our goals and build a stronger association for the future. One of the key objectives of ADSA is to advocate on behalf of students; if you have an issue you would like to discuss, feel free to send an email to advocacy@adsa.org.au, and we will be sure to oversee its resolution. Indeed, twenty-sixteen may be one of the most exciting yet. To keep up to date with what’s happening at ADSA, like our Facebook page and subscribe to our mailing list at www.adsa.org.au/subscribe. Get to know your ADSA University Representatives (see pg 6). You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram for the latest updates. Don’t forget to check out our website at www.adsa.org.au for all updated information on events, upcoming opportunities, scholarships and other useful resources in our newly launched Student Centre! Enjoy the rest of the year. No matter how laborious or overwhelming dental school can be, know that ADSA is here for you every step of the way. Get out, have fun and stay positive. Until next time - all the best,
Cheryl X. Chen President Australian Dental Students Association
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05/ MAR 2016 PRESIDENT’S REPORT
ADSA UPDATES
UNIVERSITY REPRESENTA TIVES MEET YOUR REPS Each dental school has a representative officer that keeps them up to date with the activities of ADSA. University Representatives provide a direct route of communication with each dental school and represent their interests. In this way, ADSA may readily impart information of its events and endeavours to students. If you have any questions or issues you would like to raise, please feel free to speak to your university’s representative.
Komal Shah University of Adelaide
My name is Komal and I’m the ADSA liaison officer for 2015-2016. I am about to start my final year of dental school at the University of Adelaide (finally!), and I have to say the last four years have flown by. I love studying at Adelaide and am so proud to be a part of such a great student society! It is my hope to further spread the word about ADSA within my university environment. ADSA has so many great initiatives, events and opportunities that I wish to get Adelaide Uni students involved in. I would love to improve our convention turnout for 2016 and continue our excellent results in the ADS Blood Drive. Bring on 2016!
06 / MAR 2016 ADSA UPDATES
Tasleem Khan Charles Sturt University
My name is Tasleem and I am a second year dental student at Charles Sturt University (CSU). As ADSA Representative I hope to make ADSA’s presence heavier at the university while projecting all that it has to offer. My aim is to promote and increase student involvement in ADSA’s initiatives with the goal of improving CSU’s numbers for events such as the ADSA Convention and the ADSA Blood Drive. My hometown is Sunshine Coast QLD and outside of dentistry, I try to be involved in a variety of sports including Oztag, Basketball and Cricket. I also enjoy relaxing at the beach, exploring new places and spending time with friends and family!
ADSA UPDATES
Courteney Gordon Central Queensland University
Rebecca Barach Curtin University
Hi Everyone, my name is Courtenay Gordon and I am a third year Bachelor of Oral Health Student at CQUniversity! I have a keen interest in oral health, particularly around prevention and education. I am a lefty and am extremely excited to complete my placements this year. In my spare time, I enjoy hanging out with family and friends, studying and watching medical shows and procedures online.
As ADSA’s student representative for Curtin University 2016, I am very grateful for this opportunity. I am originally from Sudan, now South Sudan and moved to Australia at the age of 11 with my family.
This year as the 2016 CQU ADSA rep, my goals are to strengthen relationships between students within the program and other universities, promote ADSA and improve student involvement in planned events such as Convention and RUOK day. Most importantly however, I would like to get CQU on the board for Blood Drive! I look forward to what 2016 has to offer and am pleased to be the voice of ADSA at CQU!
I’m currently a second year Oral Health Therapy student and I’m also a student mentor for the first year OHT students. My interests, career wise have always been in the health sector and I plan to pursue dentistry in the future. 2016 will bring its own set of challenges and rewards of which I aim to promote ADSA’s programs and events and encourage ongoing involvement of Curtin students. I’m also aiming to become an effective and reliable mentor to help new students from all walks of life to smoothly transition into the course and university life.
07/ MAR 2016 ADSA UPDATES
ADSA UPDATES
Jessica Sun Griffith University
James Meruant James Cook University
As the 2015 Griffith University representative for ADSA, I hope to enhance our student body’s participation in ADSA events, represent their interests and better facilitate student engagement from all year levels with our fellow dental students from other universities.
My name is James Meurant and I am studying a Bachelor of Dental Surgery at James Cook University in Cairns. I’m currently in 4th year, our final one here in Cairns before being let loose on placements around Australia.
I believe that it is every dental student’s right to be at the forefront of the issues affecting their future careers, so I plan on being that medium in keeping our students aware when new challenges and policies arise, and what we can do to have our say. While we have had great success in past ADSA events, I hope to work with the other liaison officers in creating even more student-centred activities such as fundraisers, seminars and social events to ensure our fellow students are given greater opportunities to network, be kept up to date on the latest news
08/ MAR 2016 ADSA UPDATES
I hope to get more people involved in all of ADSA’s events and increase the awareness at our university of the great initiatives ADSA runs throughout the year. I love studying in the tropics and enjoy swimming, running and trying to go to all the waterfalls and beaches Cairns has to offer. I look forward to representing JCU as the university representative and looking forward to seeing you all at convention in Melbourne!
ADSA UPDATES
Sheryl George La Trobe University
Lisa Wang University of Melbourne
My name is Sheryl, I’m currently a second year student at La Trobe University, Bendigo.
I am a third year DDS student at the University of Melbourne. Ever since I attended the ADSA Convention in Cairns in 2015, I have been eager to be a part of an organisation that represents the interests of dental students.
I was born in a small town called East London in South Africa and moved to Melbourne just over 5 years ago. Growing up I was constantly exploring the outdoor life and hence I have built a passion for travel and sports. My goals as our 2016 ADSA Representative is to ensure that La Trobe is well informed with the countless events and opportunities ADSA provides. I aim to ensure a greater number of our students, in particular the new first years, to reach beyond their boundaries and experience all that ADSA has to offer, as it is a great chance to build long lasting friendships and a enhance that community atmosphere.
As the ADSA representative at the UoM my aim is to increase student participation in ADSA events, especially the Convention, as I believe this is a rare opportunity to not only learn but also foster friendships with dental students from across the country. Outside of uni, I have a love for burgers and cheesecake, aspire to winning an eating contest and have a bad habit of binge watching TV shows.
09/ MAR 2016 ADSA UPDATES
ADSA UPDATES
Lauren Church University of Newcastle
Betty Cheregi University of Queensland
Well hello there! I’m Lauren the ADSA rep for the University of Newcastle (UON) and currently in the 2nd year of the BOHT.
My name is Betty and I am a second year Bachelor of Dentistry student at The University of Queensland. As the UQ ADSA representative I hope to enhance students’ understanding of the work ADSA does and increase student participation in all ADSA events such as Convention and the Annual Blood Drive.
I love long walks on the beach during sunset... Joking! While I do like those things, I LOVE Uni days that involve getting into our scrubs. At uni you can usually find me hanging with my scrubby buddies at the café having a laugh between classes and during down time I love going out with friends for a cocktail or 3; or spending time with my partner & kids at the beach, cooking or playing plants vs zombie on xbox (I’m also known to smash them on guitar hero with my mad guitar hero skillz). Anyway if you want to know more about ADSA or have any questions about anything to do with uni life at UON just come and say hello, I won’t bite… hard :D
10/ MAR 2016 ADSA UPDATES
I hope to work with the rest of the ADSA team to create more events throughout the year which will aim to enhance student involvement and networking. I am originally from Melbourne and have previously completed a Bachelor of Biomedicine and Honours Degree. Outside of university I have a passion for cooking, hiking, camping and travelling.
ADSA UPDATES
Katie MacDonald-Walker RMIT University
Arash Boroumandi University of Sydney
My name is Katie MacDonald-Walker and I am a second year dental hygiene student at RMIT University. 2016 will be the first year that ADSA will be associated with RMIT, and I am pleased to have coordinated this affiliation. The Advanced Diploma in Oral Health (Dental Hygiene) is commencing its fourth year at RMIT and one of my goals is to strengthen the support for dental hygiene students through ADSA, promote the association through events in the year including convention and assisting in the incorporation of RMIT Dental Technician students into ADSA in the future. I have been a dental assistant for 8 years- 4 years of that in the Royal Australian Navy. I worked for a regional airline for 18 months as a flight attendant after I left the armed forces. I like craft beer, high tea and spending time with my puggle Chloe.
I am currently in my second year of studies and this year I have the honour of representing the University of Sydney. I hope to increase our student body’s knowledge about ADSA events and about their future careers, helping them make informed decisions as they go along. Dental school is already challenging as it is, so I aim to make my fellow students’ life a little easier by being a source of information for them.Prior to dental school and in my undergraduate years, I did research using a Langendorff heart model so I have a little bit of knowledge in the cardiac field. I spend my free time drawing, cooking, or reading when school lets me. If you are a fan of any of those, chances are we have a lot to talk about and I always appreciate a good book recommendation. I’m eagerly looking forward to this year’s ADSA convention and meeting you, my future colleagues, in Melbourne. 11/ MAR 2016 ADSA UPDATES
ADSA UPDATES
Andrew Liang University of Western Australia
Hi, My name is Andrew Liang and I am in 2nd Year DMD at the University of UWA. I completed an undergraduate degree at the University of Sydney in the Bachelor of Oral Health. Subsequently I worked in private and public sectors for two years before reentering University again to further my studies. Having lived in Sydney all my life, Perth was a welcome change of pace and environment and I have fallen in love with its serene beaches, chilled atmosphere and best of all consistent weather! My aims for ADSA this year is to spread and help deliver its wonderful presence to all University students at UWA. Having experienced ADSA once before during my undergraduate studies, I cannot stress how amazing the unique workshops and opportunities it has to offer. I feel that UWA being geographically separated from the rest of Australian Universities offering Dentistry does not fully take advantage of what ADSA has to offer.
12/ MAR 2016 ADSA UPDATES
ADSA UPDATES
THINKING ABOUT VOLUNTEERING ? Volunteering aboard is a exciting and truly rewarding experience. However like with any overseas trip there are definitely a lot of organising involved. Here are some things to consider when thinking about your trip. Good planning and research earlier on definitely makes things a lot easier when the date is finally approaching ! Below is a list of questions to think and find out about courtesy of Australian Dential Association INC THE VOLUNTEER ORGANISATION
Does the organisation comply with the ADA’s Code of Practice for listing of volunteer organisations? Does it provide both cultural and clinical orientation prior to the commencement of the volunteer period? Does it provide travel insurance cover? Does it provide professional indemnity insurance? COST AND CONDITIONS What will it cost? (e.g. flights, accommodation, meals, ground transport, incidentals) Is there any subsidy available from the organisation or from elsewhere? Will my expenses be tax deductable? For how long is my commitment? Do I need a Working with Children check? THE VOLUNTEERING COUNTRY
Is the general locale safe? What is the climate like? Is there ‘hands-on’ administration and supervision at the proposed site? Are there cultural issues of which to be aware, e.g. dress requirements, hair style, tattoos, gender issues, religious, taking photographs, interpersonal communication? Who arranges travel to the country? What are the visa requirements? How do I travel to/from the site? What is the standard of accommodation? What kind of food is available, e.g. local only, western, vegetarian, gluten-free? Will there be access to internet, telephone networks? Will my mobile ’phone work? What is the local currency? What is the best way to access cash during the visit? Can I use a credit card? PERSONAL HEALTH Are there any endemic diseases (e.g. malaria, tuberculosis) What vaccinations will I need? Can I take medications for personal use? Are (safe) medications available locally if I need more? What happens in the case of an emergency should I fall ill or become injured? Are there protocols in place, inclusive of accessible medical and hospital facilities? What is the standard of local medical care if I become ill or injured? Can I be easily repatriated if I have a medical (or family) emergency?
13/ MAR 2015 ADSA UPDATES
ADSA UPDATES
CANADIAN DENTAL BOARD EXAMS To become a licensed dentist in Canada, graduates of accredited dental programs must successfully complete the National Dental Examining Board of Canada’s (NDEB) Equivalency Process. The Equivalency Process comprises of two examinations - written and OSCE. These examinations are based on the Competencies for a Beginning Dental Practitioner in Canada. From 2016, ADSA will be liaising with the University of Sydney, as the host school, to bring the NDEB exams to you in Australia. If you are a recent graduate or final year student interested in taking the exams and/or practising in Canada - please check the eligibility criteria and fill in the Expression of Interest form on the ADSA website: http://www. adsa.org.au/#!canadian-dental-board-exams/qqp8z The full information flyer for Australian and New Zealand students is also available for download and accessible from the above ADSA website link. Please note: completing the Expression of Interest will assist ADSA and the University of Sydney in organising facilities for the exams; it will NOT register you to sit the NDEB exams. Please ensure you visit www.ndeb.ca to complete your examination registration.
14/ MAR 2015 ADSA UPDATES
ADSA EVENTS
O-WEEK 2016 ADSA Orientation is a newly developed program for 2016, and aims to allow students to learn more about being a dental / oral health student as a part of ADSA. Did you know: any dental, oral health therapy / hygiene student in Australia is automatically a member of ADSA! UNIVERISITY PRESENTIONS University presentations have been completed at each university to introduce first year students to ADSA. If you missed out, be sure to contact your university representative (see pg 6) to catch up!
UNIVERSITY RAFFLES Enter the raffle here: http://goo.gl/forms/jVe6fkVtyn to sign up to the ADSA mailing list at be in the running for $50 off any ADSA Melbourne Convention 2016 package. Get in quick! Entries close 20 March. ONLINE PHOTO COMPETITION Another opportunity to win $50 off Convention! To enter, simply: 1. Like ADSA on Facebook / Follow us on Instagram (@adsamedia) 2. Take a photo that best shows your “life as a dental/oral health student” (instrument kits, textbooks, that PPE look… anything that you find stands out about your degree) 3. Post on Facebook and/or Instagram with the hashtag #ADSAbacktouni2016 Entries close 11:59pm AEST 31st March 2016. For more info, go to http://www.adsa.org.au/… Note: Make sure you are registered on our official mailing list (adsa. org.au/subscribe) so we can confirm your ADSA membership status!
FIRST YEAR BOOKLET The First Year Booklet has been released on the web! Find it on the Student Centre (www.adsa.org.au/StudentCentre).
15/ MAR 2016 ADSA EVENTS
COMING UP SOON
CONVENTION 2016 La Trobe University, in collaboration with the University of Melbourne, are proud to be hosting the 2016 ADSA Convention, based this year in the world’s most liveable city, Melbourne. With July only four months away, our team is currently placing the final touches on the academic and social schedule to guarantee you an exciting and entertaining week. Jyoti Anand & Vincent Nguyen 2016 ADSA Convention Co-convenors Utilising the University of Melbourne’s state of the art facilities, immerse yourself in exciting lectures and seminars on topics such as orthodontics, forensic odontology, prosthodontics, and periodontology. Also on the agenda are hands on workshops where you will dabble in impression making and sectional matrices to help expand your practical knowledge. With a guest appearance from A/Prof Matthew Hopcraft – dentistry’s very own masterchef – the academic calendar is sure looking very ‘sweet’. Arriving on Tuesday 5th July, check in to the comfortable Pegasus Hotel, fully equipped with indoor pool, spa, gymnasium, restaurant, and café/bar among many other amenities. In the evening, head off to the docklands in the evening for a ‘meet and greet’ cruise on The Lady Cutler Melbourne Showboat, a vessel that boasts two dance floors, surrounding outside decks, and a club lounge with leather seating. The cruise will showcase the beautiful city sections of the Yarra River to the Webb Bolte and Westgate Bridge, the Victoria Harbour, the great Melbourne Port with its vast and fascinating shipping yards, and the small and lively bays of Williamstown and Port Melbourne. On Wednesday, discover some of the best bars that Melbourne has to offer on the pub crawl. The night is planned to begin at the old Melbournian favourite, Asian Beer Café, where access to happy hour prices are sure to satisfy (did someone say $7 long island iced teas?). The party then moves to the tropical El Coco, an exciting Cuban-themed bar to help you shake away the Melbourne cold, and ends at La Di Da, where you can dance the night away or enjoy a drink at the cocktail bar. On Thursday, strap on your seatbelts as we road trip out to Ballarat to see the historic Sovereign Hill, an outdoor museum presenting the story of Australia’s fabulous gold rush history. There will be plenty of novel activities for you to do – from taking a tour of the mines, gold panning and pouring, or viewing the pouring of the famous Sovereign Hill rock confectionary. Remember to pose for a photo with the costumed goldfields characters! 16 / MAR 2015 UPCOMING EVENTS
COMING UP SOON Get ready for an exhilarating Friday night, as we head to an exclusive party at Ms Collins, a trendy club with food by acclaimed chefs and a world-class beverage and cocktail listing. Later in the night, move into the main bar to enjoy Ms Collins’ renowned ‘Phat Fridays’ RnB party. Don your finest garb and sip on some champagne as we celebrate the end of convention with our annual ball on Saturday night. Hosted at the picturesque Rivers Edge Events, be sure to expect some sweeping panoramic Yarra River and and Melbourne skyline views, as we reminisce about the amazing week that has passed. Registration opens late April. Keep a lookout on the ADSA website, Facebook page, and Twitter for more updates. Hope to see you in July!
Jyoti Anand & Vincent Nguyen 2016 ADSA Convention Co-convenors
17/ MAR 2015 UPCOMING EVENTS
UNI UPDATES
UNIVERSITY UPDATES
Each issue of Articulate will have updates of three Universities, for this issue, have a read of what’s been happening at CSU, Adelaide and CQU.
Charles Sturt University
Tasleem Khan 2016 ADSA CSU Representitive
2016 at Charles Sturt University has got off to a fantastic start with the welcoming for the new first year dentistry students. O Week was a great success with an enthusiastic bunch of first years looking forward to an exciting year ahead. They were introduced to the staff in the dentistry faculty and received tours of the simulation clinic and dental laboratory. In addition, they were involved in many activities during the week including a scavenger hunt, an amazing race, ten pin bowling, bar night and a barbeque. The Charles Sturt University Student Dental Association’s (CSUSDA) first major event for the year was the SDA Wine Mixer and BBQ. It was well attended and a great start to the year with an opportunity to mingle with fellow dental students and meet the first years in particular. Next on CSUSDA’s agenda is the Commencement Ball. It is an opportunity to have students from all five years of the degree get together and let their hair down. The CSUSDA also holds a fundraiser to raise money for charity. Furthermore, training has commenced for the Roland Bryant Cup and CSUSDA is gearing up to head to Sydney University in May and further the winning streak to seven years in a row! Some other events on CSUSDA’s calendar include the SDA Bar Night, SDA Halfway Ball, Dent Revue and Futures Night
18 / MAR 2016 UNI UPDATES
UNI UPDATES
University of Adelaide
Komal Shah 2016 ADSA University of Adelaide Representitive
The Adelaide University Dental Students Society (AUDSS) has been quite busy with o-week rolling around and meeting all the freshers. We’ve had our usual lectures for them from both university staff as well as student’s to introduce them to the dental life. O-week had the membership stall and sign-ups and an event in the basement which brought together all of our sponsors and commencing students. These included indemnity companies and clubs around the university, including Insight, AUHRA and AUSS. We’ve also commenced the Faculty of Health Sciences Peer Mentor program, which has seen lots of involvement from the senior dentistry cohorts in helping students transition into university. The first calendar event of the year, Fresher’s BBQ, was a gloriously hot day spent by the pool getting to know all the newbies! We’ve got lots more events to look forward to in order to introduce all the first year’s to the dental social scene including our Hawaiian themed Fresher’s Basement Party and Dental Camp coming up in the next week. We’ll see a lot of budding future professionals dressed up as their favourite Disney or Pixar character on the first night of camp and what they’d much rather grow up to be on the second night. Getting pumped for the rest of the year!
19 / MAR 2016 UNI UPDATES
UNI UPDATES
Central Queensland University
Courteney Gordon 2016 ADSA CQU Representitive
Well, it has been a busy couple of months for many of the Oral Health Therapy students here at CQUniversity. Over the past 4 months, we have seen 18 new graduates enter the workforce and 25 students progress through to their final year of BOralHlth with many exciting times ahead! Our Third year students prematurely started the semester with a two-week intensive program to reintroduce them back into the fine world of rubber dam, local anaesthetic, drilling, scaling and lesson planning. The Third years have just started one of their many placements around the Rockhampton region either in the new Stage II Clinic, Orthodontic Practice, Private Practice, Residential Care‌ the list goes on. Our Second year students also started back a week early to get the ball rolling with orientation, cultural awareness, ergonomics, ADSA talks and vital signs training. At this stage they are all very eager to get into the sim lab to start drilling away at their learn-a-prep and mastering the art of debridement.
20/ MAR 2016 UNI UPDATES
COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY EVENTS Life as a dental/oral health student - Photo Competition! There are only __ days left to enter our photo competition! If you have signed up to our mailing list and liked us on Facebook and Instagram, the rest is as simple as posting a photo with the hashtag #ADSAbacktouni2016 for your chance to win $50 off any ADSA Convention 2016 package. With Convention being held in Melbourne this year, you’ll definitely want to be there! Entry into the competition is deemed as acceptance of the terms and conditions, which can be found on our website.
Happy Snaps... ...from a campus near you! Take photos of whatever you feel best describes the personality of your campus. Use the hashtag #ADSA for the chance to be featured here in the next issue of Articulate!
21/MAR 2106 COMMUNITY EVENTS
COMMUNITY #savetheCDBS The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) provides access to benefits for basic dental services to around 3 million children aged 2-17 across Australia each year. As you may be aware, the current CDBS is at risk of being cut from the next federal budget, not only affecting us as future health practitioners but also the wider community. With the scheme facing the axe come budget time, the ADA is working hard to save it, lobbying at a ministerial level in Canberra, as well as the setting up of a petition in the hopes that the government may be convinced to reconsider their position. What you can do: 1. Sign the petition (can be found at this address: https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-government-axing-free-dental-care-forkids-petition-to-federal-minister-for-health-the-hon-sussan-ley-mp) 2. Email it to friends and family, and share on social networks 3. Share the petition with your patients 4. Make a complaint to your local MP
22/MAR 2106 COMMUNITY EVENTS
RURAL NEWS
RURAL UPDATES This year there are heaps of fantastic opportunities for dental students to get involved within rural and remote health! ADSA Rural Health Calendar for 2016 which will show all events and opportunities available to dental students in all parts of Australia. You can find this calendar under the rural section of the ADSA website By Kaejenn Tchia ADSA Rural Officer 2016
Rural Health Opportunities Applications are open for an opportunity to participate in the 2016 Go Rural program and to become a delegate in the Compass Teaching and Learning Conference 2016. Six successful applicants will be chosen to travel to the Northern Territory from 10-15 May 2016 and participate in unique experiences in a rural setting. Some expenses, including travel and accommodation, are paid for on the trip. Students who wish to apply can find more information at http://www.ntphn.org.au/node/3403 (Applications close Monday 21 March, 8am CST) First year nursing and allied health students from country Victoria can apply now for the 2016 Give Them Wings scholarships. These are worth $2500 each and include a Royal Flying Doctor experience. Rural Health Workforce Australia is proud to offer these scholarships in partnership with the Royal Flying Doctor Service Victoria. Applications close 31 March. Find out more and apply at www.rhwa.org.au/GiveThemWings
National Rural Health Student Network (NRHSN) The National Rural Health Student Network (NRHSN) have recently released their Rural Placements Guide, a fantastic resource for any dental students currently on rural placements or about to endeavour to a remote region. This free resource can be accessed at http://www.nrhsn.org.au/resources/ publications/rural-placements-guide/. This year the NRHSN have also released their new Mental Health Guide: When the cowpat hits the windmill, a resource written by students for students with the assistance of Beyond Blue. This guide contains useful tips on ways to maintain good mental health whilst on placement or working rurally. More information on this free resource can be found at http://www.nrhsn.org.au/home/news/ when-the-cowpat-hits-the-windmill-check-outour-mental-health-guide-for-when-you-go-rural/ Finally, March 17 marks the 21st Birthday Celebration of the NRHSN since its initial operations in 1995. There will be a national celebration across Australia with all associated rural health clubs also participating in the festivities.
23/MAR 2016 RURAL UPDATES
YOUR STORY
DENTAL OUTREACH IN INDIA
By Liza Pretorius, Central Queensland University
ADSA India Outreach in association with Challenges Abroad Australia: 8 – 13 January 2016. My recent visit to New Delhi in India has been a life-altering experience. I was received with love and warmth at the homestay where I lived for the two-week duration of the volunteering trip. Here I received two delicious meals a day and also an abundance of tips and advice on everything from navigating the city by means of autos (tuk-tuks) and the metro (rail), to bargaining at the bazaars (markets). During the first week I observed dentists at the DCWA (Delhi Community Woman’s Association) charity hospital in Zamrudpur. It was interesting to see the differences in patient management; especially with regards to infection control and antibiotic prescription regimes. During the second week I performed dental exams on children at the Akshay Pratishtan School in Vasant Kunj. 24/ MAR 2016 DENTAL OUTREACH INDIA 2016
I was guided by a phenomenal paediatric dentist, Dr. Deepti Khurana. She provided a tremendous amount of insight into managing children of all ages, but what I found especially valuable was seeing her approach to managing children with hearing impairment and cerebral palsy. The lessons I have learned from her will definitely help me in my future career. It was also interesting to do dental check-ups in a regular chair with a flashlight … improvisation was at the order of the day, but it helped me appreciate the things I so easily take for granted here in Australia. We managed to screen 62 children in two days. Twentyone children with the most extensive plaque and calculus build-up were selected for debridement at a local dentist’s practice. The majority of these children had some level of mental or physical disability; and they were specifically selected because we felt they were most in need of assistance. The debridements were performed
YOUR STORY over two morning sessions. It was extremely rewarding to work with children that I would otherwise have been reluctant to treat. Dr Khurana was very encouraging and I was truly amazed at the results that can be achieved with the correct approach. The rest of our time at Akshay Pratishtan School was spent giving Power Point presentations on oral health. Tooth brushing technique and instructions on flossing were given in small groups. Most of the children were very eager to brush the model’s teeth, however the product that attracted the most attention was floss! Very few students knew what it was and we even had a teacher coming to us after a demonstration asking about it. I would encourage anyone who is fit and healthy, who yearns for adventure and is not deterred by crazy traffic and language barriers to consider volunteering in India. Before my departure the doomsayers had so many warnings ranging from the dreaded Delhi-belly to abductions and forced marriages. Personally I found that as long as vigilance and common sense prevail there really is little to fear. The bottom line is that this outreach offers an opportunity to make a real difference in people’s lives. Take on the challenge … you know you want to!
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