Word of Mouth by JCU Dental Students' Association Inc. | 2020 by JCUDSA (James Cook University Dental Student Association)

word of

MOUTH

JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY DENTAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED

2020

© 2020 Word of Mouth All rights reserved. For permission requests, write to the editor, addressed "Word of Mouth Permissions", at the address below: info@jcudsa.org.au For more information about James Cook University Dental Students Association, please visit our website at www.jcudsa.org.au or send your queries to our group email at info@jcudsa.org.au Facebook: facebook.com/jcudsa.inc Instagram: instagram.com/jcudsa Youtube: youtube.com/jcudsa Printed in Cairns, Australia. Front cover photo by Cassidy Redden.

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CONTENTS 08

editorial message

committee members

presidents' address

academic adaptation in a pandemic

year 5: class of 2020

year 4: onwards and upwards

social in re-ignition

tsvoms trivia night

finding the light in the darkness

alumni spotlight

jcudsa award

year 5: life in the outback

adsa report

q&a: dr. erica martin

year 1: straight into the deep end

o'week 2020

have you tried soap carving?

year 2: roll call: hamptons class ii

year 3: work, fish, sleep repeat

...half way there & on our way

jcudsa instagram takeover

life through the lens

q&a: dr. bj wilson

credits

jcudsa committee 2021

Photo by John Xiong

JCUDSA

geofilter

JCUDSA has a snapchat geofilter! Swipe to the right until you find it. Try it out with location setting and wifi enabled. Available in the D1 and D3 buildings

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EDITORIAL MESSAGE Michael Tien Publications and Media Officer Immediate Past President

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Hi everyone, welcome to the fifth edition of the Word of Mouth magazine! ___Last year, we celebrated the first decade of the James Cook University (JCU) dental school. The success of the Far North Queensland school is a testament to the efforts of a driven academic faculty and their recognition of the need for a strong student culture. Concurrently, at the program's inception, the JCU Dental Students' Association (Inc.) was established.

___This magazine has been made possible by the generous contributions from committed JCU dentistry students and sponsors. On behalf of the JCU Dental Students' Association (Inc.), I hope you enjoy this year's edition and I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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___Our staff, students and alumni are making a fantastic impact to the dental profession in all corners of the globe. I have had the pleasure of collating their achievements in the Year of 2020.

___Without mentioning any names of viruses, the turn of the decade for JCU dentistry has certainly been eventful. Like everyone else, we experienced an abrupt upheaval of life as we knew it from the personal to the professional. However, it is inspiring to see acts of kindness, creativity, and innovation flourish between our student members and the broader dental profession. In this edition, you will find the common thread of solidarity throughout each and every story.

committee members JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY DENTAL STUDENTS ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 2020

Mason Wong

Leanne Brunton

President

Vice-President

Tina Cheng

Joe Kenway

Secretary

Treasurer

Sports Co-ordinator

Michael Tien

Callum Lupton

Crispa Christy

Publications & Media Officer

IT Officer

Sponsorship Co-ordinator

Americo Gomez

Luca Mayne

Shelby Armstrong

Sponsorship Officer

Charity and Wellbeing Co-ordinator

Caroline Ho

Sebastian Collis

Kaylarni Rose

Charity and Wellbeing Officer

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Representative

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Sai Pabbati

Nimrit Mangat

Pyper Smith

Cassia Hodgson

International Student Representative

ADSA Liaison Officer

Social President

Elchèrü Hepburn

Liam Maundrell

Rishil Raniga

5th Year Social Representative

4th Year Social Representative

3rd Year Social Representative

Anna Bermingham

Carly Featherstone

Irene Fang

2nd Year Social Representative

1st Year Social Representative

Academic President

Manvir Grewal

Aaron Lo

Sugam Bhandari

5th Year Academic Representative

5th Year Placement Representative

4th Year Academic Representative

Roshni Thekkekara

Chanel Votrubec

Marnus Grobbelaar

4th Year Clinical Representative

3rd Year Academic Representative

3rd Year Clinical Representative

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Megan Wydell

Sho Kaminakamura

2nd Year Academic Representative

1st Year Academic Representative

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PRESIDENTS' ADDRESS Mason Wong and Leanne Brunton President and Vice President

Well, what a year it has been! ___Mason and Leanne here, and we are thrilled to have been your President and VicePresident for 2020. The year started off strong, welcoming our first years with a jampacked o'week which included the amazing race, a slip and slide, checking out cool new venues (such as The Watering Hole in Smithfield) alongside the long-awaited party bus. ___Unfortunately, COVID-19 affected Australia immensely in March. It was a tough decision to cancel all the upcoming events we were planning, including the annual Dentistry ball. Students got sent home and we were all dazed and confused as with the rest of the world with what was about to happen. During the lockdown period, we started our own Instagram takeovers. It was refreshing to stay connected with our current students as well as learning dental hot tips from our very own graduates. We also want to congratulate our students for doing a fantastic work in winning the ADSA blood drive! ___After months of practising our Zoom skills at home, we were very fortunate to be back in Cairns again for in-person university activities. With government restrictions, we were faced with some challenges, but this didn’t stop us from planning awesome events. Our Academic President, Irene, organised fantastic webinars, with oral medicine specialist Dr. Amanda Phoon Nguyen and anterior aesthetics master Dr. Aodhan Docherty, and the alumni evening talk. With the help of our ADSA representative, Pyper, we celebrated R U OK? Day. Our Charity and Wellbeing Coordinator, Shelby, hosted a fantastic TSVOMS Trivia Night where we raised $430 for the Cairns Regional Domestic Violence Service. Our third-year cohort was able to have their halfway ball to finish the year off with a bang, and our Social President, Cassia, pulled off a brilliant cocktail party. Our job was made easy with such a resilient and diligent team! ___The hardest impact JCUDSA had this year was the inability to bring our Canadian students in first and second years back into the country due to the restrictions in place. We have all missed you guys and we cannot wait to see your faces again! ___To our current 5th years who persevered and have gone through a rollercoaster of a year, we wish you all the best for your careers and we know you guys will crush it out there! ___We would like to thank our major sponsors Townsville Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Group, Medical Indemnity Protection Society (MIPS), Dental Protection Limited (DPL) and Endodontic Group for their continued support during this unprecedented time. We hope you all enjoy this year’s issue of Word of Mouth and we wish all the best for the incoming JCUDSA committee, we cannot wait to see what is in store for 2021!

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Wax, knife and flame

JCU PROSTHO lab

Photos by John Xiong

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academic adaptation

IN A PANDEMIC Irene Fang Academic President

This year has definitely been one of our more challenging years for everyone and it certainly did not allow our scheduled academic activities to proceed unscathed. COVID-19 not only limited our ability to host social events but also our larger academic events as well, such as Clinical Skills Night and Clinical Trade Show. However, in this age of technology, a pandemic was still unable to deny us the opportunity to learn from other dental professionals outside of JCU and broaden our knowledge base. Three webinars were able to be held in semester 2: one about clinico-legal issues from MIPS; a session about clinical cases and practical tips from oral medicine specialist Dr. Amanda Phoon-Nguyen; and, a presentation on aesthetic anterior cases from renowned cosmetic dentist, Dr. Aodhan Docherty. Through extensive planning while abiding by the university's COVID-19 policies, our annual Alumni Evening Talks were able to be held in person, with students across all years attending to hear the experiences of four dentists who had graduated from 2015-2019. The loupes visits from Orascoptic, SurgiTel and Pentax remained popular as ever despite the extra social distancing, contact tracing and hand hygiene measures.

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Though there have been many inconveniences this year, with the help of the President and Vice President, we were able to adapt and provide several academic events. It was a privilege to be JCUDSA's Academic President this year and have the opportunity to work with multiple dentists and companies. Hopefully next year will see the return of our main events, as well as in person lunch and learns, workshops and lectures that have been so wellreceived in previous years.

CLASS OF 2020 Manvir Grewal Year 5 Academic Representative With graduation in sight, it was the final year to a challenging 5-year degree, and we could not wait to finally graduate! But little did we know that one of the most anticipated years was going to be the most challenging… The start of the year kicked off rather conventionally; we all arrived in Cairns for 2 weeks before heading our separate ways to our first clinical rotation at regional or remote placement sites. This was an exciting journey, where we would be able to sharpen our clinical skills, gain confidence and experience a taste of working life. Unfortunately, this opportunity was short-lived. During this time, coronavirus had spread at all corners of the world and was evolving fast. At this stage, dental practices and placement sites were experiencing personal protective equipment shortages and in Alice Springs, where I was, this meant we only had the capacity to provide treatment for relief of pain. Not long after this, the university cancelled our clinical placements, and we were instructed to find our way back home. With domestic and international borders closing, it almost felt like a scramble to pack up and leave immediately. We were all so confused and uncertain as to what our future looked like and so was the university. Nevertheless, to supplement our time in lockdown, we were kept busy with newly developed lectures and group assignments. This was also supplemented with an abundance of external continuing education courses created by dentists who were unable to practice fully due to the COVID-19 restrictions. With the fate of our future in the unknown, it was challenging to keep on working. After a long 3 months in lockdown and online learning, we were fortunate enough that Australia managed to get the virus under control. The light at the end of the tunnel was finally to be seen and we could progress into our 2nd clinical rotation. Although there were new protocols in place, we were not under any treatment restrictions. This meant we were under the pump to see all the patients that were unable to be seen due to the previous COVID-19 restrictions and, although stressful at times, it allowed for the development of speed and efficiency. With the extended semester to make up for the lost clinical experience, we were all fortunate enough to get the most of our placement sites and develop our skills as projected before COVID-19. Even though 2020 was a tough and unforgiving year for us all, I want to thank JCU dentistry for their endless efforts for getting us through and congratulate the Class of 2020 for graduating. We did it! It was a long and hard journey but with perseverance, we pulled through to be better versions of ourselves – more versatile and resilient. Although we were unable to have a last hurrah from having the graduation ceremony cancelled, let’s hope to have a reunion in the years to come!

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the australian dental graduate of the year award Pictured above: Dr. Eli Burger and Dr. Stephen Dudgeon catch a wave on the Sunshine Coast

From Austalia's Most Awarded Dental Practice, Dr. Stephen Dudgeon and Dr. Eli Burger wanted to give back to the dental profession and the next generation of Australian dentists. When they are not on the surf, they are working to "positively transform dentistry" at Australian Dental Graduates. They believe dentistry in Australia needs good leaders to serve our profession moving forwards. The Australian Dental Graduate of the Year Award was founded in 2014 to aid the next generation of leaders by educating them in leadership and culture.

Congratulations to the Class of 2020 for their grit during a year filled with personal and professional challenges. A special mention is to be had for the following dental graduates of James Cook University (pictured, left to right): Finalist of the Australian Dental Graduate of the Year Award: Michael Tien. . Nine JCU students were also identified as top graduates and invited to the Australian Dental Mini Residency: Cassidy Redden, Elchèrü Hepburn, Emily Trinh, Georgie Sellars, Jemma Britton, Kristy Percy, Megan Von Keyserlingk, Praveena Sivanujan and Priya Balnaves.

One talented new dental graduate is named Australian Dental Graduate of the Year and is awarded a cash prize of $1000 as the top dental graduate in Australia. Five other exceptional new dental graduates are named runner up finalists of the Australian Dental Graduate of the Year Award and they each receive a $500 cash prize. Fifty students are also invited to the mini residency which aims to educate new dental graduates in the foundational skills required to be an outstanding general dentist.

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For more information, please visit australiandentalgraduates.com.au

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Congratulations to our new graduate dentists! Class of 2020

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onwards and

UPWARDS Roshni Thekkekara Year 4 Clinical Representative

This year has been a whirlwind of emotions for the class of 2021. Exciting, happy, nerve-racking and even sad. The excitement began as we were finally receiving complex cases such as root canal treatments, extractions and complex restorations. The highlights of this year would be the exposure we all received to new and interesting cases that we had never been exposed to before and being able to learn together and work along such amazing supervisors in our clinic. Times were tough when COVID-19 struck and, while we missed out on clinic for a couple of weeks, we were able to spend some time to ourselves and with our families. While it was a tough year, we all made it through, made unforgettable memories and learnt things we will never forget before we venture into our respective placements across Australia.

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Class of 2021

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social in

RE-IGNITION Cassia Hodgson Social President

This year we started off well with some great o’week activities. We had the inter-year mixer, trinity beach barbecue, amazing race and the yearly party bus with attendance from all four year groups. The 4th years also started with a social event at the new Watering Hole in Smithfield. ___Unfortunately following this great start to a social year, coronavirus hit and social distancing came into play. All classes went online and most students returned home for the worst of the pandemic. Who knew? ___When semester 2 commenced, social distancing rules were still in place and social activities took a back burner. The annual dental ball was cancelled; however, each year was encouraged to organise their own social events to keep spirits high. ___A mixer between dentistry and medicine students was held in Kewarra Beach, with great connections formed. The halfway ball, although delayed, still took place and a good time was had by all year 3 students. Nearing the end of the year, when some restrictions were lifted, a cocktail party was organised. Students from years 1 to 4 attended and had a great night in Cairns city. ___I would like to thank everyone for supporting our social team's events. Once again, another year has passed and, fingers crossed, everything resumes back to normal in 2021.

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Dentistry Cocktail Party Photos by Tom Dolzan

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tsvoms trivia night

TOMS Trivia Night

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After spending a portion of their year tucked away in bedrooms watching online lectures, how much did JCU Dental students pay attention to the news, quarantine culture and rising pop trends? Thanks to our proud platinum sponsors, Townsville Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, we were able to find out!

Photos by Tom Dolzan

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fi n di n g t he l i ght i n t he dar k n ess Shelby Armstrong Charity and Wellbeing Co-ordinator Twenty-twenty proved to be a year like none other. Four months of study off campus along with a transition to predominantly online learning was certainly a challenge for both staff and students. Our charity and wellbeing team (Caroline Ho, Sebastian Collis and myself) begun the year with several ideas to promote positive wellbeing and raise money for charities throughout the year. Unfortunately, the social distancing requirements brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic meant that many of our ideas were no longer possible. Still, the charity and wellbeing team endeavoured to fulfil our role by creating community engagement and putting a smile on the faces of JCU dentistry students. In orientation week, the charity and wellbeing team organised our first social event, ‘Pal’entines’. Instead of a traditional Valentine’s day event, we organised a night at a local bar where students from all year levels could interact and make some new ‘pals’. We also held a ‘Guess the JCUDSA member’ competition. With a baby photo of each JCUDSA committee member displayed in the dentistry building foyer, students were able to guess which baby was who. The student who had guessed the most correctly received a Skyrail double pass voucher - congratulations to Ebony Smith of Year 4! When all teaching became online, we felt it was more important than ever to create a sense of community while students were isolated in their homes.

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Our first initiative was 'Humans of JCU Dentistry'. Six students filmed their day in self-isolation, showcasing some of their newly found hobbies and other aspects of their home life. Due to these takeover’s being a hit, we organised for JCU dental graduates to do their own daily Instagram takeovers. These were very engaging as each graduate spoke of their experience as a student and their now experience as a dentist. Their takeovers also consisted of discussing fascinating cases they encountered clinically along with answering questions from students. When all students returned to campus, we formed a JCU dentistry team to volunteer at Rosies (pictured right) giving out food to the homeless on Sunday nights. Our final event of the year was the ‘TSVOMS Trivia Night,’ held at the Trinity Beach Sports Club. With topics ranging anywhere from international foods to TikTok, the night was full of laughs and friendly competition. We raised $430 for the Cairns Regional Domestic Violence Service through entry fees on the night. The winning team received vouchers from generous local businesses including Sunlover Reef Cruises, Jackley’s Bakehouse and Portofino among many others. Although it was challenging to organise events and initiatives for JCU dentistry students during a pandemic, it was so fulfilling to see students enjoy what we put in place. We look forward to seeing what the next charity and wellbeing team come up with next year.

Photo by John Xiong

Rosies - Friends on the Streets

alumni spotlight

Known for her natural elegant touch, Dr. Ruthy is a compassionate dentist who strives to empower her patients by creating beautiful smiles and bringing out their best features. Aside from being awarded with an Academic Medal at university, she undertook postgraduate advanced training in non-surgical cosmetic injectables where she views the mouth as an integral part towards achieving facial aesthetics, healthy beauty and wellness. Dr. Ruthy is also a goodwill ambassador, devoted to domestic and international global oral health awareness and education. She is well known for her philanthropic work around Launceston, Tasmania,

Dr. Ruthy Hernandez @healthfullnessbyruthy Class of 2013 Associate Dentist at Riverside Dental A familiar face, Dr. Corbin took over our instagram to show us his post-university life as the principal dentist at Annandale Dental in Sydney. He enjoys all aspects of dentistry with a particular focus on orthodontic technology. Dr. Corbin was previously the President of JCUDSA (2013). He has channelled his passion for representation and advocacy with roles such as the Australian Representative for the Australasian Orthodontic Society in Shanghai, China, and was the International Ambassador for Humanitarian Affairs United Nations Asia.

Dr. Corbin Barry @annandaledental Class of 2014 Principal Dentist at Annandale Dental

Graduating from the Class of 2016, Dr. Vy has gone on to practice ownership and received training for Clear Correct aligners and cosmetic injections. She has employed several dental graduates from JCU and, through the collective efforts of her team, has received consistent five-star google review ratings. Recently, Dr. Vy has pursued post-graduate university studies and is the current President of the Melbourne Law Masters Student Association, University of Melbourne. With a plethora of managerial experience under her belt, she has a passion for the medico-legal and dento-legal aspects of her chosen profession.

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Dr. Vy Phan @sunshinefamilydentalclinic Class of 2016 Principal Dentist at Sunshine Family Dental

Dr. Kaejenn Tchia @cajuntchia Class of 2018 Founder at The Limitless Dentist Treasurer at Australian Dental Association NT Associate Dentist at Bupa Dental Casuarina Clinical Advisory Panel Member at Bupa Dental Corporation

Dr. Nadia See @dr.nadiasee Class of 2018 Principal Dentist at Atrius Dental Studios Toronto

Dr. Ricky Lim @dr.rickylim Class of 2016 Associate Dentist at Bligh Park Dental Associate Dentist at Bupa Dental Lane Cove

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Dr. Nicole Perry @mo_the_grey Class of 2018 Associate at Pearly Whites Dental Devonport

JCUDSA award Congratulations to Zoée Brunet. Zoée demonstrates a strong sense of community involvement and has been a leader in her efforts during her time at university. In recognition of her efforts, Zoée received a bursary of $500.00 towards her future endeavours.

What was your greatest achievement so far which helped you get the JCUDSA award? I am honoured to win this award as I know there are many deserving dentistry students who are heavily involved in various organisations at JCU. Some activities I am involved with at JCU that may have helped me get the award include my roles as a Student Life General Assistant and as a Homegroup Facilitator for first year students. I feel privileged to help guide and support new students as I gained so much from these activities when I was in first year. As a certified teacher, I am passionate about teaching others. Last year, I was thrilled to volunteer in ‘Brain Awareness Week’ and delivered a 20-minute presentation about dyslexia in the JCU physiology lab to high school students. What are your goals this year? COVID-19 has made for an unusual year, and so my goal is to continue to be flexible and make every day a learning opportunity no matter what the circumstances are. I plan to continue to grow as a dentistry student as I transition into clinic, taking one day at a time, and gaining as much experience as I can at JCU Dental. I hope to continue to help guide and support first year dentistry students as a Homegroup Facilitator. How would you encourage other students to get involved in the community at JCU and broader? My advice would be to pursue something you are interested in or try something new. Get involved either through work, volunteering or participating in activities offered on campus and in Cairns. Working for the university allows for flexible hours which helped me manage my studies. There are a range of activities on campus that I have enjoyed including JCUSA social sport, MIPS Cup and JCUDSA Sports Carnival. Over the last three years, I played soccer once a week with a team of fellow students. This was a great way to get exercise and allowed me to take a break from studies while socializing with friends.

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In honour of our late colleague and friend, the "Jason Park Study Abroad Bursary" was established in 2019 to recognise the invaluable experience of overseas dental volunteering and provide financial support to JCU Dentistry students wishing to pursue these programs. In 2019, our inaugural team made a positive contribution to the oral health of individuals in a remote Nepalese village. We proudly guarantee an annual funding contribution with further fundraising activities to supplement and we welcome donations from benefactors. Follow our website for more information at www.jcudsa.org.au/store.html

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LIFE IN THE OUTBACK Hema Chodha Year 5 Dentistry Student

Mount Isa, also referred to as “The Isa”, is a mining town in the outback of Australia comprising of approximately 18,000 people and is situated in Northwest Queensland. This year, I was fortunate to have spent nine weeks in the outback of Australia full of millions of flies, dirt roads, 40-degree-celsius dry heat and where Woolies and Coles would be closed on Sundays. Although my placement had been cut short due to the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, my nine weeks in The Isa were memorable nonetheless. Located on the ground floor of the Mount Isa Base Hospital in the oral health department, the dental clinic consists of four cozy dental chairs as well as an in-house prosthodontics lab and is only a five to ten minute walk from the JCU accommodation (depending on which accommodation you are staying at). The JCU Centre for Rural and Remote Health (JCU CRRH) facilitates and houses a variety of different clinical placements including dentistry, medicine, speech pathology, pharmacy, occupational therapy, and more! During my placement, I was fortunate to have shared a pod on the historic Spence street accommodation with medicine, pharmacy, and occupational therapy students that alternated during my time there. From attending group park run sessions, to group trivia nights, walking along Lake Mondarra and up Telstra Hill, together we explored what Mount Isa had to offer which made the time there that much more special.

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If you are interested in experiencing rural dentistry, then this placement is for you. Clinical experiences in Mount Isa with Northwest Hospital and Health Services did not disappoint and included the potential for rotary endodontics, removable prosthodontics, emergency dental treatment, but most importantly the treatment of pediatric patients as well as hands on participation in general anaesthetic (GA) sessions involving restorations, pulpotomies, stainless steel crowns and extraction of deciduous teeth. Personally, those were some of the experiences I sought coming into the clinical rotation and was stoked with hands on teaching and mentoring with pediatric dentistry. The opportunity for outreach trips to Mornington Island and Doomadgee are also available. Overall, my time in the outback of Australia enabled me to experience rural dentistry at its finest while also being able to meet many different students from other disciplines and experience a whole different part of Australia at the same time – shout out to all my amazing clinical supervisors that made this possible, you know who you are! My time in The Isa was unforgettable to say the least and I definitely recommend this clinical placement to all students!

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ADSA report Pyper Smith ADSA Liaison Officer

During a time of pandemic-induced isolation, it has never been more important to stay connected. The Australian Dental Student Association (ADSA) is a national student body that represents dental, oral health, and oral hygiene students from over 13 universities across Australia. We play a meaningful role in connecting oral health professionals from across the country. The organisation aims to create a dialogue between various universities, support its members throughout their course, and keep all dental students informed of issues that may affect their student and professional lives. ___This year created some unique challenges for ADSA. With social distancing restrictions and government imposed lockdown, we have had to be creative with our strategies to engage the student body. The beginning of the year began as usual, with ADSA Talks, ADSA Blood Drive, and generating some excitement for our new first year students during Orientation Week. We were all hopeful of what was to come, such as the ADSA Convention. For most of us, things began to take a turn in March. With on-campus lectures and clinic cancelled for the unforeseeable future, most students returned home. Some within the country, others flew internationally. ___But this didn’t stop us! After taking some time to brainstorm, initiatives like the Brace Yourself podcast and the Dental Mentorship Program were born. The ADSA Brace Yourself podcast was a 12-episode series that discussed topics such as COVID-19, good study habits, and past experiences of both ADSA presidents and students on placement. Several guest speakers and students from all 13 universities got to share their experiences. It was a great tool for students to listen at home, wherever they were, and feel connected to the oral health community. The Dental Mentorship Program is still in its early days, with a trial coming this December. The initiative focuses on connecting dental students to dentists in their community. The aim is to help students fill in some of the gaps of the curriculum and give them the tools to survive life beyond graduation. Both initiatives are a great addition to the ADSA repertoire.

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___Other adjustments that were made included the ADSA Convention: COVID Edition, which you guessed, was online. But we were all so proud of the morale and spirit that was maintained by presenters and students alike. Luckily, by the end of the year, we could host some "almost" normal events. R U OK? Day was one of the first events hosted on the JCU campus following the ease of restrictions...

___All in all, 2020 was a tricky year, but the continued support from both the committee and other like-minded individuals across Australia made it bearable. In times where we must physically distance ourselves, it becomes all the more important to stay connected. We are never alone, and ADSA did an excellent job in reminding students of this personally, academically and professionally. I am beyond proud to have been a part of it.

Five months ago, I experienced the worst burnout and lowest point in my career and life as a recent graduate, having panic attacks about work and fraught with stress and anxiety. I had spiralled into such a negative mindset that my clinical confidence had completely tanked. I was on the verge of resigning from my job and quitting dentistry forever. I was dissatisfied and deeply unfulfilled. This struggle unlocked the most important personal development journey, which through grit, hard work and guidance by my mentors and coaches in life, I am for the first time fulfilled in my job and have a passion for dentistry. Most importantly I gained clarity and purpose in why I became a dentist. This clarity and purpose improved my clinical confidence and communication and i am now growing exponentially. I still have much to learn on this life-long journey but I truly believe having a limitless, positive mindset can truly unlock greatness within yourself and in dentistry. Dr. Kaejenn Tchia BDS (JCU), Class of 2018 Founder at #TheLimitlessDentist

@thelimitlessdentist

https://www.facebook.com/TheLimitlessDentist

If you are struggling with burnout, stress or anxiety, I’m now helping other recent graduates resolve their burnout through an easy 6-step B.E.L.I.E.F System and find fulfilment in their careers without quitting the job.

Q&A DR. ERICA MARTIN WOM

Clinical Supervisor at JCU Dental Lecturer in Dentistry at JCU

Photos by Jeffrey Lai

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We may know her name, but not her story. Dr. Erica Martin shares with us her journey to coming full-circle at JCU.

Where and when were you born?

Do you have any proud moments in your career?

I was born in Singapore and grew up in Paris, Taiwan and Hawaii.

Seeing the fourth years finish and head off to placement and then the fifth years graduating.

When? None of your business, haha! How do you unwind from dentistry? What is your story throughout JCU? I graduated from JCU Dentistry in 2015 and worked privately for 4 years before working full time as a lecturer and clinical teacher at JCU.

Besides a gin and tonic? Haha. I go for walks in the rainforest and swim in the creeks with my favourite people and dog.

Do you have a favourite quote? Which current year level is your favourite?

“A wise man once said nothing”.

I love them all. What is one piece of advice you would give to students? What is one of the best things about working here at JCU? The students! Seeing your progression over time to well-rounded, professional dentists makes me proud.

Do not worry so much about getting the highest grades. Learn how to care and treat your colleagues and patients with the respect they deserve as human beings. Everything - the knowledge, dental skills and your purpose will fall into place then because you are doing it for the right reasons.

more on the next page...

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O'WEEK 2020

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A traditional welcome to our new peers: The Cairns Party Bus. We wish our party partners a prosperous new year and we look forward to welcoming the Class of 2025!

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Orientation Week 2020

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have you tried

soap carving?

Michael shares his top tips to getting started

1 2

Purchase a dental lab wax carving tool set.

Cue your favourite music playlist.

Consider the midline, canine lines, grids estimating tooth size and the Curve of Spee.

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Download the "BoneBox - Dental Lite" App on your phone.

Think about line angles and surface anatomy.

Carbon paper from receipt books work great for occlusal analysis.

Clichéd but practice makes perfect.

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roll call:

hamptons class ii Kelley Dickinson Year 2 Dentistry Student

Year 2, we were stoked. We were no longer the new kids on the dent block. We had some experience and knowledge behind us. This made first semester more exciting than just nerve racking like our first year. We dove straight into new sim clinic procedures and with the introduction of prostho we finally felt like real life dental students. ___You can guess where this story is going, it is 2020 after all... COVID-19 hit hard. Excitement was replaced with the unknown of how the rest of our second year would play out. There were discussions of cancelling the year, going online, repeating? In many ways all these situations came true. University was suspended until administration could figure out a plan for us, lectures went online to ensure we stayed safe at home and for some international students who flew home to be with family meant repeating part of second year in 2021. ___Now, as the year is coming to an end we can all agree that this year has tested everyone in every possible way. Emotionally, financially, personally and physically. The silver lining of it all, if we can find one, is how strong and resilient we all are as individuals and as a cohort of JCU Dentistry. Something that brought us altogether was our Hampton’s Party we had just after our second quiz. It was a celebration of how far we had made it in the face of our adversity in second year. ___See you in third year!

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work, fish, sleep repeat

Marnus Grobbelaar Year 3 Clinical Representative

To say that our first clinical year has been eventful would be quite the understatement. It feels like just yesterday when we walked into the clinic for our first day; palms sweaty and nerves racing. Prepared to see the very first patient of what will hopefully be a rewarding, successful career for everyone in our cohort. ___In a year filled with uncertainty and regular changes due to the ever fluctuating COVID-19 climate, we have learned the value of adaptability, empathy, optimism and teamwork. Skills that will one day become instrumental in day-to-day life as a dental practitioner.

___Experiencing the highs and lows of clinical practice with our patients has revealed the immense privilege we as dental students have to treat the members of our community. As we look to the future we are filled with excitement and zeal on our pursuit of clinical excellence. ___On behalf of the third year cohort I would like to extend a massive thank you to all the academic and clinical staff at JCU Dentistry. Creating a positive, supportive teaching environment for students to develop their clinical skills and knowledge, they have been working tirelessly all year to ensure we are able to continue receiving a quality dental education despite constant adversity. It’s a privilege not afforded to many other dental students across the country and internationally due to COVID-19 restrictions and for this and so much more, we are truly grateful.

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...halfway there &

on our way Rishil Raniga Year 3 Social Representative

As a restriction-filled year full of trials and tribulations comes to an end, we can reflect upon the madness that has been 2020. While good ol’ COVID-19 ensured that our annual Halfway Ball was postponed in July, thanks to restrictions easing, we managed to get the event running in October. I’m sure that this was a much-needed break from our first year in Clinic and the onslaught of online lectures we had endured. It gave an opportunity for people who you wouldn’t normally expect, to let their hair down, eat, drink and have a good time – not to forget the usual suspects. Although the night was hampered by restrictions around dancing, Pullman Palm Cove Sea Temple and Resort provided us with a picturesque location, endless alcohol, and mouthwatering food to celebrate being 50% dentists. I could not be prouder of the way our year handled themselves with setbacks and constantly looked for opportunities to have a good time. I hope that Halfway Ball was enjoyable and exactly what our third years needed.

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jcudsa instagram takeover COVID-19 Edition

Social distancing doesn't mean that we aren't in this together. Earlier this year, four of our student members were kind to let us into their daily lives during self-isolation.

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@joel_sutherland Year 1 Dentistry Student

@shreejal_poudel Year 2 Dentistry Student

@shaili.t99 Year 3 Dentistry Student

@ae_wu Year 4 Dentistry Student

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS John Xiong @johnmannx Year 5 Dentistry Student WOM 55

Mt. Fuji, Japan

Tato the Corgi

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Shinjuku, Japan

Freshwater, Cairns

See Hop Beach, Thursday Island

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Photo by John Xiong

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Q&A DR. BJ WILSON Surgical Registrar (Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery) Christchurch Hospital

An insight into the life of a budding oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Dr. Bj Wilson from the Class of 2019.

Can you give us insight into your journey to becoming a Resident in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery? And why did you choose this career? I completed my medical degree first at James Cook University (JCU). In those final two years of medical school I became quite interested in facial trauma and did my honours thesis looking at Aboriginal facial trauma epidemiology. I then did my basic surgical training in Adelaide and went onto dental school back at JCU in Cairns. I am now completing the last part (registrar training) in New Zealand (NZ); currently at Christchurch Hospital. I chose oral and maxillofacial surgery as my specialty because I love using my hands, found head and neck anatomy the most interesting and enjoy the variety involved. What does your typical day look like as a Resident in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery? Everyday is different (which I love!). Most days we start with a ward round, seeing in-patients, and the more senior clinicians teach and quiz the juniors. When the consultants are there, I'm being quizzed, otherwise I am asking the questions to the house officers. We then all go for coffee and catch up on personal lives and delegate what everyone is up to for the day. The different things we can do in a day are: See patients in specialist clinic referred from dentists and doctors in the community. Minor procedures clinic which involves removing wisdom teeth and small biopsies; go to theatre before bigger operations, such as temporomandibular, orthognathic, salivary gland surgery for example. We have radiology meeting where we discuss interesting and complex imaging cases with specialist radiologists and pathology meetings with specialist pathologists. We also need to see and operate on patients throughout the day (and night) who come into the emergency department, such as facial trauma or deep space neck infections. ___

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Given its competitive nature, what advice would you offer to students who are interested in the career of oral and maxillofacial surgery? (Because of how cool it is) Oral and maxillofacial surgery has become way more competitive than before. There's an expectation that you are an all-rounder involved in teaching, research, clinical work and have good university grades. Also important are your interpersonal skills because a large part of the scoring goes to references from bosses and the interview. My advice would be to come and check out what we do. You can always email a unit (or me if youre willing to come to NZ) and observe a team for a week or two to see what our day actually feels like. The on-call is quite demanding and the pace and nature of work can be overwhelming for some people. If it is what you want to do, then finding some small research projects would be useful. Start with case reports, retrospective studies or literature reviews that can put some publications on the board. And then you will have to look at applying for med school (after completing dental school, vice versa).

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The best piece of career advice you've ever received? When I was an intern, a general surgeon consultant said that the sooner in life you realise what your priorities are and actually prioritise them, the sooner you will really enjoy your life. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? My partner (Tiff) and I bought a small campervan when we arrived in NZ and have been exploring the south island every weekend since. We love tramping (which means hiking and staying in huts over here), I learnt to snowboard this season and loved it and kicking back with friends. Favourite place in the world? Too many awesome places to pick just one. I love NZ though, being stuck here due to COVID-19 hasn't been the worst.

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