ASDA Newsletter

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Volume 1 Issue 1 November 24, 2015 Page 1 ADAT Exam- Friend or Foe? Why take the ADAT? What you need to know before you register! Interested in Nepal Global Outreach? Get all The Scoop Firsthand A truly transformative opportunity to serve our world. Action for Dental Health Act Get Involved and Make a Difference with ASDA NYU! Learn more about advocacy issues pertaining to Dentistry. THE EXPLORER

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ASDA Newsletter Fall 2105

Transcript of ASDA Newsletter

Page 1: ASDA Newsletter

Volume 1 Issue 1 November 24, 2015

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ADAT Exam- Friend or Foe?

Why take the ADAT? What you need to know before you register!

Interested in Nepal Global Outreach?

Get all The Scoop Firsthand

A truly transformative opportunity to serve our world.

Action for Dental Health Act

Get Involved and Make a Difference with ASDA NYU!

Learn more about advocacy issues pertaining to Dentistry.

THE EXPLORER

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Volume 1 Issue 1 November 24, 2015

WELCOME TO ASDA!Greetings to all the members of the NYU College of Dentistry community. My name is Dr. Wayne Kye, Clinical Associate Professor and a full-time faculty member in the Department of

Periodontology and Implant Dentistry. Allow me to take this opportunity to share how the American Student Dental Association (ASDA) affected my pre-doctoral and professional career.

The concept of ASDA, a national dental student organization, was approved at the American Dental Association (ADA) Annual Session in the early 1970s. Since that time, ASDA has emerged and remained at the forefront of legislative issues that affect dental students and has helped lay the groundwork for the importance of organized dentistry in their future. Such issues include, but are not limited to, dental student debt, licensure reform, mid-level providers, Affordable Care Act (ACA), access to dental care, ethics, mercury and fluoride issues.

We should be extremely proud that NYUCD has cultivated ASDA leaders at the national, regional and local levels. Drs. Robert Vogel and Lee Cohen served as the national ASDA President during the years 1972-1973 and 1997-1998, respectively. In the late 1990s, Dr. Vera Tang represented the College as ASDA Region 2 Trustee while I served as the chapter president. And believe it or not, our friendship started in dental school while serving in ASDA together. Did you also know

that Dr. Elise Eisenberg, Senior Director of Informatics, was actively involved as a dental student?

Now, you may be asking yourself, “Okay, that’s all great. But what’s in it for me?” First off, we are fortunate that everyone in our student body are members (unless one chooses to opt out). This gives the chapter the opportunity to hit the ground running at the start of each academic year and focus on member benefits rather than membership recruitment. These benefits include the ever-popular lunch-n-learn seminars, pizza-n-politics, vendor fairs, and much more.

Secondly, as a member of ASDA, you are also a student member of its parent organization, the ADA. And with that, comes along many benefits including subscription to the Journal of the American Dental Association, free disability and life insurance, and much more. What’s not to like?

Lastly, ASDA provides an opportunity to make life-long connections/friendships and expand your personal and professional networks. Some of my closest friendships were forged with ASDA as the core and during my professional career, there have been countless times where I have come across other colleagues who happened to be involved in their respective ASDA chapters during their pre-doctoral education.

Best wishes and I look forward to seeing you at the next NYUCD ASDA sponsored event. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your ASDA leaders or email me at [email protected].

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Meet the Board

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Justin MacRae

Treasurer

Chris Schiller

President

Khushali Shah

Vice President

Bre Patel

NY County Dental Society Liaison

Rajit Kamboj

NY County Dental Society Liaison Dennis Chang

Vice President

Monika Patel

Secretary

Zia Verjee

Executive Liaison

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Lydia Khalil

Sabrina Pham

Bert Chan

Community Service Chairs

Evan Kollander

Renee Rosenberg

Vendor Fair Chairs

Sofiya Khazanovich

D3 Liaison

Nazia Fatima

Jessica Do

Lunch & Learn Chairs

David Ishakis

Legislative Liaison

Amanda Muzzio,

Nikhil Alaigh

Pre-Dent Chairs

Dustin Hickman

Social Chair

Thomas La

Yan Chen

Varun Nakhate

Historians

Celeste Qian

D2 Liaison

Megha Manchanda

Stephanie Cicco

D1 Liaison

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Volume 1 Issue 1 November 24, 2015

What’s ADAT?

Justin MacRae

Back in May 2014, the American Dental Association (ADA) decided to create a business plan to develop the Advanced Dental Admission Test (ADAT). The ADAT is a computer-based exam designed to provide advanced dental education programs with insight into applicants’ potential for success in their program.

So what does this mean for dental students across the nation? If you intend on applying to any specialty, General Practice Residency, or Advanced Education in General Dentistry program you would be required to take this exam; as early as May 2016. Who wouldn’t want to take yet another exam before leaving dental school? I mean it’s just one more exam on top of the hundreds we’ve already sweated through, right? How bad could it be?

The ADAT, anticipated to occur twice per year, will be divided into two sessions much like the NBDE Part I and will consist of 200 questions spanning 4.5 hours designed to test our critical thinking. It will span subject matter that includes biomedical sciences, clinical sciences, data and research interpretation, and professional ethics and patient management.

The test was developed in response to growing concerns among students and program directors that it is becoming more difficult in regards to how qualifications were being assessed for admissions. The NBDE Part I and II are no longer scored, and a number of dental schools have switched to a pass/fail grading system. According to a survey conducted by Fagin, Howell, Da Silva, and Park (2014) that was sent out to 1,843 US dental students, 80% of the respondents wanted some form of a scored exam regardless of their school’s grading system.

Just a thought: Instead of creating a whole new exam, why not go back to graded NBDE exams? And better yet, reform the exams so that they accurately reflect critical thinking skills?

Another survey sent out by the ADA’s Council on Dental Education and Licensure in October, 2014 went out to program directors of advanced dental education programs. 464 out of 739 programs responded and of these 63% indicated they are likely or extremely likely to require program applicants to take the ADAT. It is uncertain as to what programs were inclined to use the ADAT in their admissions process so be forewarned. When applying to your specific program, be prepared and understand what is essential to completing your application. I imagine that specialties such as OMFS and Orthodontics will pass on the ADAT in lieu of the CBSE and GRE, respectively, but that is just an assumption.

The addition of another expensive standardized test to rank students is less than ideal and redundant in my opinion, especially when NYU already uses a GPA grading system. Furthermore, reintroducing the scored NBDE Part I and II, an exam that is already in place, can help distinguish between candidates pursuing advanced educational training.

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Formaldehyde or Plastination? A Debate of Anatomical Proportions

Sean Lee, Stony Brook ‘18This article original appeared in the September 2015 issue of ASDA News and is modified and reprinted with permission from the American Student Dental Association. To read more dental student news, visit ASDAnet.org.

As fall turns the corner, most students have to get reacquainted to the rigorous schedule of dental school clinical and didactic work. First year students on the other hand have the exciting prospect of acclimatizing to the dental school setting for the very first time. Anatomy has a foundational role in the initial exposure to dental school curriculum, and depending on which school you attend, the content and teaching style vary.

The most significant variance in anatomy course layout from school to school is the implementation of formaldehyde-reserved plastinated cadavers. Plastination is a preservation process where water and fat in cadavers are replaced by curable polymers including silicon, epoxy and polyester resin according to a 1987 article by the journal Anatomy and Embryology. Plastinated specimens are subsequently hardened, yielding inert, dry, odorless and durable samples. The significance of this process is two-fold. Specimens neither smell nor decay, and have a longer effective lifespan while retaining anatomical details. Secondly, plastinated specimens are fully prepared and dissected by the time they are presented to anatomy students.

The use of plastinated specimens at NYU today is viewed favorably by both their students and professors. According to some NYU students, plastinates contain all important anatomical features and landmarks while cutting out the complexity and messiness associated with traditional amateur dissections. Students were also able to handle specimens close up and safely without personal protective equipment, a luxury afforded by plastination compared to formaldehyde-based preservation. Plastinates also demonstrated unique transections and views made possible only through this preservation process. Overall, students believed plastinates provided enough variation and detail to help them understand expected anatomical features and the significance of any deviations from the norm.

Since plastinates were introduced at NYU, NBDE Part I scores of their students improved and failure rate of the Anatomic Sciences section decreased from 37 to 11 percent in 2006 (prior to implementation of the Pass / Fail system). Despite the fact that NYU students spent on average 40% less time than the average US dental student in anatomy laboratory and lecture, they scored 80% above the national mean in the Anatomic Sciences section of the NBDE.

Plastinated specimens are not immune to criticism, however. Most other dental schools in the country have not implemented plastination. Some anatomy instructors, including Dr. David Krause of Stony Brook, prefer traditional cadaver dissections as these models display clinically relevant variation in critical structures, such as the branches of the maxillary artery, superior alveolar nerves, facial nerve and veins of the posterior triangle of the neck. Other benefits include the once-in-a-lifetime visceral experience of dissecting traditional cadavers, as well as the unquantifiable emotional aspect of the dissection process. Conclusive statements about the superior efficacy of one teaching method over the other cannot be made without a comprehensive study. What is clear, however, is that plastinates serve a unique role in anatomy curricula, and holds significant educational value for dental students.

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#DentalSchoolStruggles D1 Stru!les

Mega Manch

10-weeks of school, 718 emails, 385 students, and countless cups of coffee churning out from the Keurig. These words may bring back memories: it’s the sound of first years getting acclimated to a rigorous dental school academic schedule and bustling environment. First year is busy to say the least– between adjusting to the concept of holding a high-speed or struggling to put on a rubber dam on the maxillary typodont, without getting my own fingers tied. Adapting to the challenging first-year schedule is definitely an adjustment. In fact, 2.5 months into the school-year, I received an email stating I’ve been filling in the wrong ‘E-number’ on my scantron, for the past 18 assessments. Well, I suppose that’s slightly awkward. While these are little things, the biggest struggle in dental school is keeping up with the exhaustive work. Before coming to dental school, I’ve never pulled an all-nighter; yet, most of my nights in dental school are later-nighters to say the least. Constantly being bombarded with exams, never-ending lab work deadlines, the concept of “down-time” no longer exists. Just look around the 3rd floor of the newly erected study lounge at 433 1st avenue… First-year dental students are conquering every study room, corner, and table. There’s always something to study for. However, every cloud has a silver lining: There’s a good sense of unity among the NYUCD Class of 2019. Classmates are always sharing notes, study-guides, study-tips and smiles.

D2 Stru!les

Jimmy Han Tian

In the sleep-deprived, caffeinated, and procrastinating reflection, it is the excitement and optimism that I think has slipped away from the second year. Looking back, it is the excitement of learning all things dental, as well as the optimism of all the opportunity, from research projects to speciality shadowing, offered a tremendous amount of motivation to be on top of the school work.The most important thing that can drive us to keep mastering our craft and profession, is retaining the same kind of curiosity, excitement, optimism, and even innocence from BEFORE entering the profession. By keeping the perspective of an outsider looking into this exciting new venture, even as we become experienced and well-acquainted with the nuance and minutia of our job. Now after getting over the initial excitement of dental school, I start to share this exact same sentiment. But having these reflections are a hopeful preparation for the challenges that always lie around each calendar year, each day, or even with each patient.

D3 Stru!les

Sumi Jampana

D3 problems: I think I might have just given my patient Bell’s palsy! Wait, was that DO I just did supposed to have been on #2 or #3? Please, please tell me my patient didn’t just swallow that rubber dam clamp…D3 is a major reality check! All of a sudden every single thing you do has real life consequences. For every patient that’s baking you cookies, you’ve got another one that’s telling you they wish you’d never been born. One day you’ll leave clinic thinking you’re a rockstar, the very next day you’ll walk out the door feeling like a total failure. The good news is that you’re finally getting to do what you've wanted to do from the beginning – practice dentistry! The bad days might be bad, but the good days are absolutely amazing. As long as you keep those days in mind, you're golden.

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How Do I get Involved in Organized Dentistry?

Brijesh Patel & Rajit Khamboj

There are many options you can consider to get involved in organized dentistry. There is American Dental Association, New York State Dental Association (NYSDA), American Dental Political Action Committee  (ADPAC), but I recommend starting local, which is the New York County Dental Society (NYCDS). NYCDS is the largest dental organization within Manhattan which serves dentists, residents, and students by being the preeminent information and education hub for dentistry.

Why should you consider becoming involved in NYCDS? As a student, the answer is simple, it provides opportunities in continuing education, networking, and it’s free. Throughout the year, there are various courses held such as “Hands on Veneers,” “Billing Medical,” and more which can potentially provide students with free CE credits. Aside from the educational aspect, these classes can also serve as an opportunity to network with your future colleagues, and potentially your future employer/partner. Outside of classes, NYCDS also coordinates events such as the Mentoring Reception and The Greater NY Dental Meeting.

The Mentoring Reception, is the official kickoff party of the Mentoring Program which involves dental students from NYU and Columbia being paired with dentists that fits the student’s criteria within Manhattan. It provides students with an additional resource outside of school to ask questions, share ideas, and receive advice in their careers. This is a great resource, especially if you’re a person considering staying in the area after school, searching for residencies, or looking to specialize.

If you’re looking to get more involved, there are many opportunities within NYCDS, all you have to do is ask an ASDA Board member and they’ll be happy to show you how.

http://www.nycdentalsociety.org

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1001 Awesome Things: ASDA Annual Session

Leslie Chu

Have you ever heard of Neil Pasricha’s “The Book of Awesome” or his blog “1000 Awesome Things”? Well, he was the opening speaker for ASDA Annual Session 2015 in Boston! Which makes ASDA the 1001th item on the list of awesome things!

In D1 I had attended several meetings and events hosted by ASDA at NYU such as general meetings, lunch and learns, as well as the vendor fair. However, the most notable part of D1 was going to Boston with a group of

high-spirited NYU dental students. On this trip I truly got to see what ASDA was really all about: a unified, nation-wide student organization! I met a lot of dental students from dental schools all across North America, practicing dentists, delegates, exhibitors and sponsors, as well as many other notable dental professionals whom are at the forefront of revolutionizing dentistry. Because of this experience, I have been inspired and motivated to be more involved and contribute to ASDA both at our local chapter, as well as nationally. 

Besides learning about the latest dental technology, practice management workshops, and other highly informative and invaluable seminars, there is a whole lot of fun involved! On our first night, our district was invited to Empire, a lounge by the waters overlooking the beautiful Boston skyline. We were networking with an amazing group along with fantastic food and not to mention, an open bar. While learning about dental insurance, we were given an endless supply of Boston’s most famous Lobster Rolls and an expansive assortment of beer to choose from at Harpoon Brewery. With our goggles and hard hats, we got to tour the brewery and see how their beer was commercially made and stored. Besides the fun stuff and learning things that don’t get taught in a classroom setting, there are many opportunities for leadership and

advocacy. Our district is divided into several caucuses. And within these caucuses we have the ability to elect a representative. We have the power to speak up, elect, debate, and present key issues. Annual Session is truly an unforgettable experience. The trip concludes with a super hero themed President’s Gala! For those who had the opportunity to attend, have lasting memories and an inexplicable bond with the ASDA NYU crew. I am excited for this year’s Annual Session in Dallas and you should be too!

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Bites of Knowledge with Dr. Eric Studley

Matthew Asaro

Dr. Eric S. Studley has been an influential group practice director at NYU College of Dentistry for the past 31 years, a successful entrepreneur, author, and national speaker of practice management success. Dr. Studley was kind enough to share his knowledge with ASDA and answer some pertinent questions that concern current dental students.

Q: How are the new dental technologies revolutionizing dentistry and how can we expect them to integrate into private practice in the future?

Dental technology has caught up with the high standard of care we want to provide for our patients and are now catering to the patients that want to be treated. The baby boomers are responsible for the highest percentage of spending than any prior generation in society, and a statistic shows that by the age of 50 each baby boomer will have an average of 1 implant.

Q: Students today are graduating with a much greater debt load. How will this change the future of dentistry and the financial future for students?

The average dental school debt in the country is in the $240,000 range, and for most NYU students it’s double. However, if the average first year dentist is making 145k, that means the return on your investment can be returned in 2-5 years. “Dentist” was ranked as the number one job in the US for a reason. The profession sees great income and very low amount of bankruptcy. As a dentist, you can also mold your profession into the lifestyle you want. You can be an employee, an independent owner, a part time associate, or an entrepreneur. Young dentists in lots of debt are learning a wider variety of procedures in an effort to keep procedures in-house and retain patients.

Q: What are the advantages and disadvantages to a group practice as opposed to practicing solo?

A new graduate really needs the mentorship and support that a group practice offers when they are fresh out of school. Group practice allows you to share overhead with someone, cover for each other, and consult over complex cases. The future of dentistry is definitely going to see more multi-specialty group practices. It’s the culture of our country and our profession; a one stop-shop.

Q: In closing, what is the one piece of advice you would give to recent graduates?

Young dentists should grasp the changes in our profession as a positive and look for these changes to accelerate their career for many years to come. Ridiculously big success can be achieved but only by practicing ethically. If you succeed ethically, you stay there. If you wouldn’t do it on your mom, then you probably shouldn’t do it.

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Strength in Numbers - Advocacy and Lobbying

David Ishakis

The growing gap between dental service and low income populations continues to plague the United States, not only in highly populated cities like New York, but also in multitudes of rural communities; 47 million Americans are affected by barriers to care. As dental students, our future employment lies beyond the walls of NYU and although issues outside the concrete jungle may not seem so pressing to us now, it will soon be up to us to address these issues as responsible professionals of our industry. One of the many ways to begin to tackle this complex problem would be to use programs already in place to help relieve burdens such as access to affordable care. Programs like Give Kids a Smile and Missions of Mercy are already in place to offer screenings and referrals to dental offices for continued care. However, with the need for dental care rising faster than resources can keep up with, there is a desperate call for dental professionals to intervene on the sake of patients in need everywhere. To help deal with barriers to care, last year on National Dental Student Lobby Day over 350 ASDA members from dental schools across the country

went to Capitol Hill and met with lawmakers to advocate for bill H.R. 539 Action for Dental Health Act. This act was developed by the ADA and its member dentists to request grant money awarded by the CDC to fund dental health focused programs, both public and private. Many of these programs like Give Kids a Smile and Missions of Mercy are already active in communities and are in need of more funding. Some programs have yet to be developed to reach the remaining areas lacking dental care, but with the possibility to apply for funding available, these programs can get the support they need to get started. As of now the bill has been co-sponsored by 82 sponsors and hopefully still rising.

You might ask yourself what can I do? I’m only a dental student. Go to asdanet.org, click on engage and support the bill. Send an email to your local representatives about this bill and ask them to co-sponsor the bill. Through advocacy we can make a difference even as students. As future dentists it’s our responsibility to start now because the fate of the future of dentistry is ultimately in our hands.

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NYUCD takes on NEPAL

Kanvar Panesar Recently, I was fortunate enough to be a part of a team of 16 dental students, 2 comprehensive dental residents, 3 Endodontic residents, 3 Pediatric residents, and 16 faculty members as we volunteered our time on a 10-day dental outreach mission to Kathmandu, Nepal. Over the course of a five-day-long free dental clinic we were able to provide not only oral health education, but also comprehensive dental care such as examinations, fluoride varnish, sealants, fillings, extractions, stainless steel crowns, root canal therapy, and immediate dentures. At the end of the week we were able to service more than 1500 Nepalese citizens, including more than 400 children.

For many of us dental students this trip had numerous firsts: our first root canal therapy, our first extraction, our first pediatric extraction, our first amalgam, and the first dentures made on an outreach. One of the unique aspects of this trip was that it didn’t concern itself with solely providing dental services, there was a palpable human connection. The NYU Global Outreach team has been coming to the Srongsten Bhrikuti High School in Bouddha, Nepal for the past three years. From the moment we arrived till the moment we left, the children at the school, some as young as two years old, would run towards us with big smiles giving us hugs and high fives. These children

were excited about oral health care. Even though a majority of these children had severely decayed teeth our goal was to make sure they have the best opportunity to have a normal smile. We were truly influencing the smiles of the next generation.

Early one morning I travelled to a Tibetan elderly home with two other dental students to gain insight on the medical and dental conditions facing the elderly and on the Tibetan culture. We listened intently to stories about how they would gargle salt water to stave off toothaches, the immense hardships they overcame as they fled their homes from Chinese occupation, and the struggles they’ve had in rebuilding after the devastating earthquake that hit in April and May of 2015. At the end of this enlightening experience, we offered many of them to come to the clinic to receive dental care. Surprisingly, we were shocked to see that many of these elderly women had beaten us back to the clinic! In one day, we were able to extract the remaining teeth of one of the elderly women and provide her a denture. To have seen her face light up when she saw her smile is something I’m sure to never forget!

This outreach program was truly a transformative experience. The memories from this trip will last a lifetime. If there is one thing I would love for all of you to get from this article it’s that we as future dentists have chosen a rewarding profession and that the NYUCD global outreach program is a great opportunity for you to serve the international community one smile at a time.

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There’s Always Room For Pie!

Zahabiyah Tsiamwala

Grandma’s Apple Pie

Put those clinic skills to rest this Thanksgiving break and show off your culinary skills with this tried, true, and tasty apple pie recipe!

Ingredients1/2 cup unsalted butter3 tablespoons all-purpose flour1/4 cup water1/2 cup white sugar1/2 cup packed brown sugar8 Apples peeled and sliced in wedges

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie2 table spoons ground cinnamon 1 table spoon vanilla extract1 large egg lightly beatenGenerous pinch of nutmeg2 table spoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

In a large bowl gently mix the apple wedges, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, 3 tbsp of all-purpose flour, water, vanilla extract, and nutmeg. Combine evenly.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the apples and stir slowly till the mixture begins to simmer for about 2 minutes. Cover, reduce to medium low heat and cook till apples soften 7-10 minutes.

Strain the apples in a colander over a bowl to catch all the juice. Add the juices back in the skillet and simmer over medium heat until thick and caramelized for an additional 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the reduced juice and spices. Set aside to cool completely. (Pre-make your filling 2 days in advance or freeze for future use!)

Lightly flower and place your 9 inch pastry pie crust in your baking pan. Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F. Gently Place apple mixture in center of baking pan.Cover with diagonal strips of puff pastry, wash over lightly with a beaten egg, and sprinkle some sugar on top for that extra sparkle.

Bake the pie for approximately 50 minutes.

Voila! Home made fresh apple pie.

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MEET THE ASDA EDITORS

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As a rising D3, I knew I wanted to be more involved with ASDA after attending the ASDA District 2 conference in 2014. ASDA has allowed me the opportunity for personal and professional growth, all while having a blast and building lasting relationships. Rock on NYU ASDA!

Zahabiyah Tsiamwala Class of 2017

Last year when I was a D1 I learned a lot about ASDA through my roommate. I knew I wanted to be a part of something bigger and ASDA has offered me so many enriching opportunities. I look forward to my journey with ASDA! Leslie Chu

Class of 2018