Colorado ASDATakes Annual Session By Storm - 5 Gold Crown Awards- the New District 9 Trustee and- the New National President!

Annual Session Edition

“Hail Chief”An Interview with Christian Piers

to the

How Does ASDA Make A Difference?

Feature Article:

Annual Sessionin a nutshell:- Annual Session as a Skeptic- The 3 A’s of Awesome- “Some Club’s”

Vol. 1 Issue 3

Cover Photo by Caught in the Moment Photography

Pictured: Christian Piers ‘16

The Colorado Extraoral Journal:Dentistry Outside the Mouth

The Official Newsletter of the Colorado Chapter of the American Student Dental Association

Executive Council

Executive Committee

PresidentChristian Piers

Vice PresidentChris Klekamp

Ali LindauerPeter KimRyan Sterk

Gina-Marie SearleLauren LlorenteKelly SantarelliForrest Noelck

President ElectKyle Larsen

Vice President ElectNatalie Lesinski

Hannah FrebelAnnie Bielinski

Jenna HyerAmanda HandDan PetersonAddy England

Alternate DelegateBecky Bye

ISP RepresentativeMichael Schulte

Taylor BairdMark EulensteinRyan GonzalesNikki KumorMarie DePuey

Elise PostIan McLean

facebook.com/ColoradoASDA twitter.com/ColoradoASDA instagram.com/ColoradoASDA youtube.com/ColoradoASDA

Want to write for the CEJ?Contact Rick Collette at

editor@coloradoasda.org

Copyright © 2015Colorado ASDA. All Rights Reserved.CEJ

The

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PublisherColorado ASDA

Editor-in-ChiefRick Collette

The CEJ

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CONTENTS

Features6 How Does ASDA Make A Difference?

18 Hail to the Chief: How Christian Piers Stormed ASDA

Annual Session12 Annual Session as an Admitted Skeptic

14 The 3 A’s of AWESOME

16 “Some Club’s” Annual Session

Advice24 How to Survive 2nd Year — with your soul AND your GPA intact!

Event Recap26 The Ceremony of the White Coats

Maybe I would tell you all that I would miss having the chance to share in Colorado ASDA’s continuing journey. I certainly would talk about how I couldn’t have done any of this without the support of a great group of authors, and their willingness to put up with my nitpicky editing. I’d thank my family and my loving wife for all their support. I would close with “So long, and thanks for all the fillings.”

But, as it turns out, I’m keeping this job, so you’re stuck with me for another year.

See you in the pages.

Cheers,

Rick Collette ‘17

Ladies and Gentlemen, Doctors and Future Doctors,

I had thought this would be my final letter from the editor. I imagined I’d write this, blinking back tears, a conciliatory beverage in-hand, and make it a heartfelt goodbye. We’ve all read similar

Letter from the Editor

from the

EDITORpieces. Maybe you’ve written something comparable to quit a job, or to depart a volunteer position.

I’d talk about how much of an honor it’s been to be a part of Colorado ASDA. I’d say what an amazing opportunity it was to work with such a great group of people, and I’d give each and every one of you a huge thank you for reading this newsletter. I would talk about how far Colorado ASDA has come in my short tenure as Editor-in-chief, and thank our fearless leaders Christian and Kyle for their invaluable help this past year in making the CEJ into what it is today.

I’d go on to say how entertaining it’s been getting to share my deepest thoughts in these pages.

R i c k C o l l e t t e | E d i t o r - i n - C h i e f | C o l o r a d o A S DA

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How Does

Make ADifference?

By Benjamin T. Matthews, ‘18

One of the major issues impacting dentistry today is access to care.

While job reports are showing favorable growth nationwide, that growth seems to be slow. Medicaid expansion in a handful of states is seeking to bridge the gaps to care for many Americans near the poverty line. While this is a step in the right direction, it is certainly far from covering the staggering need for care. As reported by Medicaid.gov, “States are required to provide dental benefits to children… but states choose whether to provide dental benefits for adults.” This has led to less than half of the states currently offering comprehensive services. As luck would have it, Colorado is in that minority.

Pavel Poliakov, a resident of Ft. Collins, is a great example of the need we see nationwide. His story comes to us through Phil Galewitz of Kaiser Health News. With the closing down of Poliakov’s small

How Does

Difference?

clothing store last year, he signed up for Colorado Medicaid, and felt fortunate to do so. His opportunity to receive Medicaid dental benefits comes from two programs instituted over the past couple years: The expansion of Medicaid eligibility--which has allowed many Americans to receive care they would not otherwise be able to afford--and Colorado’s extension of Medicaid dental care for adults.

In contrast, the state of Utah removed adult dental coverage from their Medicaid benefits in 2009. This resulted in a significant increase in patients presenting with dental complaints to the University of Utah ER. Patient data from the hospital suggests this lack of coverage has led to a dramatic increase in patients not receiving standard of care for dental related needs. In addition, the increased ER visits have undoubtedly wasted program funds when compared to the cost of routine dental visits.

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When we are faced with a major access to care dilemma, the solutions are varied and complicated. The most impactful thing that can be done is to introduce new legislation that will appropriately address the needs of the stakeholders involved. This process is generally long and complicated, but the steps to effect this change are simple and small. Change begins when enough people of a common interest unite, and use their collective voice to propel their cause and garner support for new bills that address the need.

This is where ASDA shines. ASDA is a collective voice of students, speaking for the cause of dentistry, benefitting those in our profession and our patients. When we visit our senators and representatives on Capitol Hill each year during National Lobby Day, we are organized and effective in our efforts, our voices backed

by the 22,000 members of our organization. This is an incredible effort, and a great opportunity for those involved. But this isn’t a process that happens just on Lobby Day. Everything that we stand for begins and ends at ASDA’s Annual Session months earlier.

Annual Session is where students in ASDA, among other things, elect leadership and determine which ideas to support. These ideas are called resolutions, and anyone present has an opportunity to comment on these resolutions through their Legislative Liaison and Trustees. One resolution introduced this year was in the interest of encouraging all states to offer adult dental coverage in their Medicaid programs. The resolution, titled Action for Adult Medicaid Benefits (300-2015), was discussed and recommended to the Council on Advocacy for a report at 2016 Annual Session. Hopefully those who attend Annual session next year will be voting on this

resolution. If this happens, ASDA, as an organization, will support this resolution with a unified voice. Students representing ASDA will contact representatives and senators to encourage support for legislation in line with this new adopted resolution.

As stated, Colorado is an example of a state that has expanded coverage in an effort to address the need for care. The problem is that expanding Medicaid is only the beginning of the work. According to Filling the Gap, a report compiled by the Colorado Health Institute, the number of Medicaid patients receiving dental benefits in our state has tripled in just two years. At the same time, private practice dentists treating Medicaid enrollees has increased by only 125 dentists, or 17 percent. With a total of 877 dentists accepting Medicaid throughout the state, and a projected 2016 Medicaid enrollment of 1.3 million patients, it’s clear that the need is simply not being met at this time.

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This gap is also evidenced by Pavel Poliakov’s experience. Shortly after enrolling in Medicaid, Poliakov developed an excruciating toothache. He soon learned how difficult it is to find a dentist that accepts Medicaid. After trying in vain to schedule an appointment with several private practice dentists, he turned to a taxpayer-funded clinic in Northern Larimer County.

With the overwhelming need for care, the clinic has developed a lottery system for new patient appointments. Unable to chew at all on one side of his mouth, Poliakov entered his name hopefully into the lottery. Unfortunately, as many as 300 people are entering these lotteries each month, hoping for one of the 50-60 slots available. Poliakov’s name was not called in June. His name was not called in July. His name was not called in August. “It was horrible,” he says about living in pain for so long. Finally, in September, Poliakov found himself

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Annual  Session  Creden/al  House  of  Delegates                  

VOTING  CARD  

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sitting in a dental chair. At last, he would receive the indispensible care he had been seeking for almost four whole months.

Stories like this are not unique. However, The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment has identified Oral Healthcare as one of the ten winnable battles in our state. This is our chance to push for dental healthcare reform, and to break down barriers to care in Colorado. One of the vehicles we, as students, can leverage is our unified voice in ASDA. Attend Annual Session, support valuable resolutions, and lobby for change that will make a difference.

For more information, see:

Medicaid.gov Dental Care. http://www.medicaid.gov/Medicaid-CHIP-Program-Information/By-Topics/Benefits/Dental-Care.html

Filling the Dental Gap. http://coloradohealthinstitute.org/uploads/postfiles/Filling_the_Dental_Gap_1_18_2015a.pdf

Galewitz, Phil. Kaiser Health News. http://kaiserhealthnews.org/news/states-add-dental-coverage-for-adults-on-medicaid-but-struggle-to-meet-demand/

2015 ASDA Resolutions. http://www.asdanet.org/uploadedFiles/About_ASDA/Governance/2015%20Adopted%20Resolutions.pdf

Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment. https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/colorados10winnablebattles

America’s Oral Health – Delta dental. https://www.deltadental.com/AmericaOralHealthRoleDentalBenefits.pdf

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All Pictures C

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#ASDAFever.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve undoubtedly heard the

term “ASDA Fever.” For me, it raised several questions. What is it? Is it communicable? Is it an actual fever? Where does one contract it?

This last question was one I was determined to answer.

I had watched Colorado ASDA’s

leaders return from national meetings nearly frothing at the mouth about this incredible organization, so national meetings appeared to be ground zero for ASDA Fever. I was, naturally, intrigued. When I got the nod to attend Annual Session 2015 in Boston, I had to know. I had to see if this fever was virulent enough to break down my barriers of skepticism. So I threw some suits—the non-hazmat variety—into a garment bag and set sail for Boston. I’ll try to give the skeptics in the audience a rhetoric-free idea of

the experience.

A 7 AM flight ensured the trip got off to an inauspicious start. Bleary-eyed, I stumbled through DIA with other members of our delegation. But six hours and three cups of coffee later, I was on the ground in Boston and raring to go. The host hotel—the Westin—was far above my usual pay grade. I ogled the amenities—gilded faucets, fancy spas, and a showerhead that shot water from two directions. Little did I know, I wouldn’t have the chance

Annual SessionAs An Admitted Skeptic

By Rick Collette ‘17, Editor-in-Chief

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to utilize them (except the shower.)

Annual Session requires nothing less than every waking moment of your trip. Events adorned the schedule from 7 AM to 5 PM every day, with dinners and cocktail parties every night. The daily events consisted of lectures, parliamentary proceedings, and meetings. As to the lectures and meetings, some were truly great; some were, well, less-than-great. We listened to Neil Pasricha, a man whose “3 As of Awesome” talk could fire up a room of even the staunchest cynics. We met our district caucus, a group of students so zany as to be hilarious. Finally, we attended the Gold Crown Awards, wherein Colorado ASDA was recognized as the stellar chapter it is.

As far as the parliamentary proceedings are concerned, I found my interest waxed and waned, though I did find it unbelievable just how much work ASDA does on behalf of dental students. The staff and national leaders really do want the best for all of us, and you need only attend one of the delegate meetings to grasp this. But I won’t lie, much of the legislative side felt strikingly similar to a campaign. To be fair, it was a campaign, but it all felt a little too much like politics for my liking. I’ll just say that I’m glad someone else is interested in politicking for the dental profession. It is important, but it’s not my cup of tea. I love writing, and I’m happy to contribute to the greater ASDA good in a way most people would

find deplorable.

The nightly amusements were just that, amusing. The drinks were free and the food was consistently amazing. But anyone who knows me knows I’m far more comfortable writing than striking up a conversation with a stranger in a bar. These events did give me an excuse to get to know the people from Colorado far better than I would have otherwise. And spoiler alert, we have some awesome people at our school.

But this leads me to my one regret of the trip. I wish I had sought out the editors from other schools. Writers can talk about writing ad nauseum. “Regular” people find it mind-numbing. Alas, the other editors are probably just as introverted as I am, likely spending any spare time reading sci-fi novels, so that did not happen.

“So,” you’re probably saying, “get to the point already! Did you catch ASDA Fever or not?” Yes, I would say I did. Did I come home frothing at the mouth? No, but I came home with a healthy respect for an organization that goes to bat for me on a daily basis. Perhaps if I were more extroverted or more passionate about legislative procedure, I would be singing a slightly different tune. But that, I think, is the beauty of ASDA; it truly can be whatever you want it to be. You can advocate, you can write, you can lecture, you can wax

bureaucratic, you can socialize and make connections. But the bottom line is this. ASDA is an organization that is fighting for you, whether you support it or not. And with all these options, what’s stopping you from taking up the call? Annual Session is the coalescing ground for all things ASDA, and it truly is infectious.

For you skeptics in the audience, Annual Session was worth the trip. It’s an event I hope to attend again, and it was an experience I’d recommend to four out of five friends. And that fifth friend knows who they are.

Annual Session

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A

3Dental school is hard. Really hard. Many things challenge our patience, irrational

fears and anxiety consume us, and we take things for granted. We take taking things for granted, for granted. We don’t do well on a test, or we fail a practical, and life is over. We forget we are healthy and that we achieved our dream of getting into dental school. We forget that a class of amazing people, all incredibly intelligent and driven, surrounds us. We forget that things can be far worse than an undercut in your crown prep.

At ASDA Annual Session this year, we had the opportunity to experience something awesome. Neil Pasricha, author of The Book of Awesome, a New York Times bestseller, spoke about the 3 A’s of Awesome. Neil is not a dentist. Neil doesn’t know our struggles as students, or our struggles personally. Neil does not know what unintentionally hitting the pulp even means. However, Neil was able to connect with each of us on a visceral level. He reminded us that although many things suck, even more things are awesome.

Life is awesome.

Following a divorce and the suicide of a dear friend, Neil found himself searching for a way to get through this rough time and be happy. Though dental school may not be as tragic, many students struggle to cope and are obsessively negative. We can all use a reminder from

time to time that we are lucky to be subjected to the struggles we face as dental students.

Neil is on a mission to change people’s moods and outlooks on life simply by encouraging them to look within their own life to identify the many small things that are awesome. He defines the 3 A’s of Awesome as Attitude, Awareness, and Authenticity. These 3 A’s can vary for everyone, however Neil believes these are what helped him grow himself since his divorce and loss of his best friend.

Attitude. Neil says that bad days are inevitable. Smashed between the highs in life—like getting into dental school, graduations, and weddings—there are a lot of lows. No one likes to discuss the lows but we all know that

eventually our loved ones may die, your relationship might end, etc. Bad things happen to all people, not just good people. It’s your attitude that determines how you’ll handle it. “[One] you can swirl and twirl and gloom and doom forever, or [two], you can grieve and face the future with newly sober eyes.” A great attitude means always choosing to move forward, regardless of what life throws your way.

Awareness. Neil calls this embracing your inner 3-year-old. To a 3-year-old, everything is new and equally exciting. A bug? Fantastic. Picking dandelions? Even better. We must remember the joy of being three years old to appreciate finding something we didn’t know we’d lost, or days where everything is going your way. Without awareness, we

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might miss the little things that make life so great.

Authenticity. For this Neil says, “It’s about being you and being cool with that…when you’re authentic, you end up following your heart, and you put yourself in places and situations and in conversations that you love and that you enjoy. You meet people that you like talking to. You go places you’ve dreamt about. And you end up following your heart and feeling very fulfilled.”

Following Neil’s inspiring speech, he had everyone write something awesome about dental school on a notecard. The room filled with laughter and smiles of pure joy as we heard that the simple day-to-day pleasures we take for granted are universal for dental students across

By Nikki Kumor ‘17Anterior Guidance Committee Chair

the country.

They are all simple things really. The day your loans come in. Getting the easy grader in sim clinic. Having no bubbles on the margin of your crown impression on the first try. Getting perfect working length on the first try. Rolling out of bed and putting scrubs on because you don’t have to wear real clothes to school. Calculus coming off in

chunks with the ultrasonic. Starting to do actual dentistry. We have so many awesome things happen to us daily, but it’s easy to overlook these because they are overshadowed by the not-so-awesome things. Neil suggests taking three 20-minute walks a week, or journaling 5 minutes each day, to focus on these awesome things. Its been shown a change in attitude can come from these small changes, and with the rigors of dental school, we must all be reminded that we are lucky to be here, and that everything will turn out alright if we have the right attitude.

If you’re interested in hearing more about Neil, you can find his 3 A’s of Awesome TED talk online. Additionally, his blog (www.1000awesomethings.com)talks about tiny but awesome things like wearing underwear fresh out of the dryer, or flossing, or when the dentist says you have no cavities, or being the first table called up for dinner at a wedding. It’s the simple things in life that are truly awesome.

Annual Session

A W E S O M EA’s

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My understanding of ASDA was always dictated by my first exposure

to it in my first month of dental school. ASDA was “some club” in need of a President and Vice President two years later. The club had something to do with dental policy. When I finished my second year of dental school, I decided to get a little more involved. I applied for Treasurer and after months of writing reimbursement checks for mysterious national meetings, I was invited to Annual Session for my moment to find out about ASDA.

My first trip to ASDA Annual Session in Boston this spring offered me a brief, yet intense, glimpse into the world of national ASDA and what it really has to offer the dental student community. Attending finally allowed me to experience what our own Chapter President Christian Piers, now the National ASDA President, was talking about the

past two and a half years. For years, he would come back from district and annual meetings seemingly revitalized with an enthusiasm for dental school and I would not understand where this newfound energy would come from. What was it about these national meetings that was so invigorating, so vitalizing?

After attending Annual Session, for me, this stems from the instant sense of community that you feel with your dental peers from other schools. Regardless of the different paths students take to dental school, being a dental student bridges any gaps and gives almost instantaneous commonalities. My dental peers and I shared common stories from pre-clinical waxing labs, struggling to get through finals week, and scheduling patients. They had the same stories of excitement about treating their first patient or dreaming of the time when we can finally send lab work out in life after dental school.

“Some Club’s” Annual SessionBy Forrest Noelck ‘16Treasurer

The CEJ

Sharing in these experiences with students across the country gave me a renewed enthusiasm for what I was doing back in Colorado.

The challenge for me is to take this newfound sense of community and build upon it when coming back to dental school. At annual session you are removed from the stresses and concerns of dental school while enjoying the company of a national group of dental students. What I took home was how remarkable the organization was, to have 22,000 dental students using that sense of community to coordinate their goals and plans for the dental profession moving forward. The purpose of National ASDA is to affect change within the dental profession. Being able to produce such a community in which dental students can engage should go a long way toward making targeted changes possible. A

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Coloroado ASDA took home 5 Gold Crown Awards

at this year’s Annual Session!

First question: Your hair has been called “majestic.” How do you do it?

You know, the key is to be really poor at communicating what you’re looking for. When your hairdresser decides that you actually have no idea what you’re talking about and realizes that someone needs to take control of the situation, there’s always a chance they might give you a good haircut. Or a bad one. Or a haircut that makes you feel like an adult trying to look like Justin Bieber.

If you’re talking about my long hair,

I’m still in the grieving stages.

When did you first hear about ASDA?

A letter sent out to first years before I got to dental school. ASDA sounded like something really organized and complex that I would clearly have no time for in dental school. In fact, I remember looking at the name of the person who had written the letter, Haroon Ashraf—the chapter president at the time—and thinking, “Wow, I wonder if I’ll get the chance to meet that super busy, ridiculously talented person.” And I ended up

travelling all over the country with him.

What motivated you to get involved in ASDA?

I knew I wanted to get involved with leadership when I started dental school, but I couldn’t decide whether to run for an office in student government or ASDA. I’d always been really interested in bringing people together and creating networks and communities between disparate groups, and after the ASDA Lunch & Learn during the first month of school, ASDA

Hailto

theHow Christian Piers Stormed ASDA

ChiefBy Rick Collette ‘17Editor-in-Chief

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seemed the best opportunity to do that. The real clincher came as soon as I heard that the ASDA position involved serving as a delegate who caucused with students from across the country to vote on overarching dental student policies.

So the president matures into a voting position?

Yes. Your first year you run for alternate delegate […] which matures into president elect as a DS2 and chapter president as a DS3. Ironically, the only time I actually got to vote in the ASDA House of Delegates was during my first year when I was alternate delegate, because nationally funded leaders can’t vote. [Christian was national contributing editor his second year and editor-in-chief his third year.]

So that’s why Chris Klekamp got to feel important at Annual Session.

It was. It was. And thank goodness for that.

So it doesn’t mature into anything your fourth year, too?

No. Although this year might be the first year we have an immediate past president position—essentially, an advisory role on the executive board. I think it’s really hard to maintain contact with the fourth years and it’s really hard for a fourth year to keep up with what’s happening at school

as they’re doing ACTS rotations. But I have this pathological desire to remain connected to this beautiful creature that is Colorado ASDA.

What was your impetus for getting involved at the national level?

It was a conversation I had with Katie Sowa (Houston ’15) at National Leadership Conference 2012 in Chicago. She found out that I had just finished a Master’s in Creative Writing and she said, “Hey, I’m on the ASDA Editorial Board—it’s this really fun gig where you write about dental student issues and recruit authors and edit their work.” It sounded like the most horrifying use of my time possible. I tried intently to focus the conversation elsewhere, but she kept bringing it back, and every time she did, she dropped one detail that got me more and more interested. I could feel myself unwillingly realizing that this was something that I would really, really enjoy. So I applied, and it was easily the best decision I’ve made in dental school.

As ASDA president, what is it, you’d say, you do here?

In a nutshell, my role is to protect and advance the rights, interests, and welfare of dental students. I know that sounds really broad—and I have to resort to such a vague statement because the role is mind-bendingly

broad. On a day-to-day basis, the Executive Committee (comprised of me, the two vice presidents and the Executive Director) is doing everything from working on association licensure reform policy to drafting position statements on ethical issues to making appointments to other national dental organization councils […] like ADEA or the ADA. Every day there is one tiny or giant issue that comes up that needs to be resolved immediately. So it’s exciting. I can be in clinic and I’ll feel my cell phone buzz and I’ll know that I should not check my phone because then I won’t be able to stop thinking about whatever issue has arisen until after clinic ends. I love that tension. Being ASDA president is a blend between a management and administrative and delegatory role that’s really just rooted in helping people work together effectively.

On average, how much time per week do you spend ASDA’ing?

Good question. Maybe 25-30 hours? But I’ve heard that the first few months are a little heavier and so it’s possible that number will drop. Along with my blood pressure. Things really exploded out of the gate after Annual Session with a giant multi-association meeting on licensure where I had the opportunity to take the microphone and defend dental students’ stance on live patient exams. It was a great ride, but I think the meeting taught our entire board of trustees that we

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need to make sure our association policy is in step with the current licensure reform climate.

So tell me more about licensure.

One of the exciting things for this year is the attention that so many national dental organizations are freely and independently pouring into licensure reform. I was just appointed to the ADA task force for licensure reform and we just appointed our Vice President, Adrien Lewis (Houson ’16) to the same committee within ADEA. Both of these organizations are wrestling with the question of how to ensure public safety while protecting patients and ideally not putting students into impossibly stressful or morally compromising

situations during the examination process.

This has been an issue for 30+ years and I think a lot of leaders in organized dentistry are a little exhausted by the lack of progress that’s been made in licensure reform. The renewed focus over the past several months has been invigorating not only to students, but also to some of the old guard that, as students, were advocating for licensure reform in the 1980s.

So what’s the roadblock? Who’s arguing against reform?

The deans of dental schools are nearly unanimous in saying the use of human subjects in licensure exams needs to stop. The real

stopping point is that change needs to occur on a state-by-state basis. So there can’t be any federal legislation that mandates “dental licensure will now proceed as follows.” The power to grant licenses has been given to state dental boards, which hold the key to whether alternative licensure pathways become options. The regional clinical testing agencies like CRDTS, WREB, and others are a loud voice against reform with those boards.

Logically, there’s not much argument from the majority of stakeholders that there should be a universally accepted licensure exam. However, the real power brokers are not those national dental organizations that are assembling these reform task forces and workgroups. Progress is going to depend on an open and honest conversation between the profession and the state dental boards so that everyone can get on the same page. I have no doubt that clinical licensure testing examiners [those opposed to reform] believe deeply that they are protecting the public, that this is the only way to do so. They simply happen to hold the minority viewpoint.

In Colorado, the 2014 Sunset Review passed into statute a new state dental act that allows the state dental board to accept methods of determining competency that may include a portfolio, residency-based exam or other methods. In Colorado, we now just need to work out what that option looks like. […] Ideally, national ASDA wants to get

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Pictured above: Christian Piers ‘16 presenting on licensure and live patient exam alternatives at ASDA’s 2014 National Leadership Conference in Chicago, IL.

The Colorado Extraoral Journal 21

all state dental practice acts to have language like Colorado’s so they can look at alternative licensure, but we have a ways to go.

Sounds like the bottom line though is that anyone who is going to read this should get comfy with the idea of doing a live-patient licensure exam?

Absolutely. When I first joined ASDA, I really believed—and I think the then-president of the chapter believed—that we might do away with clinical licensure by the time it was my turn to take the exam. I realized pretty quickly that was not going to be possible and my goal then became ensuring that your

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class didn’t have to do it [he points at me], and I’ve now had to let go of that. And I think, in a nutshell, this is perhaps the maturation that has to happen with every EC leader in national ASDA.

You come in really fired up to make rapid change, and the reality is that your role is to do your absolute best to carry ASDA’s objectives as far down the field as you can during your term, and make it really easy for the next leaders to pick up exactly where you left off. I was fortunate that the last EC had a great national licensure strategy in place, […] and we only needed to tweak it a bit for our purposes. Hopefully we’re simultaneously paving the way for the next group to make this issue to

the goal line. It’s all part of realizing your role in the dental universe. I’ve been excited, sobered, and given a reality check by the speed with which associations with tens of thousands of members are able to adapt to the needs of a changing market. […] And this is teaching me so much about the psychology of groups. I hope I’ll keep learning for the duration of my term—and if I can leave things better for dental students and their patients when I’m done here, I’ll be happy.

[For more information about ASDA’s stance on licensure and other ASDA policies, visit:

http://asdanet.org/statementsonpolicy.aspx]

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CONGRATULATIONS! You have successfully finished your first year of

dental school, which is no easy feat! You’re also probably studying and preparing for boards, and feeling a little overwhelmed. This, too, shall pass. On top of all of this, I’m sure you’ve heard from just about every upperclassman that the worst has yet to come. Second year, the epicenter of all things horrific in dental school, is coming, and it’s coming quickly. Well, I am here to tell you that it will all be okay!

Most students say that 2nd year is an impossible frustration, and you just need to hold on tight and make it through. They say that there is no “key” to figuring out 2nd year, and that it’s just a wash. This is absolutely false, and the “key” is not some secret formula impossible to decode. The answer? Balance.

Maybe you like to work out, or you play an organized sport, or have an insatiable rock-climbing addiction. Maybe you decided to pick up a side

job, or maybe you’ve got a family at home keeping you busy. Yes, you are paying thousands of dollars a year in tuition. Maybe you feel that you need to get your money’s worth by doing well, or maybe you dream of becoming an Oral Surgeon someday. That’s okay – that’s great, really! Doing well in school shouldn’t come with sacrifice. This is your life, and you should be able to have your cake and eat it, too.

Sure, you’re “stuck” at school from 8-5pm most days. There is nothing you can do about this. Welcome to the real world. But you should be able to minimize the amount of “school” you do outside of those hours, and maximize the amount of time you spend doing whatever it is that you love and means the most to you. Happiness breeds success!

Step 1: Get OrganizedBefore each semester (and not at midnight the night before!) take some time to make a game plan. Read your syllabi, and plan out your classes, projects, and exam

schedule for the entire semester. Buy a planner or make an iCal—whatever you do is fine, as long as it’s WRITTEN DOWN where you can see it all day, every day. Next, take a look at your social obligations. Record any events, gym classes, family gatherings, etc. on the same calendar.

Step 2: PrioritizeI know I said that you should be able to have everything, but there are simply not enough hours in the day or days in the week. Pick and choose the things most important to you! If you need to go to the gym everyday to maintain your sanity, this should be a priority! If you’ve got little ones in soccer leagues, attending those games should be a priority! Preparing for exams and lab practicals will also become a priority, but with proper planning, you can be successful in these things, as well.

Step 3: Build a Network Something I found extremely helpful for 2nd year is finding a group of

With Your Soul AND Your GPA Intact!By Ali Lindauer ‘17

Electronic Editor

How-ToSurvive 2nd Year –

Advice

The Colorado Extraoral Journal 23

classmates with a similar learning style to you, and then splitting up reading assignments and lectures. Rather than spending four hours each night going over lectures and doing readings, spend four hours one night (or one hour per night over four days) really honing in on one subject and making a kick-butt study guide for it. Each of you puts in equal work for the same common goal, and you all share your resources when you’re finished. When everyone splits up the work, you’ll find that you’ll perform just

as well in all of your classes, while technically only putting the bulk of the work into one. When your exam comes around, you’ll have a series of study guides, outlines, and textbook summaries to review in one condensed place, and your studying can be accomplished much more quickly and efficiently!

Now that I’ve told you the secrets to finding balance in your like 2nd year, I hope that you take them to heart. Look forward to the rest of your school career rather than

dreading the horrors of DS2. I hope that you can continue to excel in school, maintain your relationships, enjoy your time with loved ones, and find a place for personal growth, as well. The pieces won’t magically fall into place–it takes work. But do what makes you happy, be proactive, learn how to be highly efficient with your time, and you’ll get there.

Good luck, and I wish you the best of success! A

Pictured (from left to right): Katie McCullough ‘17, Yanira Owens RDH, Dr. James Closmann, Jenna Hyer ‘17, Christina Pham ‘17, Phill Nguyen ‘17 and Ali Lindauer ‘17

The CEJ

25 Vol 1 Issue 3

I will not lie. The prospect of receiving a white coat for completing basic science classes

struck me as odd. What have I done to deserve this? What qualifies me to wear a coat that, in the western world, has become synonymous with medical professionals? I’d done close to zero actual dentistry by this point. I’d anesthetized exactly one patient (another dental student; she loved it, don’t let her lie to you.) I’d cleaned the teeth of three or four other patients. Why was I getting this honor?

At the ceremony, they explained the significance of the coat and how it represents our transition

into clinical dentistry. I chuckled at much of this. It sounded a lot like rhetoric. But then I waited in line to go up on stage, strangely nervous. My palms were sweaty by the time I reached the bottom of the staircase. After all, what difference could a simple coat make?

A lot, as it turns out.

Donning the white coat makes you feel instantly—inexplicably—more prepared to face the rigors of clinical dentistry. The thought of doing restorations on or anesthetizing actual patients now seemed slightly less intimidating. I still don’t understand why, but something

The Ceremony of the White CoatsBy Rick Collette ‘17

Editor-in-Chief

The Colorado Extraoral Journal

about putting on the coat made me feel more like a dentist.

Naturally, my Facebook feed exploded for several days with all my classmates’ pictures of them in their white coats. Most, myself included, were congratulated repeatedly by distant relations who likely had no idea as to the significance of the event. To many, I’m sure it looked like graduation. In a way, I suppose it was.

Graduation from the classroom and into the operatory. From Powerpoints to patients. From idly spinning pencils to intentionally spinning burs.

I didn’t get it beforehand, but I think that was the entire point. The ceremony gave a boost of confidence when second year had begun to take its toll. The coat was a pat on the back during a year in which many people need it, as if to say, “You’re almost there!” Classroom work is necessary, but the coat was a needed reminder of why we’re all here.

To be dentists. CEJ

Pictured: The Dental Student Class of 2017

Pictured: A group from the International Student Program Class of 2016

Sincerely,

Kyle Luis Larsen ‘17President

Another semester, another awesome issue of the CEJ. So much has happened since the last issue that it is hard to sum up. I will try to give you the highlights:

-On January 1st, we officially launched our complete website

from the

PRESIDENTsuite which includes 1) a home website with resources, links and anything else you could ask for, 2) a blog that will keep you entertained in class, and 3) a personal membership portal with everything you need to take full advantage of your ASDA membership.

-At Annual Session, we cleaned up at the Gold Crown Awards by claiming 5 all to ourselves, which was the most out of any chapter, including 1) Outstanding Membership and Communications, 2) Best Newsletter Layout and Design, 3) Outstanding Social Media, 4) Most Creative Presentation and 5) District 9 Delegate of the Year.

-Christian Piers and I also came home with new national positions—Christian was elected

Dear Colorado ASDA,

Ky l e L a r s e n | P r e s i d e n t | C o l o r a d o A S DA

President of national ASDA and I was elected as District 9 Trustee.

What a semester!

On top of all this, I was also grateful and humbled to have the Colorado ASDA presidency passed on to me from Christian who was been a great friend and mentor since the first time I heard the word “ASDA.” I hope that I can help keep the momentum going from this past year and that we can move on to do even bigger and better things.

I look forward to a great year with you all!

Letter from the President

26 Vol 1 Issue 3

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