The psychobiology of optimism and how to promote it in our lives

The incessant need to plan dominates nearly every aspect of our lives, dictating the choices we make and how we react to obstacles. It is easy to feel depleted by the bombardment of exams and courses, and we may even start to question whether it is feasible to continue working toward our goal.

Advocacy engagement: Coming together while staying six feet apart

ASDA’s Annual Session in 2020 inspired me to take a more active interest in advocacy. At Annual Session, I saw students legislating and taking action that would directly impact thousands of dental students. This proved the significant impact we as students could have, and I hoped that I could use my experiences to create new events for Houston ASDA’s members that would inspire them as well.

Dental care in psychiatric facilities

In college I participated in an internship program that allowed students into psychiatric hospitals to interact with patients with chronic mental illnesses. All interns were required to carry a personal duress alarm system, every corridor was locked on both ends, and patients could wear only the color khaki. At the time, my goal as an intern was to make the patients smile.

How much is enough sleep?

We shower, brush our teeth, set our alarms, read before bed, browse social media to relax before drifting to sleep. We go to bed at an appropriate time, hoping we’ll achieve that golden eight hours of sleep, which we’ve been told time and time again will allow us to be productive the following day. But why do we even sleep and how much sleep do we actually need?