How practicing dentistry in Singapore changed my perspective on dentistry

At age thirteen. I left Taiwan and my family to pursue my personal and professional goals through education in America. I received my DMD from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine in 2013.

After graduation, I decided to put my Asian language abilities and American degree to use abroad in Singapore. I chose Singapore because there are four official languages: English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil, two of which I am fluent in. My US credentials were fully recognized by the Singapore Dental Council. After receiving a job offer from the Ministry of Health Holdings, I obtained my license as a general dentist within a few weeks. Having a special interest in community and pediatric dentistry, I requested to work at the Health Promotion Board (HPB), a local service organization that focuses on health promotion, disease prevention, and patient education. Keep reading to learn more about Peggy’s adventure abroad…

A strong CV = the foundation of good networking

CG CV tipsWe’ve shown you a lot of networking tips here on Mingle Monday, but did you ever consider your CV as a networking tool? Of course it is! Here’s the scenario: You meet a dentist at a state society function and you hit it off. You tell him you’d love it if he could look over your CV because you’re looking to match in a residency program next year. Send him the CV a day or two later, receive feedback and take his suggestions to heart. You never know who this dentist is connected to and where this CV swap can take you. Maybe he’ll notice some work you did with Give Kids a Smile and hook you up with a colleague who shares your philanthropic passion and can jump start your career.

5 tips for pediatric dentistry hopefuls

So, you’re interested in pediatric dentistry? I know the feeling! It’s an exciting specialty with opportunities to practice on young patients in a variety of settings. There is a unique joy in setting up patients and families for a lifetime of optimal oral health. I am just about half way through my residency training at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. As a first-year resident, the majority of my time is spent treating patients in a hospital-based clinic, as well as an urban health center in the area. My advice on the application process…

How I balance beauty pageants and dental school

Screen Shot 2014-06-06 at 4.23.41 PMBeauty pageants aren’t my thing, but scholarship pageants are. As a 22 year-old dental student, you might wonder why I would be involved with the Miss America Organization and how I juggle my ASDA commitments and studies. Nine times out of 10, I believe that living in the present and following passions is more valuable than sticking to a rigid schedule. I picked up this mentality from the Miss America Organization.

Gold Crown Awards best article nominees

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The Gold Crown Awards include several categories and more than 45 awards. One section of awards is completely dedicated to media. These awards recognize chapter newsletters, websites and social media but they also recognize the articles members contribute to ASDA’s national publications as well. ASDA News and Mouth are rare among association publications. Many associations hire professionals to write their news and magazine but ASDA finds value in representing the dental student voice by soliciting volunteers to write nearly all of the content in ASDA News and Mouth (and this blog!). Read on to see the nominees for best news and feature article of the year.