Poetry in motion

Anacristina Chapa is more than just a dental student. She is also a poet — and a well-recognized one at that. She was named the 2016 Poetry Slam Champ of Laredo BorderSlam and has competed in various regional competitions. Last year, she was a member of Houston’s Write About Now poetry team and competed in the National Poetry Slam competition in Denver. She has received media attention for her work illustrating modern life, especially for college-age students and Latinos.

Connecting patient to dentist: the community dental health coordinator

Overcoming barriers to health care access is a top priority in dentistry. It was the basis of the ADA’s Action for Dental Health, a community-based initiative to improve oral health in the United States. A 2014 report by the Health Policy Institute (HPI) found that in 2012, only about one in three working-age adults went to a dentist. A large part of the population doesn’t receive regular dental care. We know this can result in severe morbidities and, in rare cases, mortality. How do we overcome the barriers some of these patients face? The community dental health coordinator (CDHC).

Five reasons to attend NLC

My first NLC was in 2012 – yes that one, the first one ever! And I am also lucky enough to remember why we created the ASDA National Leadership Conference. The conversation went like this, “what if we pooled all our resources together into one giant conference to create a like-no-other program for our members?” Abracadabra (and a lot of hard work) – the NLC experience was born!

Since then ASDA has presented five dynamic NLC’s to deliver, in my opinion, the highest leadership and personal development available for the dental student.

I am going to give you five more reasons to attend ASDA NLC 2017

4 tips for making an important decision

ASDA BOTWe are constantly faced with making important decisions in our day-to-day lives, from deciding what material to recommend for your patient’s next restoration, to which organizations to commit to amidst a busy schedule. There are no shortage of opportunities for professional development within dental school and with so many options and so little time, you might be wondering where to start. I’m here today to share my journey and a few lessons I learned about the decision-making process.

Tips for negotiating with your patients

Background with abstract retro grunge speech bubbles Buying a car is the No. 1 way to practice negotiating skills. Countless hours are spent researching the specs, price point and availability of a desired make and model. It can take hours in a dealership to leave with a negotiated selling point.

Dentistry does not have the luxury of spending a whole Saturday to discuss treatment options with one patient. Some key points will help dental office negotiations become mutually advantageous for dentists and patients.

How to get the perfect letter of recommendation

letters_residencyweekYou’ve worked your tail off throughout dental school to make good grades and pass NBDE Parts I and II, but there’s one more thing so crucial to that residency application: recommendation letters. Programs can see on paper how well you have performed academically these past few years, but it’s the letters from those who know you best that really make your application stand out. After going through the process this past year, I have a few tips for getting the right recommendation letters and thanking those who supported you.