While procrastinating during finals, I found myself browsing through a list of cycling events in Minnesota. Before I knew it I was signed up to ride 100 miles in the annual Minnesota Ironman Bike Ride.

Having just started cycling last fall and having never ridden more than 30 miles at one time, I immediately had a feeling that I had overestimated my pedal power. But instead of throwing in the towel, I found my motivation through raising money for a cause that I truly believe in: Give Kids a Smile. I recall firsthand the impact that these nationwide events can have on both children and their families in underserved communities. I spent time with a family this past February during the University of Minnesota GKAS day that were extremely grateful for the free anterior composite that was placed on their son’s chipped central incisor, allowing him to once again smile without any inhibitions. The countless numbers of stories like this from GKAS events across the country inspired me to raise money for the cause through my century ride.

In the weeks leading up to the event I completed 35 mile training rides on my bike as often as school and the weather permitted. I reached out for donations using Facebook, my pre-dental advising Twitter account @askaDDSstudent, and the help of UMN GKAS Committee Chair Mackensie Tappe (who also rode the 100 miles). I also contacted Oral-B via Twitter and two days before the ride a package arrived with a $500 donation (and Crest samples). Adding this to the $600 already collected from friends, family, Twitter, etc., we were able to raise $1100 for GKAS in just over two weeks.

The day of the ride couldn’t have gone any better. The weather cooperated, the bike felt great, and the miles on my odometer flew by faster than a bench instructor heading to the parking lot on a Friday afternoon. There were a few times where the thought of calling it quits entered my mind, but I always remembered what I was riding for. After 5 hours and 45 minutes of pedaling, nine bananas, six Gatorades, one unsanctioned roadside bathroom break, and an hour and a half of rest time between the 5 rest stops along the route, I crossed the finish line.

I find it inspiring when people and companies can come together and support a good cause. I can’t thank everyone enough for supporting this event. I look forward to writing the checks to the University of Minnesota Give Kids a Smile Committee and the ADA National Give Kids a Smile Fund, as well as volunteering next February at an event that truly lives up to its name.

~Kyle Smith, Minnesota ’14 

A GPR or AEGD program is a great way to increase your speed and confidence after you graduate from dental school. Both GPR and AEGDs allow you to develop your patient management and treatment planning skills before being thrown out into the “real world.” With that being said, which program is better suited for you? A harder question to answer then you may think.

When choosing a post-graduate plan, many issues may alter your decision. Some of these issues include family, cost of living, lifestyle, duration of program, facilities, patient populations, number of residents, and many more. GPR and AEGD programs can be different in a variety of these issues and extremely similar at the same time. After a full lunch and learn about the difference between these programs, I still didn’t really understand. I decided to ask a few people in actual programs to get a feedback and understanding of the actual difference.

When choosing a GPR vs. AEGD, most people chose a GPR for the wide spectrum of patients seen at a hospital and chose an AEGD based on the fact that it would include less hospital and medical curriculum and more dentistry. In general, GPR programs are more hospital based and AEGD programs are more clinical based. Both programs include a lot of extractions, operative, and restorative. In a GPR, the biggest difference is having to interact with physicians and working alongside them, which is something not exactly taught in dental school.

Through the survey, I realized the amount of residents in the program makes a huge difference and could be a deciding factor. With a program with only two residents there is the benefit of a lot of one on one time with attendings, but the drawback of sharing the emergency call with only one person. On the flip side, having too many residents doesn’t allow the directors/staff to adequately help and guide each resident.

Overall, both GPR and AEGD programs allow you to fine tune your skills and give you a wider exposure then what a dental school can offer you. The programs are overall not to strenuous or time-consuming and the skills learned are invaluable to your future. Each program will further your career in a positive way, so which one will you chose?!

~Ruth Powderly, Ohio State 14, Council Associate- Council on Communications

Sesame Street has a long and award winning history teaching children through innovative programming and production. The show is broadcast in over 140 countries and research into the number of children it reaches is impressive to say the least. Sesame Street has been involved in oral health education many times over the years, and announced last month a new effort to help combat the widespread issues facing pediatric oral health. The “Healthy Teeth, Healthy Me – Toolkits” are designed to educate and inspire children, parents and health professionals about the healthy choices and practices that help maintain a healthy mouth. From Sesame Workshop: “To promote strong, healthy teeth early on, Sesame Workshop is helping families prevent tooth decay in young children.”

Sesame Street, with funding from Sam’s Club Giving Program and the MetLife Foundation, developed the bilingual multimedia kit to reach out and motivate young children and their parents who are at the preschool stage, a crucial developmental stage for lifelong learning processes. Motivating children at this age is essential to breaking the cycle leading to 40-50% of children affected by tooth decay by age five.

Like many children, Sesame Street may be my earliest memory of television. In fact when I think back to the really early years I cannot remember watching anything but Sesame Street. Later I admit I developed quite a connection to the Popeye cartoons, even going so far as to having my father draw anchors on my forearms before leaving for work, but through it all Big Bird and the gang were the key piece of my television upbringing. I am much older now with a couple children of my own and it was no surprise that even 20 years later Sesame Street was the programming of choice in our household.

There is no shortage of oral health education in my household, but I am consistently amazed at the lack of general oral health knowledge my children’s friends and their parents possess. Equally amazing to me is the low level of overall oral health knowledge that the majority of my school’s clinic patients have. Any and all avenues to better educate the public about their oral health are worth standing behind and the efforts and support of an organization as far reaching as Sesame Street deserves a standing ovation.

Let us all continue to support the efforts to educate children, and adults, to make healthy choices for themselves and the smiles they share with us. Please take a look at the “Healthy Teeth, Healthy Me” toolkit online, and encourage your patients and friends to check it out. And take a look at the coverage in the current issue of the ADA News.

~Ian Murray, Western ’13, Chair of the LGN

Media Monday is a way to showcase various dental themes throughout film, tv, and books. Whether fiction or non-fiction, we want to share what we find important or even just funny. If you have something valuable for Media Monday, shoot us an email at blog@asdanet.org.

Jake Buhler, second-year student at the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry, took first place at the 2012 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. For most second-year dental students, time is often spent juggling pre-clinic labs with didactic coursework and the occasional patient. Practicals and written exams frequent our thought to the point we forget what day it is at times, yet Jake must also balance this already hectic schedule with an intense training regimen.

Jake ran cross country and track for four years at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. “In college I mainly ran the 5k and 10k. When I moved to Oklahoma from Utah, I started putting in more and more miles and thought the natural transition would be the half-marathon and marathon.” Jake placed 3rd in the half-marathon at the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon in 2011 and soon afterward set his goal to win the 2012 marathon. He increased his training regimen and started competing in more events. He placed first in the Prairie Fire Marathon in Wichita, Kansas in October and ran a personal best of 2 hours, 23 minutes, 20 seconds at the California International Marathon in December where he placed 23rd out of 5,756 runners.

Jake after winning the 2011 Prairie Fire Marathon in Wichita, Kansas

“A lot of times I’m so busy with lab work, whether it be casting a crown for fixed or waxing up dentures, that I have to squeeze in 6 or 7 miles in at lunch and then go for another long run after class” said Jake. In a typical week, Jake logs about 105 miles. “At times it can be pretty difficult to log all the miles to keep my training at a high level, but I manage to find the time to do it, even if it means getting on a treadmill at the gym at night or waking up at five to go on a run before class.”

At the Memorial Marathon last weekend, Jacob won with a time of 2 hours, 27 minutes, 30 seconds, averaging 5:38 minutes per mile and beating second place by nearly nine minutes. The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, in its 12th year, has been called one of the “12 Must Run Marathons” by Runner’s World Magazine. It holds a special place in the hearts of Oklahomans, as it honors the 168 lives lost in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995. When asked what winning this marathon meant to him, he said “this one was really meaningful because of the thousands of people cheering on myself and all the runners. The energy that exists at this race signifies the rebuilding of the Oklahoma City community after that tragic day in 1995.”

Jake crossing the finish line at the 2012 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon

Jake’s long term goal is to qualify for the Olympic Trials. With things calming down after part I boards and the first two years of dental school under his belt, he hopes to be able to get his time down to around 2 hours, 19 minutes, which was the mark the USA Track and Field Association set to qualify for the Olympic Trials last year. Said Jake, “to qualify for the Olympic Trials would be a dream come true for me. So I’ll continue to train hard throughout dental school and see where that puts me.”

~ Seth Brooks, Oklahoma ’14, District 9 Trustee

Last week Adam Yauch, better known as MCA of the Beastie Boys, passed away at the young age of 47. In 2009, Yauch announced that he felt a lump in his throat but dismissed it as a swollen lymph node. Later, he was diagnosed with a malignancy in his parotid gland that spread to a nearby lymph node. Unfortunately, he lost his battle with a cancer that is very treatable if diagnosed early.

This untimely passing is a poignant reminder of the role we play in prevention, not just of caries, but of all head and neck diseases. With a thorough head and neck exam, we have the opportunity to catch problems and perhaps save a patient’s life. This is yet another heavy responsibility we’ll shoulder as dentists. For now, though, it’s motivation to spend a little more time studying oral pathology.

- Megan Guthman, Chicago Administrative Extern, Alabama ’14

And the Oscar for best MS Paint metaphor goes to…

Given the debut of Titanic 3D last month, you couldn’t have missed that April 15^th was the 100^th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. I was in Chicago that weekend for ASDA council and board meetings. Money was on my mind since April 15th is also Tax Day and I may or may not have finished my returns by then…

The following day kicked off ASDA’s National Dental Student Lobby Day in Washington, D.C. While in town, I had the opportunity to speak at an Academy of General Dentistry meeting being held concurrently.

My remarks focused on student debt possibly being the iceberg that could sink the Titanic of dental education. I told the AGD audience about the critical shortage of dental student scholarships. This philanthropy famine is evidenced by ADA Survey Center data that only 35% of graduating seniors reporting that they received any scholarship or grant money to support tuition.

It’s well known that medical students incur far less debt than dental students. I’ve written about these frustrations before.

Do you feel like you’re sinking in student debt? What can be done to remedy this crisis? Comments are welcome below.

~Colleen Greene, Harvard ’13, president

Ever wonder what other chapters around the country are doing? That’s where the chapter spotlight comes into play. Starting this month on the first of every month, catch a glimpse of a cool ASDA event happening at the chapter level.

This month, we’re spotlighting Houston, home to a very active ASDA chapter. From lunch ‘n learns to a pretty successful vendor fair, UT-Houston ASDA has had quite a busy year. Just recently, Houston maintained their standard of 100% ADA conversion for 4th year students.

Something that makes Houston unique is their annual ASDA Family Picnic. In years past, students flocked to the recreation center fields for BBQ, beer, and games. This year, Houston decided to support the up-and-coming food truck scene by hiring two food trucks to do the catering. Free to all the members, Kurbside Eatz served up Asian fusion tacos, along with philly cheesesteak egg rolls. The warm Houston weather only made it essential to have Mam’s House of Ice on hand with an unending selection of snoball flavors.

Live music and games were also on the agenda for the event. A number of 1st and 2nd years competed in a pie eating contest. For the second year in a row, 2nd year Kallie Hale was crowned champion. There were roughly 200 ASDA members and their families in attendance, celebrating the end of the school year before finals hit. Props to Houston for building lasting relationships within ASDA!

Check out some fun pictures from the event below!

~Katie Sowa, Houston ’15, Electronic Editor

Does your chapter have any fun events (social and/or service)?? Write about it! Email us at blog@asdanet.org to spotlight your chapter!

Photo from Quickmeme

May is here. For most dental students, that special time of year has finally arrived. Yes, finals week is upon us.

Finals week is special for dental students, uniting us with a sense of hubris gained after such an accomplishment. We each must prevail over 500 PowerPoint slides in preparation for a 50-question exam. Then repeat. 9-15 times.

If your classmates are similar to mine, your newsfeed is an endless string that reads something like this:

“I totally just failed that”
“I haven’t slept in 4 days #DSproblems”
“dear lord, give me strength to pass pharmacology”
“…picture posted of classmate sleeping in the library…”

Finals week does interesting things to the dental student (I mysteriously turn into a master facebook/youtube analyst). Most of us wish it away. We put our heads down and power forward, not looking up until we bubble in the last question on our final Scantron. Others have certain strategies and traditions to help get them to the other side.

However, this period also marks the end of another semester, and the advancement to the next level of our education. I invite you to find time to reflect on your experience throughout the previous year. Think about the moments of happiness you experienced with your classmates and/or patients. For me, it is my perfect table at the local coffeehouse, cutting my first perfect MOD prep, attending ASDA’s annual session in Minneapolis, and the first piece of mail I received that prematurely addressed me as Dr. Lofthus (I know, embarrassing). Keep these memories close as you navigate through this overwhelming time. Jot them down. You will enjoy reading them in the years to come.

For the lucky Class of 2012, this week will be their final. Thumbs up.

~Eve Lofthus, Contributing Editor, Missouri ’15

UPDATE: This news story was proved a hoax by MSNBC. But we still think the question of how you separate your emotions at work is valid.

Just about every news source this weekend shared the interesting story of love gone wrong with a Polish dentist. Anna Mackowiak has become infamous in a matter of a few days after pulling all 32 of her ex-boyfriend’s teeth while he was heavily sedated.

Marek Olszewski was suffering from a toothache when he called his ex-girlfriend in hopes her professionalism would overshadow their breakup. Because of his assumption and her emotions, Olszewski left the office completely toothless.

Even worse, Olszweski’s new girlfriend broke up with him because he no longer had teeth.

The abundance of attention this dentist is receiving worldwide has made me wonder how students separate their emotions from their work. I imagine in some situations it may be easier said than done. I’m sure plenty of women would love to show revenge on their ex boyfriends, but if I was in Mackowiak’s shoes, I would refer my ex to another dentist as to not interfere with my professional career. However, there may be a different situation that tests my ability to control my emotions in the workplace. It’s important to know how to overcome this hurdle and what better way than to learn from those of you who have been presented with a similar situation.

How would you have handled this situation or anything else that evokes strong feelings?

~Katie Sowa, Electronic Editor, Houston ’15

What does organized dentistry mean to you? We got an overwhelming response from the cover of the spring issue of Mouth (Dentistry & Politics). The image of a dental fist captured how you feel when you support your profession. Now you can flaunt your investment in organized dentistry on your laptop or phone background. Download the image using the links below and leave us a comment telling us what organized dentistry means to you!

To grab this background, click your screen size below:
1280×800 | 1280×1024 | 1680×1050 | iPhone

P.S. Want a different ASDA background? Check out this post (one of the very first posts on MO) with 4 more options for your dental desktop!