Gator Dentist Times July 2011 UFCD ASDA News

6 Dean Dolan

Will building new

dental schools in

Florida improve

access to care?

14 Everything

You Need to

Know to Pass

NBDE Part I

13 Dr. Low Licensure and the

Examination Process

10 Crossword

A New Way to Evaluate Postdoctoral Dental

Applicants with a pass-fail NBDE Part I

Alexandra Best

With these statistics in mind, the decision to make the National Board Dental

Examination Part I a pass-fail exam beginning in 2012 has left many dental students

wondering how advanced education programs plan to choose their “best” applicants

for acceptance. In the past, NBDE Part I scores, dental school grade point average,

and class rank were considered of upmost importance, often determining who was

even granted an interview. However, the Joint Commission on National Dental

Examinations has stated that “there is little measurement error at the minimum

passing point [a score of 75], but the error increases slightly as the scores depart from

that point. This means for example that there is no guarantee that there is a

difference in the knowledge and ability of the candidate who achieves an 89 and the

candidate who achieves a 90.”ii At the same time, GPA is difficult to compare

between dental schools, and some institutions do not even give letter grades or class

rank. Finally, when the ADEA surveyed postdoctoral program directors in April

2010 and asked them to identify what qualities they valued in applicants, it was

found that non-cognitive factors such as being a team player, assuming

responsibility, and integrity were ranked higher than cognitive factors, yet a further

blow to current methods of postgraduate assessment.

As a result, students applying to advanced education programs will now be

required to submit with their ADEA PASS application Continued on Page 2.

According to the ADA, there is an average of fifteen

applications for every available spot in postdoctoral dental

programs, with specialties such as oral and maxillofacial

surgery having numbers as high as 36. At the same time, since

2004, there has been a 10 percent increase in applications, with

only a 6 percent increase in enrollment, and nearly half of the

graduating 2009 class reported applying to an advanced

education program.i

score on the first attempt of the

USMLE has been correlated with

successful residency.

Thus, to address the concern

that the transition to a pass-fail

NBDE Part I might jeopardize the

postdoctoral application process,

even with the requirement of the

PPI, several fellows of the American

Dental Education Association

Leadership Institute, representing

various dental schools across the

country, have proposed a National

Postdoctoral Dental Qualifying

Examination (NPDQE). This

examination would evaluate both the

cognitive qualities currently

the previously optional

Personal Potential Index (PPI),

which is “a web-based

evaluation system designed to

provide a more complete

picture of an applicant‟s

potential for success in an

advanced dental education

program- beyond grades, test

scores, and recommendation

letters.”iii

Applicants choose

up to five evaluators to rate

them on six personal attributes:

knowledge and creativity,

communication skills,

teamwork, resilience, planning

and organization, and ethics

and integrity. The resulting

information is considered more

reliable than the optional

professional evaluations

because it is standardized and

incorporates responses from

several evaluators, rather than

just one.

However, some specialty

programs are worried that

eliminating Boards scores may

negatively impact their ability

to evaluate applicants. As

ADA President Ronald L.

Tankersley declared,

“Development and

maintenance of standards is

among the most important

things the ADA does, because

those standards are necessary

for us to remain a self-

regulating profession, instead

of a trade.”iv

Along the same

lines, a 2003 study of dual

degree oral and maxillofacial

surgery/M.D. programs

reported that the first-time pass

rate of residents on the

USMLE Part I was seventy-

five times higher for those

scoring between 95 to 99 on

the NBDE Part I than those

scoring below 90. A passing

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measured by the NBDE Parts I and

II, such as clinical knowledge,

clinical decision making, and basic

science background, as well as non-

cognitive and personality traits. The

theoretical test would support the

idea described by Daniel Goleman

in Emotional Intelligence, namely

that “emotional intelligence, defined

as self-awareness, self-management,

social awareness, and the ability to

manage relationships, can matter

more than IQ.”v In conjunction with

the PPI, it would allow advanced

dental program directors to assess

applicants‟ emotional intelligence,

communication skills, empathy,

integrity, critical thinking skills, and

selflessness, traits that currently

are hard to assess or inadequately

assessed during interviews and in

recommendation letters. The

fellows of the ADEA who

developed the suggested criteria

for the NPDQE believe that the

implementation of one

standardized postdoctoral exam

would be more effective than

allowing specialty-specific

assessments such as the Graduate

Record Examination (GRE), as

this would increase costs to the

applicants and still fail to fulfill

the non-cognitive evaluation

component.

To complement the proposal

for a potential postdoctoral

entrance examination, the 2009

House of Delegates passed

Resolution 56H-2009, a

movement that called for the

development of a Task Force that

would evaluate the examination,

referred to as the Advanced

Dental Admission Test (ADAT)

for advanced education

programs. The Task Force was

charged with considering the

validity of examination scores

and incorporating input from

relevant communities, such as

dental specialty organizations,

graduate school educators, and

the American Dental Education

Association. Thus far, the Task

Force has met twice and has sent

a survey to advanced education

program directors regarding

whether they would use results

from the ADAT, and what

characteristics they would like to

see it incorporate. Overall,

qualities such as “ability to

interpret data, clinical

knowledge, clinical judgment,

clinical thinking skills including

Continued on Page 20.

2

This m

eans Y

OU

! C

lass of 2

014

...

Angela McNeight ASDA Ethics Chair

“Never let the water run while you are brushing your teeth” is a line that every one of us

heard as a small child, whether it was from our parents or from Barney singing it to us on

TV. But even now as dental students, can we all truly say that we turn the water off for the

entire 2 minutes we are brushing our teeth every day? Conserving water, using sustainable

materials, recycling, and reducing energy usage are just a few of the ways humans help the

environment, but bringing these practices into the dental environment proves to be challenging

and seemingly impossible to some.

The Eco-Dentistry Association, created in June 2010, is an international organization that

bases eco-dentistry on 4 main areas including waste reduction, pollution prevention, and energy

and water conservation. Currently, many dentists are switching to digital radiology and billing,

reducing toxic x-ray chemical release and saving paper. Other ways dental offices can go green

are by using cloth chair barriers, re-washable patient bibs, motion-detector lighting, and non-

chemical steam sterilization. For obvious infection control reasons, many of these suggestions

prove controversial. But where do we draw the line between helping protect our environment

and helping protect ourselves and our patients?

The buzz about dentistry “Going Green” seems to be all around us as dental students. In the

May 2011 ASDA News publication, a Harvard dental student highlighted that even ASDA on a

national level revised its N-1 Policy to recycle materials at all ASDA meetings and events. And

who can forget the wooden USBs that stand was giving out at the ADA Convention vendor

fair? It‟s important for us to know the realizations about how much waste our profession

produces and the specific ways we can help the environment both in the UF clinics and in our

future dental careers. Whether it‟s through lectures or guest speakers, we as 21st century

dentists have a responsibility to learn about our impact on the environment and how to keep both

our planet and patients healthy for years to come.

i Okwuje, Ifie, Anderson, Eugene, Valachovic, Richard W. Annual ADEA Survey of Dental School Seniors: 2009

Graduating Class. J Dent Educ. 2010 74: 1024-1045. ii Hawley, Nate. (2008). NBDE Part I: A Meaningful Score or A Score without Meaning [Powerpoint slides]. Retrieved from

http://www.adea.org/. iii

American Dental Education Association. Introducing the Personal Potential Index: A New Resource for Presenting and

Evaluating Applicants for Advanced Dental Education Programs. Retrieved from http://www.adea.org/. iv Fox, Karen. Postgraduate Exam Under Study. Nov 12 2009. Retrieved from http://www.ada.org/.

v Brodie, Abby J., Crow, Heidi C., Eber, Robert M., Handysides, Robert, Holexa, Roy, Kiat-amnuay, Sudarat, Spallek, Heiko.

Evaluating Postdoctoral Dental Candidates: Assessing the Need and Recommendations for a National Qualifying

Examination. J Dent Educ. 2011 75: 719-725. vi Task Force on Developing an Advanced Dental Admission Test. Reference Committee: Dental Education, Science and

Related Matters. Report of the Task Force on an Advanced Dental Admission Test. Rep. Sept. 2010: 4198-4215.

Ethics Corner:

It’s Not Easy

Being Green

3

At this year‟s Dentists Day on the

Hill there were four legislations that were

major concerns to students, current, and

future dentists.

The first, supported by the FDA,

addressed the issue of the Florida Dental

Licensure Exam. The FDA supported

moving Florida‟s dental licensure exam to

the American Dental Licensure

Examination (ADLEX) developed by the

American Board of Dental Examiners Inc.

This would provide an acceptable means

to reduce costs and maintain the integrity

of the Florida licensure exam. This

legislation passed in committee, and the

amended language would now move the current dental licensure exam to the American

Dental Licensing Examination (ADLEX).

Another issue of importance pertained to

prohibiting maximum allowable charges for non-

covered services. This legislation stops insurance

companies from dictating allowable charges for

services not even covered in their policy. These

bills will stop artificial price controls and bring

fairness back to the contract negotiation process.

This legislation passed unanimously in the Senate

Committee on Wednesday, April 13, 2011.

The final legislation supported by the

FDA aimed to increase access to care with

supervision level changes for hygienists. The

FDA and the Florida Dental Hygiene Association

have joint legislation to improve access to dental

care in health access settings. Without dentist

supervision, hygienists will be able to apply

fluoride and dental sealants. A medical clearance is

needed for hygienists to clean teeth in these settings.

This legislation passed Senate Committee and

House Committee and then was passed to Senate

Floor.

The one issue strongly opposed by the FDA

was a legislation aiming to bypass supplemental

education requirement. This legislation would

allow internationally-trained dentists from non-

accredited dental schools to bypass the two-year

supplemental education requirement and sit directly

for the Florida licensure exam. This legislation, and

any attempt to create a “back-door” pathway to

licensure, would threaten Florida‟s minimum

standard of care for all patients, according to the

FDA. This legislation did not pass.

F

N

D

C

4

Nicholas Mann

ASDA Co-Legislative Liaison

The Student National Dental

Association‟s (SNDA) mission is to promote and

encourage the increase of minority enrollment

and retention in dental schools in order to

improve the delivery of dental health to all

people, with an emphasis on minorities and the

underserved. The University of Florida Chapter

of SNDA hosts and participates in a number of

activities throughout the year. The Chapter ran a

highly successful Impressions Program in the

summer of 2010. Thirty-five undergraduate

students from various universities got a view of

what dental school is like during the event.

Dental students, faculty and staff assisted as the

participants learned to take alginate impressions

and wax teeth. The participants had a great time

and expressed that they would have liked to stay

longer at a feedback session at the end of the

event!

The UF SNDA Chapter also organized an

event at a local Boys and Girls Club. Oral

hygiene instructions were given to a group of

kids at the Club using a gator puppet. Treats such

as toothbrushes and toothpaste were provided to

every child. Additional SNDA highlights include

Relay for Life, dinner at Ronald McDonald

house and an annual Christmas fundraiser that is

held to benefit children in need. In December

2010, the proceeds from the Chapter‟s Christmas

Candy Gram fundraiser were used to purchase

Christmas gifts for a child in the Partnership for

Strong Families “Wish Upon A Star” program.

At the 97th

NDA/SNDA Annual

Convention held in July 2010, UF SNDA was

awarded Chapter of the

Year and First Place in

the Scrapbook

Competition! This year,

UF SNDA will continue

to work hard to be a

benefit to the

community. The Chapter

is excited to be working

on plans for a “Mini”

Impressions program

that will be provided to

introduce high school

students to the field of

dentistry!

5

Will building new

dental schools in

Florida improve

access to dental

care?

someone‟s ability to obtain dental care

would probably be helpful. And finally,

we can think about how increasing the

number of dental schools and students

in Florida may or may not be part of the

solution.

The Pew-funded study used eight

policy benchmarks to assess childrens‟

dental health. The benchmarks included

having sealant programs in at least 25

percent of high-risk schools; allowing a

hygienist to place sealants in a school-

based program without requiring a

dentist‟s exam; providing optimally

fluoridated water to at least 75 percent

of residents who are served by public

systems; meeting or exceeding the 2007

national average of 38.1 percent of

Medicaid-enrolled children receiving

dental services; paying dentists who

serve Medicaid-enrolled children at

least the 2008 national average of

median retail fees; reimbursing medical

care providers for preventive dental

health services; authorizing a new type

of primary care dental provider; and

submitting basic screening data to the

national database that tracks oral health

conditions. The dentist workforce is a

consideration in these “access to care”

issues, but expanding the dentist

workforce, particularly by enrolling

students in a very expensive academic

program resulting in large debt loads at

graduation, is unlikely to make a dent

in Florida‟s “F” grade. Additionally, it

is unlikely to impact access to care for

adults, older adults, and vulnerable

populations such as individuals with

disabilities or living in long-term care

facilities.

What could make a difference?

A recent report from the Florida

Department of Health ii proposed

several excellent recommendations in

an effort to allow all persons in Florida

access to quality dental care. The

Workforce Task Force studied these

Teresa A. Dolan, DDS, MPH

Professor and Dean

University of Florida

College of Dentistry

Florida‟s “F” grade

two years in a row from the

Pew Foundation report on the

“State of Children‟s Dental

Health” i has captured the

attention of many local and

state leaders and has made

access to dental care,

particularly for children, a front

page news story throughout

Florida. But will a rapid

expansion of dental schools in

Florida improve access to care?

In order to answer that

question, it would be helpful to

first understand why Florida

received an “F” grade. Second,

a quick review of the many

factors that influence

issues for more than a year, and

concluded that there is a need for

innovative approaches in order to

deliver appropriate and high

quality dental care services to

underserved populations.

Recommendations included

expanding public health education

and prevention services, improving

the Medicaid dental program,

using incentives to attract dentists

to work in safety net clinics, and

allowing expanded duties and

reduced supervision levels for

allied dental providers who

practice in health access settings.

Expanding the number of dental

schools was discussed by the

committee, who ultimately did not

include this in the list of

recommendations. Rather, the

Task Force recommended the

expansion of learning experiences

through dental school externship

or residency programs in safety net

facilities, and the establishment of

short-term training programs in

pediatric dentistry. UFCD has

been a national leader in both of

these activities for many years, and

is open to the opportunity to

expand these programs.

High quality, affordable,

science- and evidence-based dental

education is an important public

good, and UFCD is grateful for the

public investment in dental

education. Rapid expansion of

high-cost, and potentially lower

quality and non-research intensive

dental education in a state that is

strapped for cash and is currently

having difficulty supporting the

higher education programs

currently in existence requires

much more thoughtful

consideration. And adding dental

graduates, particularly those with

large educational debts, will not

6

The Future of Dental

Education in Florida Phil Bell, ASDA Co-Legislative Liaison

UFCD Class of 2014

Dental

School

Notes Next Step Accreditation

Status

Seats Tuition and

Fees Annually

Anticipated

Opening

University of

Florida

Established in

1972

Expand Class

Size

Approval

without

Reporting

Requirements

Approximately

80

Residents-

$30,936

Non-residents-

$57,416

-

Nova

Southeastern

University

Established in

1997

- Approval

without

Reporting

Requirements

Approximately

120

Residents-

$48,450

Non-residents-

$50,950

-

Lake Erie

College of

Medicine

Now

Accepting

AADSAS

Applications

Accept Class

of 2016

Initial

Accreditation

100 $48,900 Fall 2012

University of

Central

Florida

UCF Board of

Trustees

Unanimously

Approved on

May 26th

,

2011

Board of

Governors

- 100 Estimated

$50,000-

$60,000

Fall 2014

Florida

A&M

University

Requested but

have not yet

received state

funding

Board of

Governors

- - - -

equate to improvements in access to dental care,

particularly for vulnerable Floridians. A more

thoughtful, comprehensive view of public policy

issues affecting access to dental care, and state-wide

dentist workforce planning to ensure high quality

and affordable dental education in our state will

yield a much more positive impact on the oral

health in Florida. i http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/uploadedFile s/The_State_of_Children's_Dental_health.pdf , accessed June 5, 2011. ii http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Family/dental/OralHeal hcareWorkforce/200903Dental_Workforce_Report.pdf, accessed June 5, 2011.

7

Ministry Through Dentistry

University of Florida, taking a trip to Guatemala was

about more than learning, it was about more than taking

people out of pain, it was about ministering to their

needs physically and spiritually.

In just four days of work we were able to treat

over 500 patients. Our team worked out of a small

church in Guatemala City. When we arrived at the

church each day there would already be a large line

formed. These people would even wait all day if they

had to just so they could be seen. In the United States,

some people get frustrated when they have to wait more

than 15 minutes to see a dentist. It takes a trip like this

to realize that visiting the dentist is in fact a luxury that

many American‟s take for granted; the strength and

patience of the Guatemalan people is something to be

greatly admired.

With no operatory lights, no suction, and few

translators, our dental missionaries became

proficient at a few Spanish phrases, namely, “Abre la

boca” which means open your mouth and “Escupir

por favor” which means spit please. Even though we

learned just enough broken Spanish to be able to fail

a high school Spanish test, we became fluent in the

language of God‟s love. “For I was hungry, and you

gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you

gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and

you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was

sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you

came to Me.‟ Then the righteous will answer Him,

„Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You,

There are some things

that you expect on any dental

service trip: you will work very

hard in conditions that are far

from ideal, you may not have

all of the instruments that you

are accustom to using, there will

likely be more patients than you

will be able to treat each day,

you will help people. The list

goes on. One thing that we did

not expect was to leave with the

feeling that we were the ones

being helped. Every patient we

saw made us feel more

energized. We came to serve

and yet, we were served. For the

Christian Dental Society at the

8

said, “I was especially impressed with the peace and calm

that existed during the outreach this year. Health outreaches

are always a little hectic and sometimes even chaotic

because there are so many patients that we try to attend to

and the conditions are always very demanding, stretching

students and professors to their limits at times. But in the

midst of all that [the students] were all very positive,

flexible, and interacting with genuine love and compassion

for each and every patient.”

We would like to give a special Thank You to all of

the professors who supported us on this trip, especially Dr.

Christopher Spencer, Dr. Stephen Howard, and Dr. Boyd

Robinson. In addition, thank you Dr. Cara Clark, Dr. Robert

Payne, Dr. Brian Long, and Dr. Mike Kadera. And a big

additional Thank You to Lee Mintz, Marilyn Stewart, and

the Henry Schein store for also making this trip possible.

Thank you to all of our family and friends and everyone else

who supported us with love and prayers. Most importantly

we thank God for, well…. Everything!

The Christian Dental Society will be returning to

Guatemala City in the summer of 2012 for their 4th

consecutive year of service to the El Verbo Church of Palín.

CDS Prayer meetings are every Tuesday in D1-26

during lunch. If you would like to be added to our list serv

please email PBell@dental.ufl.edu.

or thirsty, and give You something to drink?

And when did we see You a stranger, and

invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?

When did we see You sick, or in prison, and

come to You?‟ The King will answer and say

to them, „Truly I say to you, to the extent that

you did it to one of these brothers of Mine,

even the least of them, you did it to Me.”

Matthew 25: 35-40

In this verse, Jesus tells us that when

we love (or hate) anyone in this world with our

thoughts or actions, it is as if we are loving (or

hating) Him. Imagine Jesus Christ sitting down

in your dental chair or walking into your place

of business. How would you treat Him?

(Imagine Jesus walking down the street

homeless with nothing to eat, what would you

do then?) Our student missionaries tried to

treat every patient as it they were treating Jesus

Himself. We focused on sharing God‟s love,

by loving our patients just as He loves us and

putting their needs before our own.

Don Dau, a junior student dentist

missionary said, “Even the mornings felt

different on this trip. In school it takes me

about 30 minutes to wake up in the morning. In

Guatemala, even though I was more and more

exhausted each night, I woke up feeling

refreshed and excited about the day.”

Dr. Mike Kadera is a dental missionary

from America who has lived in Guatemala

doing missionary work for thirty years. He

Drew Byrnes, CDS President

Class of 2013

9

Across 2 This syndrome is also known as the happy

puppet syndrome.

4 The metabolism of this monosaccharide is poorly

regulated in hepatic cells.

5 Dr. Shaddox would confirm pregnancy by

looking for this disease.

6 This company was the first to mass-produce

toothpaste.

7 Sarcoma is cancer of this type of tissue.

9 A word commonly used by Dr. Jackson to

emphasize the remarkable size of an

organ/nerve/vessel.

10 According to Dr. Brown, the MHC-1

molecules looks like this cartoon character.

14 Tuberculus anomalus of Georg _________,

is a small cusp of maxillary first molars.

16 The new interim director of the Division of

Operative Dentistry. (2 Words)

18 The only muscle innervated by the

glossopharyngeal nerve.

19 While performing CPR you should

compress the chest at least ___ inches deep.

20 In the course of eight months, the class of

2014 has had this many class presidents and

vice presidents.

Jad Jaffal, F

or A

nsw

ers See P

age 1

5.

10

Greg Feldman

Down 1 The “4 P‟s” of a benign

mixed tumor include

pleomorphic, palate,

parotid, and _____.

3 A local anesthetic

widely used in dentistry

during the 1900s

influenced this popular

“Eels” song. (4 Words)

8 According to Dr.

Winter, apoptosis makes

this sound.

11 Submandibular duct is

also known as ____. (2

Words)

12 While performing CPR,

it is recommended that

you follow the pace of

this famous song (~103

bpm). (2 Words)

13 A device used to keep

an uncooperative

person, usually a child,

immobilized during

dental work. (2 Words).

15 This process prolongs a

drug‟s circulatory time

(half-life) by reducing

renal clearance.

17 A term coined by Dr.

Ottenga.

This year I was excited to be a part of

the group of pre-dental undergraduates invited

to the Florida National Dental Convention held

in Orlando, FL at the Gaylord Palms Resort and

Convention Center. As a member and the newly

elected president of Pre-Dental ASDA at the

University of Florida, it allowed me a sneak

preview of what it would be like to partake in an

assemblage of Florida dentists to discuss new

technologies and innovations, policies and

regulations, as well as new developments in the

field of dentistry. Of particular interest, we were

able to see a machine that generated a 3-D

image of a tooth and then shaped a crown within

6 minutes. Our group was able to sit in on the

House of Delegates meeting that discussed new

issues that would affect dentistry in Florida. In addition, it was a great

experience networking with Florida dental students, as well as, a variety of

professionals in the field of dentistry. Overall, it was a great experience and

would recommend it to anyone with an interest in dentistry. Our Pre-Dental

ASDA group and I had a great time and hope to attend another Florida

National Dental Convention in the future.

Kyle J. Losin

President, UF Pre-Dental ASDA

11

The 2010-2011 school year has been full of events for HSDA. What follows

is a small list.

Fall semester began with a Spanish teaching session for those students going

on mission trips. Some of our members went to Chicago for the national Hispanic

Dental Association meeting during October. Thanksgiving dinner was graciously

made by our members, and served at one of our own member‟s house. Finally, the

Christmas mood was set when we made over 150 pancakes to feed the families

staying at Ronald McDonald House.

Equally eventful, spring semester began with a celebration of “Dia del

dentista” at a local restaurant. Later, many students headed off to the Puerto Rico Dental Convention; the trip was facilitated by the efforts of one of our members. As the semester neared an end, a

lot of migrant workers benefitted from the screenings that we performed at a Migrant Fair event—overlooked by

Dr. Shaddox and Dr. Sposetti. Also, who can forget the lunch n‟ learns decorated by the many colors found in our

delicious Hispanic food.

Many events are planned for the coming months. If any of the above sounds interesting and you would like

to get involved, we would love your help.

An Update

from our

ASDA

President Dustin Pfundheller

In June, the State

Dental Convention was held

in Orlando, Florida. The

University of Florida

encouraged attendance and

worked hard to make the

conference meaningful for

dental students. University of

Florida brought over 60

dental students along with Nova bringing another 30

students. In addition, the UF ASDA chapter contacted

numerous undergraduate institutions and encouraged the

attendance of an additional 100 pre-dental students.

University of Florida also hosted an information

session specifically for dental students. The meeting

simplified and summarized the workings of the

complicated house of delegates so that all dental

students were able to understand and actively engage in

the convention. Also, the most current hot topics were

presented along with future events in the state.

Dental students contacted the Florida Dental

Convention numerous times, gaining permission for

dental students to attend meetings of the reference

committees, various districts, and councils. As a result,

the dental students were able to fully participate with

the dentists. Having dental students on the committees

was logical since most of the topics were student

centered -- such as the dramatic increase of dental

schools in the state.

At the convention, The Florida Dental

Association House of Delegates passed two

resolutions that were written by students. First,

Resolution 2010H-092 allows two dental students to

be on three sub councils: the Sub Council of a New

Dentist, the Council on Membership, and the Council

on Education and Licensure. Secondly, 2010H-068

gives money to the Council on Membership and to

Sub-council on a new Dentist to provide several

educational opportunities such as "Lunch and Learns"

and to increase student recruitment to the Florida

Dental Association. Previously, there was no student

representation on the committees.

As a result of the hard work of our UF ASDA,

there were many positive results for both the students

and the Florida Dental Association.

Jorge del Valle, HSDA Vice President

12

Samuel Low, DDS, MS

Assoc. Dean & Professor

Department of Periodontology

Just when the 4th

year dental student sees

light at the end of the

proverbial dental

academic tunnel, a cloud

emerges threatening to

squash well intended

efforts to finally be a

dentist. This unavoidable

consequence of the

journey is noted as the

licensure examination.

Historical documentation demonstrates that the

controversy over licensure examinations began in

1905 and had not ceased since. We have regional

exams, state exams, PGY-1, the imported Canadian

OSCE exam, and the “new kid on the block”

California portfolio exam.

Debate continues over patient based exams

versus non patient exams, third party evaluation versus

“in house” evaluations. And is a class II amalgam

performed in Washington evaluated to a different

standard than one in Nebraska? And why do we have

the exam anyway?? If I graduated from an ADA

CODA accredited dental school with honors, should

that be enough to prove I am worthy? Well yes and no

to all!

A defined objective of the licensure exam

process is to ensure that citizens of each respective

state receive competent safe dental care. This is

achieved through an independent third party process

Do YOU have QUESTIONS regarding…

UFCD?

Organized Dentistry?

Current Legislation?

Anything Dental?

Email us your questions at

UFASDA@gmail.com We will answer them in the next edition

of Gator Dentist Times!

Do you have opinions about any of the

articles printed in this newsletter?

Send us your editorials, and we will print them

in the next edition of Gator Dentist Times!

of evaluating prescribed dental procedures on

standards of competency. None of the above listed

licensure means are perfect but some are the best we

have. And dental schools are not accredited for their

ability to guarantee competency for individual future

practitioners. They are accredited as institutions that

provide the process for competency. And until we

consider „continued competency” for the dentist, only

the regulatory efforts of a state board can judge

competency.

Recently, in a landmark move, the FDA and

State legislature determined that the State of Florida

become part of the ADLEX exam process that is

recognized in over 27 states. This was not without

scrutiny of the process to ensure the exam mission as

stated above.

ASDA has been a leader in promoting patient

welfare in the licensure process while campaigning to

ensure a user friendly process for dental students as

they pursue licensure. So let‟s suggest some

fundamentals and consider the future:

Licensure is a state‟s rights issue but does not

preclude moving toward uniformity of a

process if the mission can be achieved as

above.

Preserving a third party independent evaluation

of a candidate is critical to ensure the safety

and competency for the public

Developing both a student and patient centered

process as competency exams on students‟

assigned patients while in school with third

party objectivity satisfies all.

13

First and

foremost, my advice to

you would be DO NOT

underestimate the boards

just because they will be

pass/fail for you. Your

biggest mistake may be

taking them too lightly

and not preparing

yourself properly. Keep

in mind that everyone

studies differently and

everyone has different paces for how fast they can

learn and understand material. Give yourself a

reasonable timeline and set goals for how much

material you need to get through by a certain time.

At this point in the curriculum, I would take

General Pathology, Occlusion, and Immunology very

seriously as many board questions relate to these

subjects. Although many of the concepts you learn

this summer are far more detailed than the majority of

the Boards questions, you WILL see many of the

important topics and some questions can be VERY

specific. With that being said, study hard this summer

and when you are reviewing this material for boards,

you will be surprised at how much you remember.

I can 100% say that there are only three

materials you need to successfully pass the Boards:

Dental Decks, First Aid, and Old exams. I bought

several different materials and used tons of sources

and at the end of the day, it‟s impossible to learn it all

anyways. My advice to you is this: Go through the

Dental Decks first before you pick up First Aid. First

Aid has a ton of high-yield facts and charts that are

difficult to pick up and comprehend without a base

knowledge of the material you are studying. If you go

through the Dental Decks first, you will find First Aid

to make a lot more sense and it helps to solidify many

facts that are stressed in the Decks. Take a lot of

practice exams and try and understand the answers:

don‟t just memorize them because many questions are

similar but worded differently on the real exam.

Study hard but don‟t forget to stay balanced.

Spring semester with boards studying can obviously

get overwhelming. Take it one day at a time, do your

best, and you will be fine.

Don‟t mess up the 100% pass rate.

late nights and early mornings at the library, caffeine

coursing through your veins and, if you are truly

dedicated, earning yourself a Gold Starbucks reward

card. On a more positive note, you can also truly look

forward to passing boards, as UFCD does a stellar

job at preparing us for this exam! I was slightly

skeptical when other students told me this- not

questioning whether UFCD was preparing me, as I

knew that I had been taught the information, but

concerned about my own retention of facts such as

which organism causes Q fever, how much wood

could a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could

chuck wood, and other pertinent information. My

advice is to really start studying around Spring Break.

Feel free to read through material before then,

but from Spring Break onwards was plenty of time.

Take a practice exam or two early, so you get a feel

for what the tests are really like and where you need

to focus your time and attention. Also, leave some

time towards the end of your studies to review

exams. There are so many resources that are available

for NBDE and it is easy to get distracted with all the

materials at your disposal. Although almost all of the

books are very helpful, the sheer volume of material

is overwhelming enough without multiplying it by a

million different books, flashcards, your old class

material and the many released exams that will come

your way. In order to make the most of your time, I

would suggest picking a couple of resources and

really dedicate your time to them, such as First Aid

and Dental Decks.

Your classes in the spring will be very helpful

so it is advisable to ensure you retain this information

for the long term. Pharmacology will allow you to

review all the systems of the body, and Oral Surgery

and Oral Medicine were extremely useful, too. Try

Shaun Young

ASDA Licensure Chair

Charlotte Gleeson-Hill

ASDA Corresponding Secretary

The National

Boards will consume

almost your entire

existence from around

Spring Break of your

second year to the fateful

day when a small,

nondescript letter arrives in

the mail from the testing

service. Look forward to

14

to keep up with the Boards review course, as it is

helpful in the long run if you put time into it. I found

the Gross Anatomy portion to be an excellent review-

Dr. Jackson really emphasized points that were truly

reflected on the test. In fact, she may be psychic.

Remember to take a night off now and then, support

your fellow classmates, and to keep in mind that there

is life after boards! Put into your studying what you

would like to get out of it when that letter arrives and

you all will absolutely succeed!

Jullia Kinser & Violeta Trenkova

The Florida National Dental Convention held in

Orlando provided 30 students from the Pre-Dental Society at

USF with many opportunities to learn more about their future

profession. Students interacted with dentists, vendors, and event coordinators to gain experience and exposure to a

challenging and rewarding career.

Several highlights of the weekend in Orlando included speaking with admissions representatives from the

University of Florida CoD and Nova Southeastern CoDM. As students, we were able to hear about the importance of

applying early in the cycle firsthand and have our questions addressed.

Students were then able to learn about technological advancements in instruments, software, equipment and

the need to maintain the desire to learn in order to provide effective and meticulous dental and overall health care to

patients. This lifelong learning was well depicted through various workshops scheduled during the days. For example,

dental professionals and students could attend a session about implants or on practical knowledge about patient abuse

and the role of a dental professional in reporting such cases.

Attending the Florida National Dental Convention was of utmost benefit for Pre-Dental Society members

because it provided students with a glimpse of the future of organized dentistry and what they can do to be a part of it.

Luke Antonos

ASDA Presidential Affairs

As rhetorical

as this may sound: DO

NOT SWEAT IT! You

will probably hear this

from most of the

students in our class

because it is true, and

you will eventually

come to the conclusion

that UFCD prepares us

very well to pass the

boards. Nevertheless, here are my two cents: First,

make sure that you do not discount the classes that

you will be taking during the spring semester before

the boards, especially Oral Medicine and Oral

Surgery, which you will find extremely useful.

Second, take the board review course seriously as it

helps a lot. Third, since your boards are going to

pass/fail I feel that if you go through the decks and

First Aid once thoroughly, starting at Spring Break,

you will be well prepared! For the Gunners- double

that! I believe that if you worked hard during your

regular classes, then studying for the boards will

only be a review versus learning new material for

the ones that slacked in classes. Good Luck, and

like I said do not sweat it!

Crossword Answers Across

2 ANGELMAN

4 FRUCTOSE

5 GINGIVITIS

6 COLGATE

7 CONNECTIVE

9 STONKING

10 BULLWINKLE

14 CARABELLI

16 MARC OTTENGA

18 STYLOPHARYNGEUS

19 TWO

20 SIX

Down

1 POSTERIOR

3 NOVOCAINE FOR THE SOUL

8 POP

11 WHARTON‟S DUCT

12 STAYIN‟ ALIVE

13 PAPOOSE BOARD

15 PEGYLATION

17 SCHMEAR

15

As colleagues, faculty, and alumni

gathered to celebrate ASDA‟s Spring Synergy

weekend, they got a glimpse into the

dedication ASDA has for research, academics,

and the profession of dentistry. The weekend

began with a day devoted to continuing

education and a Celebration of Science with

research presentations by DMD students,

graduate students, and residents. The following

Saturday evening, students and faculty were

invited to the annual ASDA banquet for a

lovely dinner and awards ceremony

recognizing outstanding students. To round out

the weekend, students, family, and faculty

competed in a Golf Tournament to build

camaraderie.

Deborah Lowry

ASDA Professional Issues Chair

16

such as the American Academy of General Dentistry is

not as high as it should be. I propose that it should be

viewed the same way we view the hard work and the

mountains of students loans it takes to be a dentist, as

an investment. It is an investment in maintaining the

quality of the dental profession that we worked so hard

to get into.

I was privileged to be invited to a meeting held

by the American Academy of General Dentistry, AGD,

during the recent FNDC convention in Orlando along

with Dusty Pfundheller, our UF ASDA president. The

AGD represents and protects the interests of general

dentists in an effort to promote quality in dentistry. We

sat there eating a delicious lunch while exceptional

dentists were being presented with awards of

achievements in community service and dedication to

continued learning. Although the

awards were special the individuals

receiving them, they were also an

important source of motivation to everyone else in

the room, including myself.

I came to realize that being a part of general

dentistry could also motivate the individual to strive

to be the best dentist that they could be while also

protecting the profession politically. I feel more

strongly than ever that organized dentistry is more

than an investment in the preservation of a

wonderful career, it is also an investment in the

individual so that we can push ourselves to provide

the best care possible. I encourage each of us to

invest in dentistry while we are in school, but to

also continue to invest our time and money into

organized dentistry when we graduate. If we don't

make the effort to protect our profession, who will?

Let‟s Invest in Dentistry

Christopher Shannon

ASDA Organized

Dentistry Chair

Many dental students are now

racking up school debts close to

200,000 dollars if not more. We are

willing to work hard in school for many

years because we know that it is worth

it. We look at it as an investment in

ourselves so that we can have the career

and the lifestyle that we have always

wanted. Unfortunately, this same

dedication towards supporting

organized dentistry in the form of

membership in the ADA or other groups

17

SUDOKU In

termed

iate

was really nice to witness how proud all of them

were and to be so influential in keeping the

alumni events running smoothly.”

UFCD Students + Florida

National Dental Convention =

“Students brought energy and

excitement to the conference. Over a

few days, students were able to

realize that we actually do have

some control over important matters

in dentistry. The FDA embraced

dental students, truly respected our

opinion, and acted accordingly.”

Phil Bell

“As a dental student attending FNDC, I found the convention

to be informative and encouraging. The ASDA presentation

was edifying as they explained current developments in the

politics of dentistry and how they are going to affect individual

dental students, in addition to the state of Florida as a whole. I

interacted with dentists from all over Florida, gaining insight

about what their dental school experiences were like along with

how they are involved in dentistry today.”

Deborah Lowry

“The Alumni Affairs

Coordinator was so

appreciative of our help

during the event. It was the

largest student turnout she

had ever had and it really

helped pump up the alumni

about being Gator dentists. It Melissa

Alfonso

18

Miten A. Patel Professional Interest: Dental

Public Health

Service Site: University of

Florida College of Dentistry

Partaking in the second

session of the Collegiate Health

Service Corps was an

extraordinary experience! I am

amazed by all that I have

experienced and learned in a

very brief duration of time.

Shadowing a dental student,

attending a course in the

simulation laboratory and

performing a restorative

procedure, speaking with an

admissions committee member,

having the opportunity to wax a

first molar, and assisting fourth

year dental students have

reinforced my passion for

dental public health. While this

program continues to facilitate

my understanding of various

health disparities along with

other service activities, this

session enabled me to witness

the science and artistry to

dentistry firsthand.

Consequently, I was able to

practice and evaluate my

psychomotor abilities by

utilizing numerous dental

instruments like the high speed

drill while examining the

intricacy of dental anatomy. I

greatly enjoyed interacting with

several other dental students

along with the student dentists

that I shadowed through the

cohort nature of the dental

classes. Overall, my

experiences at the University of

Florida‟s College of Dentistry

have led me to better understanding

of the rigors of a dental education, has

allowed me to gain the sense of

camaraderie between dental students

across all of the classes, and witness

the support of faculty members as

instructors, colleagues, and

representatives of the profession.

Participating in various

service activities throughout my

undergraduate studies coupled with

all that I have learned during CHSC‟s

second session has reinforced my

passion of dentistry and the goals

which I will strive to attain within the

profession. I am fervent of these aims

as they correlate with numerous

personal qualities. For instance, I

greatly enjoy having the ability to

interact and converse with

individuals, I like to complete tasks

enthusiastically and meticulously, and

am very fond of exploring various

methodologies by which to

implement sustainable resources to

improve systemic health outcomes

amongst members of our community.

I have learned that dentistry allows

for the unique opportunity to achieve

these goals while exploring various

other avenues within the field along

with private practice. For instance, I

observed a graduate dental student

questioning whether patients with

diabetes would like to participate in a

research study. As such, dental

research is one of many opportunities

which dentists can undertake. Also, I

spoke with fourth year dental students

who were completing applications for

various residencies from general

practice to pediatric dentistry and

orthodontics. Consequently, I am

eager to contribute to the realm of

dental public health through public

health informatics and by establishing

vercome various barriers to care like

more efficient health policies to

overcome various barriers to care

like inadequate dental insurance

coverage.

All in all, I greatly

enjoyed my time at the University

of Florida‟s College of Dentistry.

I have learned a great deal about

dental admissions, the

curriculum, and various

opportunities within the

profession in a brief duration of

time. Additionally, I greatly

enjoyed interacting with patients

and having the ability to practice

my psychomotor abilities and

manual dexterity. Although I

have only caught a glimpse of the

dental curriculum, I understand

that dentistry requires a lifelong

commitment to learning and I am

eager to undertake this challenge.

I am certain that prayer, working

arduously, having the continued

support of my family, and

guidance from the individuals

that I have been privileged to

meet will enable me to

successfully attain a dental

education which will allow me to

represent and serve members of

our community.

If you are interested in

mentoring Pre-Dents and/or

creating a bridge between UFCD

and Pre-Dent organizations

throughout Florida please contact

Haley Freymiller

HFreymiller@dental.ufl.edu

or Shawn Stottt

SStott@dental.ufl.edu. You

can also contact Haley and

Shawn if you are a Pre-Dent and

would like to know more about

UFCD.

19

Continued from page 2.

problem solving and ethical reasoning” in addition to

basic science knowledge were rated as most important.1

However, there was no consensus on specific content,

particularly with eleven characteristics ranking higher

than basic science knowledge. As a result, the Task

Force still needs to research and discuss content, costs,

scoring, feedback, and other such issues before any

ADAT is put into practice.

In conclusion, for aspiring orthodontists, oral

maxillofacial surgeons, endodontists, pedodontists, and

other specialists, the switch to a pass-fail NBDE Part I

will make non-cognitive personal dimensions

UCF Pre-Dental Carolina Cadavid

A Note from the Editor I would like to thank all of the students and

professors who contributed to this newsletter. I

would also like to congratulate Ali Best- her

article in this newsletter will be published in the

September national issue of ASDA News. If you

are interested in writing for Gator Dentist Times

and national ASDA publication opportunities, then

you can contact me at CNorton@dental.ufl.edu for

more info. Have a great summer semester.

Carolyn A. Norton

ASDA Newsletter Editor

UFCD Class of 2014

increasingly important. Utilizing the Personal

Profession Index and possibly a national postdoctoral

entrance examination, program directors hope to

enhance their abilities to identify applicants who will

be most successful in their given specialty of interest.

And with these new forms of evaluation, the most

successful candidates will not necessarily be those

with the highest IQ, but rather those who prove to be

well-rounded, personable, and caring, in addition to

clinically and scientifically competent. Whether or

not the new forms of evaluation will be effective

remains to be seen, but overall, hopes are high in the

dental community.

On June 9 - 11, 2011 the University of Central Florida

pre-dental students attended the Florida National Dental

Convention, in Orlando.

It was an honor to be invited to such a wonderful event

where we got the opportunity to learn about dentistry, new

technology and dental school.

In the exhibition floor we learned about many of the new

advancements in dental technology and spoke to the dental

schools representatives. Dr. Lippman, Dean of Admissions from

Nova Southeastern University Dental School, invited

use to Nova‟s Alumni Party where we meet many of

dental school‟s professors as well as current dental

students.

We also attended the ASDA meeting and

learned about some of the current issues in dentistry as

well as some of the events ASDA does throughout the

year.

At Westgate Lakes Resort we roomed with

University of Florida and Nova Southeastern University

dental students. The dental students were extremely

helpful, giving us important tips on how to prepare for

dental school and on how to become a better applicant.

The FNDC was a great learning experience for the

UCF pre-dental students.

ASDA Grad Mixer Pool Party

20