Committee Corner

Dental Education: ​First Comes Education, then comes Educating?

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Next time you’re in clinic or SLC, take a good look around. Far too often, I’ve been focused on impressing the faculty with my amalgam preparation, or running around the clinic floor, that I rarely stop to think of our teachers. The professors and researchers we work with are an integral part of our dental education, and without them we couldn’t go on to become stellar dentists. It’s likely that we’ve all at one point wondered why they chose to be educators- and I think the simple answer is that it feels good to teach.
 
Academic dentistry can give you the best of both worlds. Clinical practice can be extremely rewarding, but for some people it may not be enough to spark you to remain passionate about dentistry. Teaching is a great way to keep you active and up to date with advances in dentistry, but also provides your imagination a chance to inspire others. As a dentist, you are first and foremost a doctor, and maybe a businessman, but our role as teachers shouldn’t be overlooked. We have a duty to our patients, but also to our profession- and the future generations of students will absolutely require us to step up and become their mentors.
 
Whether you’re interested in research or considering teaching, your contribution to future students is valued. Academic dentistry is on the rise, and you have the chance to make the difference you want to see!
 
We’d like to congratulate our new ADEA Co-SRFs Scott and Adela, and look forward to seeing the DMD19s and AS17s at the “All About Your Armamentarium” event! Look out for new updates in the upcoming weeks!

Joanna Song, DMD 17
Dental Education CO-Chair ​