ODA RELATIONSHIP WITH PRE-DENT CLUBS HELPS INSPIRE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
The Ohio Dental Association has built relationships with the pre-dent clubs at The Ohio State University and Miami University. Through the relationship, the undergraduate students volunteer at the ODA Annual Session and also have mentorship and networking opportunities with ODA members.
“I believe it is EXTREMELY important to involve pre-dental students in the ODA,” said Dr. George Williams, Jr., a general dentist in Canton who was involved with starting the relationship with the ODA when he was in the pre-dent club at OSU. “Furthermore, the Stark County Dental Society attends high school career fairs and encourages students to shadow our practices. And even before high school, Give Kids A Smile is many children’s first exposure to the merits of organized dentistry! WE, not US News Money, must be our profession’s greatest advocates and recruiters. The articles I wrote last year, ‘Born in the ODA’ and ‘Seasoned in ODA,’ stressed in detail the importance of involving pre-dental and dental students in the ODA. Like Ken Blanchard’s ‘Raving Fans,’ we must plant seeds and foster the next generation of dentists EARLY. Like a 529 plan, the sooner we invest in our future, the more value organized dentistry will convey, creating passionate, life-long members that will enrich our society and communities. From another lens, I adamantly believe, early outreach is the solution to inverting our declining membership curve and maximizing the impact of organized dentistry.”
The relationship between the ODA and OSU started about 15 years ago with a dinner at the Chicago Midwinter Meeting. Williams said that when he served as vice president, the club pitched the idea of attending the Chicago Midwinter Meeting.
“I had previously attended with my dad, a scout for ODA Annual Session, finding it to be an incredible exposure to the profession, its future, and come on, it was a weekend in Chicago! George Sr. got me in contact with Suzanne Payne Brooks (ODA director of meetings and conventions) to let her know we’d have eight pre-dent students there. Next thing I know, she invited us to dinner on behalf of the ODA,” Williams said. “I remember an unparalleled evening of fellowship and energy with ODA mentor dentists and a bunch of bright-eyed dreamers. I’m not sure which group inspired each other more. 15 years later, they’re still having dinner in Chicago!”
Each year since then, the ODA has invited the pre-dent students to join ODA leaders for dinner at Lou Malnati’s during the Chicago Midwinter Meeting. Deans from the dental schools in Ohio have also attended the event and OSU College of Dentistry Dean Carroll Ann Trotman attended this year.
“I appreciate the organization and planning executed by the ODA in setting up a unique experience for us,” said Zakaria Yousuf, a member of the OSU pre-dent club. “The intimate gathering allowed students to have deeper conversations with those who attended the dinner. It also was a great way for students to gain guidance and mentorship, benefiting from such a diverse group of dental professionals. The dinner stood out as a highlight of the weekend, for many of the pre-dental students, myself included.”
He added that attending the Chicago Midwinter Meeting is one of the most sought after events within the club.
Dr. Joe Crowley, a past ADA and ODA president, said he always enjoys attending the dinner and seeing the enthusiasm of the students. He said it’s helpful for the students to see dentists who are successfully engaged in the profession and organized dentistry.
“It is as much a good feeling for us as it is an entertaining and fun night for the students,” he said. “They’re there to see what dentistry is all about and this gives them a chance to interact with those of us who have enjoyed being in the profession.”
Dr. Jarid Jones, a member of the ODA Annual Session Committee who attended the Chicago dinner as a pre-dent student, said it’s a cool experience to participate as a pre-dent student and then a mentor dentist.
“I remember going to Chicago and seeing dentists who were inspiring, and now I’m giving advice,” he said. “It’s a blessing to share that journey, and I take great pride in passing the torch.”
Jones said it can be an inspiration to the pre-dent students to see what they can achieve when they start their career as a young dentist and it showcases the importance of organized dentistry.
Since about 2010, the OSU pre-dent club has also been volunteering at the ODA Annual Session. They help set up and clean up hands-on courses and have the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at Annual Session, see the Exhibit Hall and even attend courses and meet speakers.
“This past year, there were a total of 77 pre-dental students who attended the convention weekend, accumulating a total amount of 245 hours of volunteering,” Yousuf said. “Students had the unique opportunity to network with various state dental professionals, some even finding new mentors and dentists to shadow. Lastly, students were able to observe the exhibit showroom where they received countless freebies, connected with various dental offices, learned about current cutting-edge technology, attended seminars, etc.”
The Miami University pre-dent club also started volunteering at ODA Annual Session in 2022.
“For the past two years, we have had the pleasure of volunteering at the ODA’s Annual Session,” said Sia Patel Dornhecker, a member of the Miami University pre-dent club. “We helped set up and take down continuing education classrooms and aided in packing up the Exhibit Hall. Between our volunteer tasks, our club had the opportunity to interact with professionals in the field, attend a few guest speakers’ lectures, and view booths on the convention floor. We are so thankful for the opportunity to attend the ODA Annual Session and are looking forward to next year!”
In 2023, the Miami students met with Dr. Bob Laing, an ODA member from Van Wert who graduated from Miami University in 2016 and OSU College of Dentistry in 2020.
“He gave us great advice about classes, research opportunities, the interview process, and how to create a dental resume,” Patel Dornhecker said.
Jones said that his involvement with the pre-dent club helped him to learn more about the ODA and his future career and involvement in organized dentistry. He plans to become more involved in the ODA, and decided to start by serving on the Annual Session Committee thanks to his involvement with volunteering at Annual Session and meeting Annual Session Committee members at Chicago Midwinter.
“It’s important for young dentists to play a bigger role in ODA councils and committees,” he said. “There are so many things we as young dentists want to get done, but need to get involved to do so.”
Crowley said that every year before he retired, he had two or three pre-dent students observe him in his practice and he’s also been invited multiple times to speak to pre-dent clubs. He said these relationships help set up a trust throughout the profession of like-minded individuals.
“I think it’s an absolutely great opportunity for the profession to reach out to those who are looking at a potential career in our profession to help them understand the great things that can happen through it,” Crowley said. “I think as a student there is that fear of the unknown. Are they heading in the right direction, is it really a goal they could and should shoot for? Having that one-on-one relationship not only on the clinical side but on the social side lets them exchange feelings with people who see it from the other side of the story. I think it leaves each one of them with a very encouraged and goal setting atmosphere to reach out and continue on. It can be very stressful picking the right place to land in your life. Going into health professions is definitely stressful because of the high academic standard they have to continue to even be accepted. Talking to people who have been there done that can encourage and take the stress out of the pathway they’re choosing.”
Patel Dornhecker said the pre-dent club is grateful for the opportunities the ODA has given to the students.
“It is important for the pre-dental club to be involved with the ODA because it allows us to see what our lives could look like in the future,” Patel Dornhecker said. “As undergraduate students, we know little about our future as dentists. Sitting in lectures with other dentists and meeting dental professionals across the state allows us to get a glimpse of what a real dentist goes through on a daily basis and what our futures could look like. I believe that allowing pre-dentistry clubs to attend ODA events allows undergraduate students to learn the importance of organized dentistry. It also allows students to determine whether or not dentistry is the right profession for them. From my experience attending the ODA annual conference, I confirmed my passion for dentistry and I am more excited and motivated than ever to continue my dental path.”
Yousuf said that as the current ODA liaison on the pre-dent club exec, he is tasked to find ways to expose students to organized dentistry.
“Being involved with the ODA in events like the ODA convention and the Annual Session provides students a source for learning about the important work organizations like the ODA do in advocating for dentists across various issues and topics,” he said. “Topics like job security, increasing insurance payback, lowering interest rates for loans, advocating for student doctors, etc. In addition, the ODA provides the PDC with unique opportunities to network with a diverse group of dental professionals and officials that we couldn’t do alone. Lastly, the ODA provides students with a great amount of resources from research publications, educational materials, updates within the field and more.”
Crowley said that building these relationships with pre-dent students sets up a trust that they will need throughout their profession and opens up a communication pathway among like-minded individuals.
“It’s impossible to communicate the ODA’s greatest value and strengths in writing” Williams said. “The relationships, connections and fellowship that are the life blood of the ODA must be experienced in person. We all seemingly had a mentor personally invite us into the ODA. My dad brought me along to Annual Session, Day at the State House, and Leadership Institute. I connected with a broad network of dentists around the state and country. Now, I’m not involved in the ODA because of my dad. I am active because I have seen the immeasurable value organized dentistry has brought to my life, practice, peers and community, since I was a child. For me, organized dentistry is without question the foundation of our profession and our strongest collective voice. I’m damn proud and grateful to be a product of it. And since we can never pay back those who mentored us in the ODA, who better to pay it forward.”
Pre-dent clubs provide an opportunity for undergraduate students to connect and learn more about the field of dentistry. The clubs often provide guidance on the dental school application process, social events, various speakers on dental related topics, volunteer opportunities and more.
