Page 14 - NYSAGD GP Fall 2018

My Year as a Faculty Advisor:

7 Steps to Making a Successful Student Chapter

By Seung-Hee Rhee, DDS, MAGD

For the past one and a half years, I’ve had Back in January 2017, Dr. Kay Oen (Full- the year. Not easy. With their hectic sched-
the privilege of being the faculty advisor time faculty at NYU and the reason I have ules, rotations, and exams, it was not easy
for the AGD Student Chapter at NYU Col- no life outside of the AGD), five dedicat- meeting face-to-face as a group (even with
lege of Dentistry. Frankly, between my two ed student leaders (Hae-Lim Ji, Amanda the enticement of pizza – which FYI is hard
jobs (working full-time at my practice in Muzzio, Seung-Jin Kim, Nicole Liu and currency in dental schools). We commu-
Manhattan and working part-time as an As- later Ryan Rengifo), and myself set out nicated mostly via emails, texts, and other
sociate Clinical Professor at NYU), work- to establish the AGD Student Chapter at social media. Google Docs came in very
ing 45-53 hours a week, and volunteering NYU College of Dentistry. I won’t deny handy when we needed inputs from various
my time at AGD (Membership Council), it. It was a lot of work – not easy with all members on documents. And while flyers
NYSAGD (Board of Trustees, Associate our busy schedules - especially for our stu- were still used, Facebook invites were a
Editor, Chair of New Dentists Committee), dents. But they did me proud. Under the more effective means of letting our student
and NYUCD (Part-time Faculty Council, very able and meticulous leadership of our members know about upcoming events.
Interviewer for Admissions), I really did first student chapter president, Hae-Lim Ji, Tip: My students tell me that when dealing
not have time to take on another project, we filed all the necessary paperwork with with the administration, things got done a
but when you care about something, you the school to establish the new student or- lot faster when they cc’ed faculty on the
make the time, right? As dentists, I think ganization, petitioned and collected over email. The higher ranked the faculty, the
we as a group are very efficient people 60 student signatures required, and created faster it got done.
- trained to make the most of every min- the Constitution and By-Laws to establish
ute your patient is in your chair. If you the chapter. In May 2017, we were offi- Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
are lucky like I am and surrounded by cially recognized as a student group on As I mentioned before, our chapter’s bud-
hard-working, dedicated, over-achieving probation, and in September 2017, we were get for Fall 2017 was $75. Clearly, we
peers who make my life look like a day at given a budget of $75 for the fall semester needed help. Thankfully, we submitted
the beach and are still willing to help you to fulfill three requirements: 1) Do a Lunch and received both the Mini Grant in 2017
out, success is pretty much guaranteed. As and Learn 2) Do a Community Outreach and Fellowtrack Scholarship in 2018 from
my mom always says, “Many hands make Program, and 3) Do a joint event with an- AGD. In addition, throughout the entire
a big job smaller.” other student group. Now $75 is not a lot process of establishing and maintaining our
of money – especially in NYC. But with chapter, Aleida Lane (aleida.lane@agd.
Several years ago, it dawned on the AGD a lot of help and funding from NYSAGD org), Membership Coordinator from AGD,
leadership that our organization was in (in the form of pizzas/drinks for Lunch and provided invaluable service to both myself
trouble. Our core members were getting Learns and our formidable and ever helpful and the students. In addition, NYSAGD
older and new dentists had no idea what the Executive Director, Paula Bostick), we got provided assistance closer to home. This
AGD was. The projections were alarming. through all our requirements with flying project had the full support of the Board
At this rate, our emeritus members would colors. of Trustees and Paula Bostick(paulaj@
outnumber our younger members. That was nysagd.org), our Executive Director, who
when the AGD decided to focus on recruit- As we look back and celebrate our one year was absolutely amazing with the students.
ing student members. Hence the AGD’s anniversary as a student chapter, I must say, I don’t even want to know how many piz-
involvement with ASDA – the American we did a good job. Actually, we did REAL- za pies she has ordered and delivered to
Student Dental Association. They poured LY well. We had 10 executive board meet- us over the past year! I also want to thank
a lot of time and resources into ASDA. I ings, 4 Lunch and Learns, 2 membership Dr. Ira Levine, our Regional Director, for
believe we were their platinum sponsor for meetings, 2 community outreach programs, all his hard work in supporting the student
their annual meeting several years running. 2 joint ventures, 2 residency fairs, 1 AGD chapters.
AGD officers and staff did their leg work info session, 1 fundraiser, 1 installation,
– they went to ASDA meetings, shook and a partridge in a pear tree. We went Involve Other AGD Faculty and Members
hands, posed for photos, talked about the from 75 student members in 2016 to 394 At our very first official Lunch and Learn,
AGD, and recruited students to join. Once in 2018. I must say, I’ve been a faculty at Dr. Kay Oen (my co-faculty advisor) and
dental students knew what the AGD was NYU for the past 17 years and I’ve always I gave a presentation entitled, “The Role
all about, the next phase began: Estab- been proud of my students as they grow to of a General Dentist”. During the Power-
lishing an AGD Student Chapter at every transition from students to doctors. But as point presentation, I made sure to include
dental school in the United States, all 66 a faculty advisor, I got to see a whole new a list of all NYU faculty who were AGD
of them. Thanks to a lot of dedicated and side to my students. I got to see them learn members. The list was prominent and dis-
hard-working members, we now have 51 to work together, deal with the administra- tinguished. It included the then Chair of
AGD Student Chapters as of May 2018 and tion and obstacles, learn to efficiently use the Department of Cariology and Compre-
our student membership went from 4656 in their time, and above all, watch them be- hensive Care at NYUCD, Dr. Mark Wolff,
2013 to 5336 in 2018. come leaders. Ladies and gentleman, my DDS, FAGD (who is now the Dean of
“pride meter” went through the roof! University of Pennsylvania School of Den-
In New York State, we have five dental tal Medicine); Dr. James Keenan, DDS,
schools: Buffalo, Columbia, NYU, Tou- The secret to our success? Well, I guess the MAGD, the Immediate Past President
ro, and Stony Brook. There are currently quick and easy answer would be hard work of NYSAGD; Dr. Fabiola Milord, DDS,
AGD Student Chapters at NYU, Buffalo and dedication from all those involved. But FAGD, the Immediate Past President of
and Columbia, but we are still working here are some key factors to our success: Nassau County Dental Society, and many
on Touro and Stony Brook. Of these five other well respected faculty members.
schools, I am proud to say that NYU Col- Open, Fast, and Clear Communication Most were general dentists, but among
lege of Dentistry was the first to establish a As mentioned above, we’ve had about 10 them were specialists as well – Dr. Arthur
student chapter. executive board meetings in the course of H. Kubikian, DDS, FAGD (endodontist)

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