Dear Colleagues:
 

The month of January was an amazing start to this new year, and it all began with some conversations that showed me how extraordinary our students are. Early in the month, I was asked to write letters of recommendation for two of our students who want to get involved in special, extracurricular projects. One is interested in a summer research fellowship, and the other wants to serve on a university board. To write meaningful and personalized letters for them, I read their resumes, reviewed letters of support others had prepared, and I met with each individually. I learned so much about them -- their reasons for becoming dentists, their paths to dental school, and their career plans. I also learned about the significant personal sacrifices they'd make if they were chosen to do these additional activities. What impressed me most about all I read or heard from these students was that a big part of their desire to do these extra things was the hope that their involvement would bring recognition to our college.        

A couple of weeks later, I had my monthly meeting with our dental and dental hygiene class officers. These meetings give me an opportunity to learn how things are going in the college from our students' perspective. They shared with me observations they'd made about their recent experiences, which included some issues related to our pre-clinical curriculum and classroom instruction, but the majority had to do with our clinic operations. The way the students presented their observations was notable. Their comments were well-written, detailed, and they described the impact on their ability to care for patients. Each observation followed with a suggestion for resolving the problem, and all concluded by emphasizing how the improvements would help them to better care for their patients. What a great priority to have!    

Just last week, a faculty member from the College of Medicine came to talk with me about the course he directs for our D2 students. While he discussed plans for the next term, he also told me how much he enjoys teaching our students who have "superb academic capabilities, work hard, and perform well." This faculty member also said our students have a level of maturity that sets them apart from others he has taught. "They have greater interpersonal skills," he said. "They know how to deal with people, and this will certainly help them when they go into practice." I thanked him for his comments, let him know how pleased I was to hear them, and asked him if I could share this glowing testimonial to our students with all of you.

I can't wait to see what lies ahead in the coming months. If all of 2012 goes the way January went, this is going to be a year we can all get excited about!