News for members of the American Student Dental Association

March 2014

6 simple ways... to give your CV/resume a facelift

It only takes five seconds to form an impression about your CV/resume. Make those seconds count!

Get rid of words like responsible for, team player and detail oriented. Instead, be specific about your accomplishments to back up these skills.

Work on your formatting. Separate your contact information with a bullet or divider. Pick a typeface that's also readable on screen (like Georgia or Calibri). Make it easy to skim by using borders above or below your headers and bolding sections (employment, education, etc.).

Use action words. Ensure you begin all bulleted sentences with action verbs (like "developed," "managed," etc.).

Get rid of extra words. Resumes shouldn't tell your story in sentence form, but in concise (nearly shorthand) phrases.

Focus on past jobs or activities that highlight what you want in your next job. Don't waste time describing a past job if you have no intention of doing that again. Even if you've mastered skills that are in great demand, don't emphasize them if they're not the skills you want to use in the future.

Clarify acronyms and jargon. ASDA, ADA, AGD ... the list goes on. Employers may know what these mean, but it's safer to spell out any acronyms you think could be unclear.

For more resume tips, download this presentation by Dr. Colleen Greene, past ASDA president, that was given at Annual Session 2014.You can also visit ASDAnet.org/CV.

Member and faculty spotlight

Meet this month's student and faculty member to learn their unique hobbies, reasons for pursuing dentistry and more. For their full profiles, click here.

Avi Willis-Cohen

Case Western '15

Unique hobby: Playing the bagpipes

Sean Rowan

Director of Student Affairs, Western University of Health Science College of Dental Medicine

What made you pursue a career at a dental school? I pursued a career in student affairs so I could work closely with students. My position brings me a great deal of fulfillment. I have the honor of working with each new class from admissions through graduation, helping them complete their academic careers to become the professionals they have trained to be.

Photos from "The Best Week Ever"

Annual Session 2014 welcomed nearly 500 dental students from 63 U.S. dental schools (and more than 10 predentals). View the event photos to see what happened onsite. Mark your calendars for Annual Session 2015: Feb. 18-21 in Boston.

Introducing ASDA's 2014-15 national leaders

The following students were appointed or elected to national leadership positions in ASDA for the 2014-15 school year. Their term started on March 2, 2014.

Executive Committee

President: Kristopher Mendoza, Los Angeles '15

Vice President: Daryn Lu, Oklahoma '15

Vice President: Jason Watts, Nova Southeastern '15

Board of Trustees

District 1 Trustee: Helen Yang, Harvard '16

District 2 Trustee: Gregory Shank, Stony Brook '16

District 3 Trustee: Ricardo Fontoura, Temple '16

District 4 Trustee: Jeremy Jordan, Virginia '15

District 5 Trustee: Stephanie Mazariegos, LECOM '16

District 6 Trustee: R. Graham Greenland, Detroit Mercy '15

District 7 Trustee: Kyle Kirk, Kentucky '16

District 8 Trustee: Lauren Reed, Creighton '16

District 9 Trustee: Christopher Thorburn, Houston '16

District 10 Trustee: Emily Hobart, Midwestern-Arizona '15

District 11 Trustee: Yige Zhao, Pacific '15

Speaker of the House: Niveditha Rajagopalan, Midwestern-Illinois '16

Editor-in-Chief: Christian Piers, Colorado '16

Immediate Past President: Jiwon Lee, Columbia '14

Executive Director: Nancy Honeycutt, CAE

Council on Advocacy*

Chair: Andrew Welles, Marquette '15

ADPAC Student Director: Jordan Janis, Arizona '16

Dist. 1-3 Legis. Coord.: James Wanamaker, Buffalo '16

Dist. 4&5 Legis. Coord.: Salvator La Mastra, LECOM '16

Dist. 6&7 Legis. Coord.: Amy Lesch, Michigan '15

Dist. 8&9 Legis. Coord.: Matthew Bridges, Oklahoma '17

Dist. 10&11 Legis. Coord.: Quinn Yost, Los Angeles '16

Trustee: Ricardo Fontoura, Temple '16 and Helen Yang, Harvard '16

*Term begins after Lobby Day

Council on Communications

Chair: Tiffany Hsu, San Francisco '15

Council Associate: Kyle Larsen, Colorado '17

Council Associate: Laura Nelson, Houston '16

District 5 Trustee: Stephanie Mazariegos, LECOM '16

Council on Membership

Chair: Adrien Lewis, Houston '16

Council Associate: Yeri Guak, Midwestern-Arizona '16

Council Associate: Maurissa Kiefer, Pacific '15

Predental Consultant: David Danesh, Ohio State '16

District 9 Trustee: Christopher Thorburn, Houston '16

Council on Professional Issues

Chair: Anthony Besse, Ohio '16

Council Associate: Sarah Khan, Stony Brook '16

Council Associate: Andrew Naeger, Houston '17

District 6 Trustee: R. Graham Greenland, Detroit Mercy'15

Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief: Christian Piers, Colorado '16

Contributing Editor: Erinne Kennedy, Nova Southeastern '15

Contributing Editor: Lalita Nekkanti, Tufts '15

Contributing Editor: Gregory Sabino, Stony Brook '16

Contributing Editor: Stephanie Ting, Southern California '16

Contributing Editor: Joe Vaughn, Alabama '15

Electronic Editor: Darryl Banez, Marquette '16

Electronic Editor: Nicole (Neek) LaMantia, San Francisco '16

Externs

Chicago Admin. Extern: Desseree Lysne, Midwestern-Arizona '17

Chicago Admin. Extern: Alexandra Pierre-Bez, Midwestern-Arizona '17

Washington D.C. Extern: Sara Golkari, Tufts '17

Washington D.C. Extern: Poorna Phaltankar, Tufts '17

Leadership Development Work Group

Chair: James Kolstad, Marquette '15

Vice President: Jason Watts, Nova '15

District 4 Trustee: Jeremy Jordan, Virginia '15

District 8 Trustee: Lauren Reed, Creighton '16

District 11 Trustee: Yige Zhao, Pacific '15

Predental Advisory Committee

Predental Consultant: David Danesh, Ohio State '16

Sachi Aria Mehrotra, UCLA '15

Cassandra Hainer, University of Wisconsin '15

Ashley Pater, Virginia PolyTech '15

Katie Richardson, Texas State University '13

Taylor Velasquez, Arizona State University '12

Learn about the dental licensure process

ASDA's 2013-14 Council on Education & Licensure developed a PowerPoint presentation to educate members about an important topic often left out of dental school curriculum: how to get your dental license. "A Guide to Getting Your Dental License" features commentary by Dr. Adam Shisler, 2011-12 ASDA president, and walks the viewer through an overview of the licensure process, including the National Board Dental Exams and the regional exams, and more.

Community Dental Health Student Award application due May 7

The Oral Health Section of the American Public Health Association (APHA) invites dental students to apply for the 2014 Anthony Westwater Jong Community Dental Health Student Awards. Awards recognize outstanding community-based service projects of an oral health nature conducted while a student (pre-professional), or by a professional during public health training. E-mail your completed application by May 7 to apha.jong.award@gmail.com.

New Debt 101 Guide

ASDA's 2013-14 Council on Membership created a Debt 101 Guide to help students expand their knowledge about debt, recognize their options and prepare them to make smart financial decisions for their future. Sections include budgeting, repayment options, financial aid and more. For more financial resources, read articles published in ASDA's publications and Money Monday posts on ASDA's blog.

Stanford New Investigator Award application due Sept. 30

The John W. Stanford New Investigator Award honors the legacy of Dr. Stanford who is credited with establishing the ADA's current standards program. The Stanford New Investigator Award underscores the crucial role that dental standards play in patient health and safety and in the efficacy of dental products while paying homage to Dr. Stanford's contribution. Applications for the Stanford New Investigator Award are accepted annually from dental students or dentists who have earned their DDS or DMD degrees no more than five years prior to the time of selection. Submissions must be original research that addresses some aspect of the use of standards in dental research or clinical application. Applications are being accepted through Sept. 30 at ADA.org/dentalstandards.

Discount on ADA guides

The American Dental Association is the premier business resource for dentists, offering dozens of guides on subjects not always taught in dental school. These practical guides are available at adacatalog.org. ASDA members can get 25% off when you log in in and use code 14806 at checkout. This discount can be used on all ADA products (excluding the CDT app and e-books) through the end of 2014. Contact ADA's member service center with any questions at 800-947-4746.

Roadmap to dental practice from ADA

Do you have a plan for your next move out of dental school? Access the free Roadmap to Dental Practice and get a perspective on:

Advanced dental education
Working as an employee
Associateships
Group practice
FQHCs
Federal dentistry
Practice ownership

Questions? Contact the ADA New Dentist Committee at 312-440-9779 or newdentist@ada.org.

Benefit of the month: discounted resume services

The Career Transitions Center (CTC) offers expert resume services to ASDA members very affordably. CTC has helped thousands of professionals position themselves for job opportunities and interviews over the last 16 years. CTC is a non-profit organization that provides coaching and programming to recent college graduates and mid-career professionals. Their strategic approach to resume/CV development combines education, experience, strengths and interest to build a candidate's compelling case. For more information, visit www.ctcchicago.org/resumes.