JANUARY 5, 2015 THE CANINE

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GET FIT

OU PRESENTS: ASDA GETFIT

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OU ASDA’S ANNUAL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

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NLC: A MEMBER’S PERSPECTIVE

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: LEAHA NELS

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SPOTLIGHT: OKLAHOMA

JANUARY 5, 2015 THE CANINE

OU Presents: ASDA GetFit! Alison Seamans, Vice-President, Oklahoma ‘16

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As  dental  students,  we  spend  our  days  sitting.    Whether  we  are  hunched  over  a  patient  (let’s  face  it—ergonomics  is  not  any  dental  student’s  strong  suit),  or  seated  for  hours  of  lecture,  we  are  immobile  from  at  least  8:00am-­‐5:00pm  Monday  through  Friday.    This  doesn’t  even  take  into  consideration  the  hours  of  studying  spent  after  we  return  home.    Forget  the  gym;  forget  making  a  healthy  meal—when  I  get  home,  I  sit  at  my  desk,  make  a  bowl  of  Ramen  noodles  with  a  side  of  Oreos  and  study  until  I  fall  asleep.    It  is  sad  that  we,  as  health  care  providers,  can  hardly  Lind  the  time  to  keep  ourselves  healthy  while  we  are  preaching  to  our  patients  the  beneLits  of  a  healthy  lifestyle.      !With  this  realization  in  mind,  OU-­‐ASDA  launched  the  ASDA  GetFIT  Initiative  this  fall  to  promote  an  active  and  healthy  lifestyle  while  in  dental  school.    The  goal  of  this  project  is  to  make  healthy  living  easier  for  dental  students,  while  also  showing  that  there  is  always  enough  time  to  take  care  of  yourself  in  between  caring  for  your  patients.  !As  part  of  this  initiative,  ASDA’s  Activities  Committee  put  on  a  Welcome  Week  for  all  ASDA  members.    This  week  included  a  Smoothie  Bar,  Yoga  for  Dentists,  a  Salad  Bar,  a  Yogurt  Parfait  Bar,  and  an  interclass  Ultimate  Frisbee  Competition.    In  addition,  throughout  the  semester,  there  were  ASDA  GetFIT  events  to  promote  healthy  living  while  in  dental  school.    These  included  an  ASDA  team  in  the  Susan  G.  Komen  5K,  an  ASDA  GetFIT  category  in  our  Annual  Fall  Dental  Olympics,  and  multiple  Yoga  For  Dentists  sessions.  !Although  these  events  are  only  a  small  step  toward  overall  health  and  wellness,  it  is  our  hope  that  they  motivate  each  dental  student  to  take  their  health  into  their  own  hands.    Good  grades  and  reLined  hand  skills  will  make  you  a  great  dentist;  however,  they  will  do  you  no  good  if  you  aren’t  healthy  enough  to  get  into  work  everyday!  !ASDA  plans  on  continuing  this  GetFIT  initiative  throughout  the  year,  and  are  working  on  another  Welcome  Week  for  the  spring  semester  to  remind  everyone  to  stay  active  even  in  the  colder  weather.    Also,  we’re  planning  on  expanding  the  initiative  to  take  on  a  mental  wellness  approach  in  addition  to  the  physical  component.  Until  then,  we  challenge  everyone  to  stay  healthy  throughout  the  holiday  season  and  come  back  ready  to  stay  Lit  with  GetFIT!  !

GET FIT

JANUARY 5, 2015 THE CANINE

OU ASDA: 3rd Annual Leadership Summit “Back to the Basics” Shak Feroz, Oklahoma ‘16

From  the  daily  grind  of  dental  school  to  getting  married  and  everything  in-­‐between,  these  past  two  years  have  felt  surreal.  Through  the  copious  amount  of  exams,  quizzes,  lab  work,  and  of  course  patients,  the  American  Student  Dental  Association  (ASDA)  has  been  the  beacon  through  the  sea  that  is  dental  school.  This  year  as  I  transitioned  into  the  position  of  Oklahoma  ASDA  President,  I  was  constantly  hearing  the  saying  “you’ve  got  big  shoes  to  Lill…”  And  granted  it  is  a  cheesy  and  overused  saying,  it  does  depict  what  being  Oklahoma  ASDA’s  President  has  been  like.  Over  the  past  two  years,  under  both  Seth  Brooks  ’14  and  Daryn  Lu  ’15,  our  ASDA  chapter  has  skyrocketed;  each  year  surpassing  the  last.  Oklahoma  has  had  one  of  the  strongest  ASDA  chapters  across  all  65  dental  schools  in  the  United  States,  and  my  goal  for  this  year  is  to  continue  this  trend.       Historically  the  Oklahoma  College  of  Dentistry  has  bolstered  elite  leaders  entering  the  dental  profession.  And  through  a  collaborative  effort  with  our  administration,  Oklahoma  ASDA  hosted  its  3rd  annual  Leadership  Summit  this  year.  Our  theme  was  “Back  to  the  Basics”  which  allowed  us  to  refocus  on  what  brought  Oklahoma’s  chapter  to  this  point:  our  members.  I  feel  it  is  crucial  that  Oklahoma  ASDA  members  see  the  value  of  joining  our  chapter  and  attending  our  various  events.  By  doing  so,  our  members  are  investing  in  themselves  and  the  profession.  Our  ASDA  chapter  is  working  to  create  opportunities  and  direction  for  our  members  that  will  stay  with  them  far  after  their  time  at  the  College  of  Dentistry.  Taking  a  page  from  National  ASDA,  this  year’s  Leadership  Summit  was  structured  as  a  daylong  conference  with  guest  speakers,  breakout  sessions  and  many  networking  opportunities.  National  ASDA’s  Executive  Committee  and  past  President  visited  Oklahoma  to  share  their  thoughts  on  ASDA  and  the  importance  of  being  involved  at  both  the  national  and  local  level.  With  over  60  student  leaders  in  attendance,  we  worked  diligently  to  develop  a  plan  for  the  upcoming  year.  With  the  success  and  progress  we  made  at  Leadership  Summit,  I  am  conLident  and  proud  of  the  track  Oklahoma  ASDA  is  on  for  the  upcoming  year.  !.

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JANUARY 5, 2015 THE CANINE

How Does One Make the Net…work? NLC 2014 Perspectives Brent Haynes, Oklahoma ‘16

A  week  of  fatigue  and  anxiety  lingered  over  me  as  I  waited  to  hear  about  our  Llight  to  Chicago.    Maybe  it  was  the  combination  of  the  looming  cold  weather,  busy  clinic  schedule,  or  the  sour  taste  of  past  networking  experiences  as  an  engineer  that  lead  to  my  initial  feeling  of  ambivalence  toward  the  weekend.  Despite  this  uncertainty,  I  embarked  on  a  trip  that  would  ultimately  restore  my  perspective  on  what  authentic  leadership  and  professional  friendship  can  truly  be.     This  year  the  Oklahoma  Dental  Association  gave  me  the  opportunity  to  attend  the  ASDA  National  Leadership  Conference  with  eight  other  students  from  the  University  of  Oklahoma  College  of  Dentistry.  The  conference  assembled  some  of  the  nation’s  best  and  brightest  in  order  to  reLine  them  into  future  leaders  of  the  dental  profession.    The  event  was  remarkable  with  many  engaging  speakers  and  informative  breakout  sessions,  ranging  from  career  planning  to  leadership.    Since  I  am  on  the  latter  half  of  my  education,  I  focused  on  business  leadership  and  career  planning.       Two  of  my  favorite  sessions  were  led  by  Dr.  Chris  Salierno.  He  created  the  blog,    “The  Curious  Dentist,”  and  speaks  across  the  country  on  topics  such  as  practice  leadership  and  clinical  dentistry.    His  talk  “How  to  Lead  a  Dental  Team”  gave  enlightening  advice  on  how  to  effectively  manage  your  staff.  He  elaborated  on  techniques  such  as  the  compliment  sandwich,  which  is  a  polite  way  to  critique  someone  without  being  abrasive.  His  other  session  was  “How  to  Not  Fail  Miserably  in  Private  Practice”  which  focused  on  deciphering  the  mysterious  aspects  of  business  management  along  with  some  practical  ways  to  enhance  the  patient  experience.  It  was  extremely  helpful  for  me  since  I  am  not  business  savvy.  In  that  session,  he  said  something  that  resonated  with  my  view  of  leadership.  He  stated  that  good  leaders  go  out  of  their  way  to  show  a  genuine  interest  in  boosting  the  self-­‐esteem  and  morale  of  their  personnel.  Although  leaders  are  classically  thought  to  only  guide,  they  must  also  have  an  altruistic  desire  to  serve  their  team.  !!  

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Enjoying  tapas  with  some  

District  9  friends  from  Baylor.  

JANUARY 5, 2015 THE CANINE

!While  traditional  leaders  are  seen  as  charismatic  and  powerful,  there  are  others  who  do  not  Lit  that  typical  proLile.  Many  of  the  people  I  befriended  from  Baylor,  Colorado,  and  other  schools  were  all  incredibly  gifted  and  humble  individuals,  with  their  own  unique  style  towards  leadership  involvement.  This  conference  demonstrated  that  people  can  be  developed  into  a  leader  that  breaks  the  conventional  mold.  For  example,  I  do  not  exhibit  much  of  the  requisite  characteristics  that  would  qualify  me  as  a  natural  leader.  Yet,  my  experience  in  ASDA  has  shown  me  that  anyone,  no  matter  your  talent  or  skills,  can  make  a  difference.    I  believe  that  in  order  to  truly  lead,  you  must  humbly  serve.  I  feel  that  C.S.  Lewis  best  summarized  it  as  not  thinking  less  of  yourself,  but  thinking  of  yourself  less.       I  want  to  thank  the  ODA  and  OUASDA  for  a  memorable  experience  Lilled  with  many  new  friends,  novel  ideas,  and  unique  skills  to  hone  me  into  an  effective  leader  and  a  balanced  professional.  !

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The  Chicago  mirror  bean  

vortex  or  a  portal  to  another  world.

Me  and  Parul  representing  OUASDA.  Here  is  photographic  evidence  that  I  wore  a  bowtie.  (Somewhere  Daryn  Lu  is  smiling)  

JANUARY 5, 2015 THE CANINE

!!Student Spotlight: LEAHA NELS, Oklahoma ’16 !Dental school allows us to meet so many people from so many different backgrounds. District 9’s media director caught up with Leaha Nels, a CrossFit coach and fitness enthusiast to see what tips she has for balancing dental school while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Read below to see what she has to say! !  

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My  name  is  Leaha  Nels  and  I  am  a  third  year  dental  student  at  the  University  of  Oklahoma.  When  I  started  school  I  had  just  started  regularly  lifting  weights  and  had  made  a  lot  of  progress  that  I  didn’t  want  to  lose,  so  maintaining  my  progress  was  my  motivation  to  keep  a  regular  workout  schedule  during  school.  Each  week  my  goal  was  to  make  it  to  the  gym  Live  times  a  week.  I  did  try  to  Lind  balance  and  listen  to  my  body  though,  so  there  were  times  that  I  knew  getting  sleep  (or  studying  more)  would  be  more  beneLicial  than  going  to  the  gym.  

Because  I  was  able  to  maintain  a  structured  workout  routine  during  the  Lirst  two  years  of  school  I  gained  a  good  amount  of  muscle  mass  and  that  allowed  me  to  compete  in  a  few  bodybuilding  competitions  in  Spring  2014.  Bodybuilding  was  never  a  goal  for  me,  in  fact  it  was  something  I  thought  I  could  never  do,  but  I  committed  to  it  and  started  my  show  prep  January  2014.  I  knew  I  would  have  to  be  very  organized  in  planning  my  time  and  cut  down  on  social  activities  to  be  able  to  make  my  training  sessions  and  accomplish  my  school  requirements.  Prep  was  nothing  short  of  difLicult,  but  I  was  able  to  make  it  through  and  had  a  successful  Lirst  season,  which  ended  with  me  earning  my  Pro  Card.  

I  never  imagined  that  I  would  be  doing  these  things  and  I  have  learned  that  I  am  capable  of  much  more  than  I  give  myself  credit  for.  I  hope  my  accomplishments  serve  as  encouragement  to  others  to  set  a  goal,  work  hard  and  discover  what  they  are  capable  of.  I  understand  bodybuilding  is  not  for  everyone,  but  most  people  have  some  sort  of  physical  goal  they  would  like  to  accomplish,  so  here  are  a  few  things  I’ve  learned  that  will  hopefully  help  in  making  positive  changes.  

Find  an  activity  you  love  to  do.  Weights,  Zumba,  rockclimbing,  running;  the  more  you  enjoy  an  activity  the  more  likely  you  are  to  do  it.  

Plan.  Plan  your  meals,  your  days/weeks,  your  workouts.  Make  it  “I’m  going  for  a  2  mile  run  at  5:00  today”  not  “I’m  going  to  try  and  go  for  a  run  today.”  

Dream  big,  but  set  small  goals.  If  you  are  working  out  once  a  week  now,  commit  yourself  to  3  workouts  a  week  for  a  few  months,  then  tweak  your  diet,  then  add  another  workout  day.  It’s  much  better  to  gradually  change  things  than  it  is  to  go  all  in  and  rebound  hard.    

Prioritize.  For  all  of  us  Linishing  school  is  at  the  top  of  our  priority  list,  however  if  you  are  serious  about  making  healthy  changes,  think  of  little  things  that  you  spend  your  time  doing  that  you  can  reduce  or  cut  out.  

No  matter  what  your  goal  is  I  would  like  to  wish  the  best  of  luck  to  everyone,  both  in  dental  school  and  your  outside  endeavors.

JANUARY 5, 2015 THE CANINE

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ATTENTION  ALL  MEMBERS  OF  DISTRICT  9!  

Do  you  want  your  voice  heard?    Want  to  make  a  difference  in  the  future  of  dentistry?!    

Remember  to  use  ASDA’s  ENGAGE.    Follow  the  below  link  to  read  up  on  key  issues  impacting  the  future  of  dentistry.    Among  these  are  student  debt,  licensure,  and  midlevel  providers.  

ENGAGE  today  and  protect  the  future  of  our  profession!  

http://cqrcengage.com/asda/

Like  what  you  see??  Interested  in  writing  for  District  9?    Contact  Alison  Seamans  at  Alison-­‐Seamans@ouhsc.edu  with  your  article  ideas  to  be  published  in  the  next  issue  of  The  CaNINE!