October 2013 Issue

(cont.page 2)

Feature Story:

A Glimpse intoErie & Defuniak

4, 5

Note from the

President

2

Upcoming Events

3

Good Reads

7

Your ASDA

Committee

8

ASDA has created a bra-nd new tool, called ASDA En-gage, to help dentalstudents become moreinvolved in the politicalissues affecting them andtheir future careers.

Specifically ASDAstates, “The primary purpos-e of Engage is to inform dent-al students on critical issuesand rally in response tolegislative activities thatimpact their profession. Thisis mostly accomplishedthrough action alertsprompting students tocontact their legislators.”Engage is an easy to usewebsite that organizes thetop issues for dentalstudents and dentists rightnow, such as midlevelproviders, student debt, andlicensure.

ASDA Engage makes iteasy to stay up to date on th-e important issues byallowing dental students tosubscribe to “action alerts,”so you can be tipped off onmajor state and nationalissues. Engage will providetemplate letters to send toyour elected officials as wellas links to their twitter andFacebook pages so you caneasily voice your stancethrough social media. Beinga dental student is very timeconsuming and writing aletter and emailing orsending it by snail mail cantake up time you don’t have,a simple tweet or Facebookpost makes a difference too.It is important that dentalstudents learn to advocatefor their future careers asdentists and develop a

ASDA Conference Recap

October 2013 LECOM SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY ASDA NEWSLETTER

Your Seat at the PoliticalTable: ASDA ENGAGE

Inside this Issue

The recent ASDADistrict 5 Meeting in Destin,

FL that took place his pastAugust was full of many

amazing learningopportunities.Thirteen D2 ASDAmembers had thechance to attendthis recent meetingand learn about se-veral hot topics indentistry, practicemanagement stra-tegies, and otherleadership oppor-

tunities. The attendees inclu-ded ASDA members from theseven District 5 schools inaddition to the University ofTexas and Meharry School ofDentistry. Attendees wereable to learn about thenational goals of ASDA andincrease their scope of dentalknowledge. National leaderssuch as the District 4Trustee, Christian Ortiz;National Editor and Chief,Katie Sowa; and the ASDA

(cont.page 3)LECOM ASDA Committee smiling at theDistrict 5 Conference.

By Stephanie Mazariegos

By Salvator La Mastra

Page 2 October 2013

Note from the President

passion for staying involved th-roughout their careers.

To sign up for “action aler-ts” and stay in the know on im-portant issues visit,http://cqrcengage.com/asda/ho-me, and click on the“subscribe to ASDA actionalerts.” Once you register,Engage will be able to sendyou alerts on issues that needimmediate action and progressreports on the success of theseissues and bills. By

registering, Engage will tellyou who your legislativerepresentative are; from thePresident to your local stateofficials. Engage will provideyou with the office addressesand website links to theseofficials so can learn moreabout who is representing youand how to get in contact withthem to voice your opinion onan issue. As a dental studentASDA Engage gives you accessto all the tools you need to

become and well informedadvocate of the dentalprofession.

It is very important, as adental student, to get involvedin the discussion of politicsbecause the legislative issuesbeing brought forward at thelocal and the national leveltoday will affect the career ofdentistry in the future.Remember, if you are not atthe political table, you are onthe menu.

above: the new D1s enjoying the sun at Tarpon Point.left: Students waiting for the Ignite DDS presentation, apart of our ASDA chapter's Dinner & Dentistry event

(ENGAGE cont.)

Page 3October 2013

LECOM ASDAPresident

Jenna Pascoligiving a talk at

the District 5Conference.

UpcomingEvents

Dinner & DentistryOct 23, 5pm

Medpro will speak aboutmalpractice. Event will

be followed by asponsored dinner

(Chipotle!). On campusevent.

Vendor FairNov 6, 5-8pm

Join us for food, rafflegiveaways, and lots of

free stuff from thevendors. Meet and

network with the dentalcompanies--loupes

people will also be there!Event at Holiday Inn,

Lakewood Ranch.

Advocacy WeekNov 11 (tentative)

Each night, guestspeakers will discuss

political topics currentlyaffecting dentistry. Therewill be free gifts, chanceto register to vote and an

opportunity to signupand become a memberof the American Dental

Political ActionCommittee (ADPAC).

Vice President, MartinSmallidge were also inattendance.

The keynote speaker atthe District 5 meeting was aformer ASDA president andnationally recognized authorDr. Chris Salierno, who gavetwo presentations at theconference. His firstpresentation covered severalpractice managementstrategies that could help anyfuture dentist communicatemore efficiently with theirpatients and establish a moremeaningful rapport. He alsospoke about developing andimproving leadership skillsand advised on how tobalance a hectic lifestyle.

One hot topic that wasdiscussed at the meeting wasthe political advocacy thatdrives many passionate ASDAleaders. Student debt,licensure and midlevelproviders affect both dentistsand students, and at theconference, a panel of severaldental leaders were availableto discuss some of the majorchanges and platforms for the

dental community and answerstudent questions. Theopportunity to directly probeseveral dental leaders whoare involved in many policieshelps students understand theimportance of remainingaware and active in politicaldecisions. Some of theinfluential leaders that werepresent include Dr. CarterBrown, Vice President of theAGD; Dr. Gordon Isbell,ADPAC Co-Chair; Dr. GlenMiller, AGD Region 19Director; and Dr. HowardGamble, Immediate PastPresident of the AGD.

The conference was fullof opportunities to learnabout new technologies indentistry and political issues,and all future dentists shouldattend to develop theleadership skills that theyneed. The District Meeting,like other national ASDAmeetings, was an invaluableexperience for developingpractical skills in the field ofdentistry.

(CONFERENCE cont.)

Page 4 October 2013

As all the dental studentsat LECOM know, in our fourthyear, we will relocate to eitherErie, PA or Defuniak Springs,FL to do clinical rotations.However, because there are nocurrent D4s who can relaywhat the cities are like, mostof us do not really know whatwe're in for. Fortunately for therest of us, Evan Busby andKaycee Wilcox respectivelyresearched Erie and DefuniakSprings and share theirfindings here.

ERIE, PALocated on the central

shores of Lake Erie, in thenorthwest corner ofPennsylvania, the fourthlargest city in the state, Erie

lays grounds to be one of themost beautiful places in PA.Erie, growing to about 100Kpeople, is centered in betweenthree other large cities withonly about a 90 minute drive toeach: Pittsburgh, Cleveland,and Buffalo. Erie directlyconnects to a peninsula namedPresque Isle, home of thePresque Isle State Park.

LECOM’s main campus islocated on top of the tallest hillin the city on W. GrandviewBlvd, looking out on the northside down through the entirecity, all the way to the lake. Asyou already know, the dentalclinic is located directly nextdoor to the left of the maincampus. Therefore, you will be

surrounded by other LECOMstudents in the medical,pharmacy, masters, and post-bac programs. Heading east onGrandview Blvd toward PeachSt, you will hit Coffee Culture,which is a coffee bistro ownedby LECOM. This is open to thepublic; however, half of theshop requires your LECOMbadge to enter giving thestudents a quiet side to studyon with still being able to enjoythe local coffee. From here,heading north on Peach St, youwill find the LECOM MedicalFitness and Wellness Center.This is an 82,000 square footmedically integrated fitnessand wellness center, opened tothe public. With your tuition,

A Glimpse IntoLECOM’s Dental Clinic in Defuniak Springs, FL

By Evan Busby & Kaycee Wilcox

Page 5October 2013

you will have access to thisstate of the art facility. Acrossthe street from the gym, isMillcreek Hospital, whichagain LECOM is affiliated withthrough the medical schooland pharmacy school forrotations. Heading north againon Peach St, you will hit StateSt. which will bring youdirectly into downtown Erie.

In downtown, you can finda number of restaurants, localbars, pubs, Starbucks,undergraduate colleges suchas Gannon and Mercy Hurst,and many other fun things todo. Places you should try indowntown include PlymouthTavern, Boardwalk Complex,Park Place, Molly Branigans,Cougars, Cell Block, Sherlocks,the Brew-Erie, and many othersmall cafes. All of them havegreat happy hour food, drinks,and live music. Another hit indowntown is to go watch theErie Otters (hockey),Seawolves (baseball), andBayhawks (basketball) play.Broadway plays and othermusicals travel to Erie at theWarner Theatre and the EriePlayhouse. You can also seebands on tour at both of thesevenues, such as the Goo GooDolls. Did I mention? Erie has

the most wineries in all ofPennsylvania. Downtowncelebrates all types of festivalsabout every other week wherethey shut down the streets ofdowntown and allow you toroam through the vendors andexcitement.

The next day after a nightout on the town, you can enjoya nice hike and trail ridebeginning at upper State St. allthe way down to the PresqueIsle State Park. Here you candwell on fishing (ice fishingduring the winter), boating,wind surfing, laying out on thesandy beaches, birding,wakeboarding, waterskiing,and many other recreationalsports on the lake. There arelocal places to rent boats,jetskiis, and beach cruisers.And no, there are not any

alligators, sharks, or sink holesto worry about. Another funthing located here at the baseof the peninsula is WaldameerPark, which is a large outdooramusement and water park(don’t worry, for the wintertime there is an indoor waterpark too). Leaving thepeninsula, you can takehighway 79 all the way backdown to W. Grandview, exit andhead east where you will runright into the dental clinic andmain campus again.

Across the street from theclinic, and basically all aroundthe area, are plenty of placesto live. From apartments, tocondos, to homes, to section 8housing, to downtown living,there is bound to be a placethat you won’t have a problemliking and affording. Rent ismuch cheaper in Erie thanhere in Sarasota. I had anapartment within a housewaterfront on the lake for $750a month including all utilitiesand fully furnished. If you arefrom Florida or any otherstates where it doesn’t snow,don’t worry. There is publictransportation in Erie that runsall over the city. I didn’t evenbring a car when I lived there.There is an international

Some peoplehave to drive30 miles tofind qualitydental care.

Left: Warner Theater in Erie, PA.Below: Waldameer Amusement Park.

LECOM’s Dental Clinic in Defuniak Springs, FL

Page 6 October 2013

airport located in Erie, and anAmtrak train station, so bookin advance.

You will get to experienceall four seasons in thisbeautiful lakefront city as well.For all of yall who have onlylived in the two seasons of hotand more hot, this will be anamazing change for a smallamount of time. The dogwoodtrees and cherry blossomsblooming during the spring,the leaves falling during thefall, and the cold lake effectsnow and blizzards, you willnot regret living in such abeautiful area. This city isoutstanding for plowing theroads after a huge snow storm.Just like how LECOMBradenton has not closed forany hurricanes or tropicalstorms, LECOM Erie has notclosed for any blizzards to thisday. The city knows how todeal with it to make it safe forthe people.

Lastly, LECOM has madea lot of connections in Eriethrough the medical schooland pharmacy school, so therewill not be a problem withtreating patients in the dentalschool. Whether you chooseDefuniak Springs, FL or Erie,

PA, we are all there for a shortperiod of time (less than ayear) and for one purpose, totreat the local population.

DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, FLNestled in the heart of the

Florida panhandle, DefuniakSprings can be found about 30miles north of some of the mostbeautiful, white sandy beaches.Often considered the gatewayto the Gulf of Mexico, DefuniakSprings has steadily grownover the last several years andcontinues to grow thanks tothe expansion of highway 331that leads straight down to thebeach.

Even though it is a smalltown, it makes up for its size incharacter. The population isjust over 5,000 people insidethe city limits. However, keepin mind that many people inrural areas reside outside ofthe city limits. Many dentalstudents have had a concernabout the availability ofpatients in such a rural area.Rest assured that if you chooseto practice in Defuniak Springsduring your fourth year, thepatient base will beexceptional. Dentists are fewand far between in the small,

rural towns in the panhandle.Some people have to drive 30miles to find quality dentalcare. Fortunately for thoseresidents, LECOM has plansfor a beautiful clinic where wewill be able to serve oral healthneeds. The clinic sits justsouth of Interstate 10 makingit easily accessible and in plainview for each person thatpasses by. News spreadsquickly in small towns, sohappily for us LECOMstudents, the locals will dosome of the advertising for us.

Believe it or not,Defuniak Springs issurrounded by endlessopportunities for fun and newadventures. Vortex Springs,the largest diving facility in thestate, is 15 miles east andoffers swimming and cavediving in some of the mostcrystal clear water around.Throughout December,Christmas Reflections, a hugelight display, brightens up LakeDefuniak along with theneighboring historic district.On the Fourth of July, familiesgather around the lake towatch the huge fireworksdisplay over the water.

Three local eats that youshould try in the area areBogey’s Bar and Restaurant,Mom and Dad’s Italian

Above: Sunset on Defuniak Lake.Right: The Red Bar on Grayton Beach

located in Defuniak Springs, FL.

Page 7October 2013

1. The Millionaire NextDoor, Thomas J. Stanley

2. The 4 Hour Work Week,Timothy Ferriss

3. The Power of PositiveNo, William Ury

4. Bowling Alone, RobertPutnam

GOOD READSRestaurant, and Ed’s TastyFreeze. Bogey’s sits withinhistoric Hotel Defuniak andserves a variety of seafood andsteak dishes made with freshingredients. Mom and Dad’sItalian Restaurant was recentlyfeatured on the FoodNetwork’s Restaurant:Impossible and providesdelicious entrees such aseggplant parmesan andhomemade desserts. Ed’sTasty Freeze is the place to gofor the best burger in townmade complete with a side offries and a handmademilkshake.

A “must see” while youare in the area are the beachcommunities that reside along

scenic highway 30A which runsbeside the Gulf of Mexico.Rosemary Beach, Alys Beach,Seagrove, Seaside, GraytonBeach, and Blue MountainBeach are places unlike anyyou have ever seen before.Each offers a uniqueexperience to your beach visit.

A famous place to eat inGrayton Beach is the Red Barwhere you can find amazingfood with great, liveentertainment while you enjoyyour dinner. If it is your luckynight while dining at the RedBar, you just might run into acelebrity. After dinner youhave the option of driving yourvehicle onto the beach andenjoying a campfire under the

moonlight by the water.Many larger cities are

within driving distance ofDefuniak Springs. Biloxi,Mississippi is about threehours west with its boomingcasinos. New Orleans,Louisiana is about four hourswest and an exciting place tovisit and experience MardiGras. Atlanta, Georgia is aboutfive hours northeast and hasendless entertainmentopportunities. Sure, DefuniakSprings, Florida is a smalltown lacking glam andspotlight but while you arehere treating the smiles of lessfortunate individuals take sometime to relax and enjoy thesimple things in life.

Want to join ASDA? Want tocontribute to the newsletter?Other questions/comments?

Contact us:ASDA [email protected]

Christine Vu, newsletter [email protected]

Newsletter Layout by Christine Vu