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USB Pre-Dental Society


Spring 2004 Meetings & Events

"Your complete listing of
all Pre-Dental events"

 

  1. Free Practice DAT by KAPLAN
    Saturday,  February 7  from 10am - 3pm, SBS N105
    -    Complete breakdown of scores will be sent confidentially to an address of your choice
    -Get a head start before the semester catches up to you!!!
    -Thanks to all 11 people who took an active role!
     

  2. General Body Meeting
    Thursday,  February 19  at 7:00pm, SAC 305
    -    Take advantage of everything Pre-Dental has to offer!
    -Complete breakdown of spring agenda
    -Plus info on the upcoming elections


                      ***Please note New Room Numbers***
     

  3. "How NOT to get into Professional School"
     by Dr. Waldman
    WEDNESDAY,  March 3  at 7:00pm, SAC 304
    -Hear Dr. Waldman's Famous speech
    -Through humor you'll learn how to take on the admissions process
    -Tackle the do's and don'ts of your preparation efforts
    -All majors are encouraged to attend
     

  4. Out Reach Program Details &
    Pre-Dental Election Info
    Thursday,  March 25  at 7:00pm, SAC 308
    -Dr. Tinkler from S.B. Dental School will speak about Out Reach
    -This is a GREAT opportunity to get involved
    -Learn the roles of each Pre-Dent Officer
    -Find out which Position fits you best
    -Info on Election Process
    -We smell Pizza...
     
     

  5. Pre-Dental Elections
    Thursday,  April 22  at 700pm, SAC 308
         -Don't miss this opportunity to voice your interest!
    -Run for a Position
    -General body Vote
    -New Officers will be formally introduced at the Pre-Dental Party
     

  6. Introduction of New Officers & Pre-Dental Party
    Thursday,  April 29  at 700pm, SAC 308
    -Meet  New Officers
    -Eat food
    -Have fun
    -Final Farewell
     

 

 

Fall 2003 Meetings & Events

"Your complete listing of
all Pre-Dental events"

  1. Meet the Officer's
         Thursday, September 18  at 7:00pm, SAC 312
    -Meet your new board members
    -Question & Answer session
    -All interested students are encouraged attend
    -Get a head start this year at becoming active!!!
     

  2. Our Second Meeting is here!! 
    Thursday, October 9  at 7:00pm, SAC 305
    -Get information on our new Mentoring Program
    -We will arrange for you to meet a SB Dental Student
    -Hear an SB Dental Student speak about his journey to success
     

  3. Navy Scholarship Opportunities!
     Thursday, October 16  at 7:00pm, SAC 305
    -Don't pass this up
    -Click here for more details
     

  4. Arthur F. Lamia, D.D.S., P.C.
     Thursday, October 23  at 7:00pm, SAC 305
    -14 years experience in Private Practice!
    -S.B. Dental School Faculty Member
    -Get a behind the scenes perspective on dentistry
      
    -See what your future career is all about, don't miss this!
    -We Smell Pizza...

     

  5. S.B. Dental School Student Scott Froum

    Thursday, November 13  at 7:00pm, SAC 305
    -Scott is a Motivating speaker who will tell his story of success
    -Scott is currently in his fourth year & is highly involved with the ASDA
    -Get inside the head of a dental student
     

  6. James Montren

     Thursday, December 4  at 7:00pm, SAC 305
    -The one and only, from Pre-Health Advisement
    -Don't miss your opportunity to hear important info
    -Why wait for an appointment when James Montren is presenting at Pre-Dental Society?
    -You'll be glad you joined us

 

That concludes the Fall 2003 semester...

Good luck with finals and enjoy the winter break,
We look forward to seeing you again in the spring!

 

Previous Meeting Summaries

3/6/02 General Body Meeting; 7:00 PM, SAC 303

The speaker this week was the very energetic and wonderfully blunt Dr. Waldman and the topic was "How Not To Get Into Professional School". Dr. Waldman who bas been on the Admissions Committed at the Stony Brook's School of Dental Medicine for almost 30 years used his experience as an interviewer to take an interesting perspective on speaking on issues that concern students who wish to be accepted into a graduate or professional school by basing his talk on the opposite of their wishes, how not to get in. The topics discussed were the pre-requisites of a good candidate for professional school, the academic and extracurricular "do's" and "don'ts" of a potential candidate; and interview skills which included basic questions about why you and why that particular school you are interested in; the past, present and the future of the healthcare system; ethical questions; etc.

2/12/02 1st General Body Meeting, 7:00 PM, SAC 303

1. Meet the officer’s:
Click on “Members” for info.

2. Electing new officers –
This semester April 6th.
As much as we all hate giving them, we ask that anyone interested in running for a position prepare a speech for this meeting. Also, if one is interested in a position please email us BEFORE April 1st. All perspective officers will be listed on the website on April 2nd. We also ask that you provide us with a brief bio (i.e. What year you plan on graduation, your major, etc.,)

3. What is ASDA??
www.asdanet.org

4. What are the Mentor Programs, how can I get a Mentor?
Click on the “Programs” link to view info about them.

5. Dental Outreach/Volunteering at the clinic at the dental school.
The best way to find out if dentistry is for you is to see what it is like being a dentist, or get a view of what dentistry is. One great way to gain some experience is to head down to the Dental School and observe the students at the clinic. It requires observing 2 shifts per week, which you can pick any of two daily. For more info, and to receive the proper forms both go to the Dental School, and go to the front desk in the waiting room and speak to the receptionist there, or ask me (Rob) and I can give you the forms.
More info about Dental Outreach at our next meeting on March 6th.

Future meetings
March 6th w/ Dr. Waldman – “How not to get into a professional school”
March 19th w/ Yours truly, Rob R., “All you need to know about applying to dental school.”
April 6th Speeches and Elections
More to come !!!!!!

7. Future events:
a) Open House at Stony Brook’s School of Dental Medicine.
b) Tour of a Dental Lab
c) Trip with Minorities in Medicine to Dental Schools (UPenn?)

8. Would a meeting about applying to dental school be helpful?
The club decided this would be helpful. The meeting will be held March 19th at 7pm. We might have a special guest at this meeting, more info on the way.

9. Do you want to become more involved with the Pre-Dental Society??
If so email us at USBDental@hotmail.comand we will let you know what we have available.

11/27/01 General Body Meeting 7:15 PM, SAC 311

At our last meeting of the semester the Assistant Dean of Admissions of NYU College of Dentistry, Amy Knowles, came to speak about the advantages of choosing NYU as well as some insights for pre-dentals. Ms. Knowles addressed issues about applying as well as attending NYU's dental school. She also gave insights on what she, as a member of the admissions board, is looking for and what one should expect to have before applying. For more information about the NYU's dental school visit their website: NYU
Free food and T-shirts were available to all those attended in addition to five lucky winners that received electonic toothbrushes.

Thank you for all of your support this semester and we look forward to seeing you in the spring.


11/7/01 General Body Meeting; 8:30 p.m., SAC rm 311

In addition to being a faculty member at SB's Dental School and on the Admissions Committee, Dr. Garlick is a DDS with a specialization in Oral Pathology and a Ph.D. in Cancer Research.
In this joint meeting with Minorities in Medicine, Dr. Garlick spoke about the many specialties in Dentistry (Periodontics, Pediontics, Oral Surgery, Endodontics, Oral Pathology and Hospital Dentistry); about the curriculum at SB Dental School; the boards and about a summer program that he has set up for underrepresented groups in Dentistry. The summer program mentioned is called ODED (Opportunities in Dentistry to Encourage Diversity) and is aimed at getting African American and Hispanic students interested in Dentistry to stay on campus for four to five weeks and work with dental students to discover dentistry and Stony Brook Dental School. If you are interested in this program you may contact Dr. Garlick at 631-632-6379.


11/6/01 General Body Meeting, 7:15 PM, SAC 311

Dr. Jennifer Kraus, post graduate of dental medicine who is currently working towards a specialized degree in periodontics at Stony Brook and spoke about various aspects of periodontistry. Becoming a Periodontist involves 4 years of dental school followed by 4 years of a Periodontal program.
Unlike some other specialities, it does not require a year of residency after dental school. Periodentistry is the treatment of periodontal disease, the major cause of tooth loss in adults, involves the correction of gummy smiles, recession of tooth and dental implants. Dr. Kraus stresses that specialties are not redundant as some might expect, it presents different patients with different problems and different ways of treating each of them. Also, periodontal treatment leads to lasting relationships between doctor and patient. Another plus to this speciality is that students do rotations in energency rooms and a variety of other departments in hospitals so they get to see a lot of different things and work with a lot of different people.

10/30/01 General Body Meeting, 7:15 PM, SAC 311

Dr. Antenucci who is faculty member at Stony Brook Dental and also General Dentist with a very prominent and cutting edge practice in Huntington, spoke to the club about various aspects of dentistry. A very strong supporter of determination hard work, he stresses that one does not have to be a Biology major to get into Dental School, as long they work hard and get involved, it is not impossible. Dr. Anetenucci also spoke about several job opportunity for dentists (private practice, military, teaching facility, etc.) and financing school and about choosing the right school for you.

10/24/01 General Body Meeting with MIM, 8:30 p.m.

The Pre-Dental Society apologizes for the absence of speaker Dr. Garlick. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.

10/23/01 General Body Meeting, 7:15 p.m. SAC 3ll

Dr. Fazio spoke about the modern concerns in the field of dentistry, such as the use of flouride and mercury amalgam fillings. Currently, the debate over amalgam fillings has taken on a new light, with new scientific studies providing strong evidence that these fillings cause immune system reactions in a vast majority of the population.

In the meeting he mentioned the the importance of an amalgam-free mouth along with proper diet and overall physical wellness. The hand out mentioned contents of amalgam fillings as well as symptoms of excess mercury exposure. Furthermore, root canal therapy exhibits excessive exposure to toxicity.

Dr. Fazio mentioned the negative effects of fluoride in toothpaste. This discussion included the only other commercial use for fluoride: rat poison. Excess exposure of fluoride may result in discoloration or blotches on teeth.
Key words that should be investigated if you are interested in doing further research are: mercury, fluoride, amalgam and root canal therapy. Visit www.dentalternatives.com for more information.

Dr. Fazio welcomes questions and interests. He encourages members of the pre-dental society to contact him if you are interested in mentoring with him. His email is: dds4health@aol.com

Some facts about amalgam:
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) states that there is no safe level of mercury in humans that does not kill cells and harm body processes.
  • Florida's environmental regulatory agency notes that one mercury filling from one tooth thrown into a lake is enough to contaminate that lake for fishing and swimming.
  • The states of Maine and California require dentists to inform their patients that amalgam dental fillings contain a large percentage of the toxic element mercury, and inform patients of its negative health effects.
  • Scientific research has shown that dental amalgam is the chief source of mercury in the human body.
  • Sweden, Austria and Germany have banned mercury-amalgam fillings. Norway, Denmark, Austria, Finland and Canada all have completed steps to halt their use.
  • Double-blind tests on 3,500 dental patients showed 95.29% had immune system reactivity to copper, 94.04% to zinc, 90.2% to mercury, 66.86% to silver, and 62.51% to tin. At various times, the ADA has claimed reactivity to be 1%, 3%, 5%, and one in 1 million.
  • Streptococcus mutans, a bacterium of the mouth, converts elemental mercury in amalgam fillings to methyl mercury, which is 100 times more toxic.



The ADA has recently divested itself of any culpability with regard to mercury. In a case before the Superior Court of the State of California, lawyers for the ADA stated:

"The ADA owes no legal duty of care to protect the public from allegedly dangerous products used by dentists. The ADA did not manufacture, design, supply or install the mercury-containing amalgams. The ADA does not control those who do. The ADA’s only alleged involvement in the product was to provide information regarding its use. Dissemination of information relating to the practice of dentistry does not create a duty of care to protect the public from potential injury."

Dr. Fazio is a member of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, Holistic Dental Association, Foundation for Toxic Free Dentistry, Academy for Sports Dentistry, the National Athletic Trainers Associations, and the Suffolk Society of Forensic Dentistry. He is trained by leading anti-amalgam pioneer Hal Huggins, D.D.S. for safe, and effective mercury removal, and he offers nutritional counseling for detoxification.

Detailed scientific studies on amalgam safety can be found at the PubMed Database.

10/9/01 General Body Meeting, 7:15 p.m. SAC 311

The chief speakers at this meeting were Dr. Erin Riley, the Dean of Admissions at SUNYSB School of Dental Medicine and Ken Phifer, a representative of Kaplan. Dr. Riley spoke about SUNYSB's Dental School and also offered general information and insights for pre-dental students. Ken Phifer spoke about the Free Practice DAT that Kaplan is offering our club.

Major Points made by Dr.Riley:

  • As in the case of Dr.Riley who is a Pediatric Dentist and a faculty member at the Dental School, if an academic profession is chosen, a D.D.M or D.D.S does not have to completely give up practicing dentistry. Although not full time, there are opportunities to practice.
  • Facts about Stony Brook Dental School:
    -Average GPA of applicants - 3.58
    -Average DAT score - 20
    -Diverse Students
    -Close female to male ratio
    -High rates of successful graduates
  • Advantage of choosing a small Dental School, such as SB, students get to connect more with each other and faculty, get more involved etc.
  • Personal statements are very important, spend ample time on them. Mention things you've done to make you special, things you've learned from a dentist, inspirations etc. Do your background work and make yourself a good candidate.
  • A helpful resource when ready to apply to Dental School is AADSAS, for more information visit www.adea.org.
  • For more information regarding the School of Dental Medicine at SUNY Stony Brook or if you would like to contact Dr. Riley, you can do so by calling the Office of Admissions, the number is 631-632-8980. If Dr. Riley is not available, her secretary, Olivia, can answer most of your questions.

Ken Phifer's Proposal:

  • Students can choose from a variety of ways to prepare for the DATs, whether that may be a prep-course such as Kaplan or any other methods.
  • Kaplan is willing to offer our Club a FREE practice exam, interested students have to choose a date, either Saturday, December 2nd or Sunday, December 3rd. They are also willing to have someone come to one of our GB meetings atanother time to discuss what your score means and how you stand.
  • Students interested in registering for Kaplan should register from this website, THE PRE-DENTAL SOCIETY WILL RECEIVE $25 PER STUDENT WHO DOES SO!!!
  • Congratulations to the student who won the raffle for the Oral-B electronic toothbrush. And last but not least, thank you to the Dental Schools who came to out meeting, your support is very much appreciated!!

9/25/01 General Body Meeting 7:15 p.m. SAC rm 311

Students from Stony Brook Dental School came to speak about their experiences as a dental student. They also discussed what we as undergraduates should be doing to get into dental school.

Some important points they mentioned:

  • Get involved with dentistry now. Volunteer at the dental school, observe your family dentist or get a part time job at a local dental office. Get to know what dentists do everyday and make sure it is the profession for you. The experience will also make a difference for getting into dental school.
  • The first two years of dental school are harder than the last two years. Medical school works the opposite. The first two years of medical school are easier than the last two years. In the first two years of dental school, the students take the same classes as med students. After Med school is over (in May) the dental students continue taking dental focused classes.
  • The first two years of dental school students take the same lectures as the med students. The last two years of dental school consist entirely of clinic.
  • Difference between dentistry and mds is that "dentistry is not controlled by managed care, dentists have more liberty in their patient's treatment".


Feel free to contact the dental students if you have any questions:

Mike Scalia- President of ASDA Dental School Chapter- 516-607-3273
Fred Stange - fstange@optonline.net
Jeanne Pistilli- jeanine.pistilli@uhmc.sunysb.edu       phone - 476-8806
Scott Zitofsky- scottz1701@aol.com           phone - 738-7805



(c) 2001 Stony Brook Pre-Dental Society