UTA PRE-DENTAL SOCIETY 1 ST SPRING MEETING

ABOUT US Pre-Dental Society was reestablished in fall of 2010 Membership dues are $20 per year Meetings consist of guest speakers, FREE FOOD, and activity updates. We offer: DAT Prep Course Discount Networking Dental School Tours Group Trips Pre-Dental Clinic Project Smile Social Events Guest Speakers Shadowing and Volunteer Opportunities Scholarships

DAT QUESTION OF THE DAY Biology Section: The distribution of materials in the cytoplasm of an embryo can influence development. Which of the following regions in the zygote would exhibit higher rates of cell division? A. yolk sac B. placenta C. animal pole D. vegetal pole E. mitotic pole Answer: C. animal pole The animal pole does not have yolk and can divide through mitosis at a quicker rate than the vegetal pole (the region with the yolk). The placenta is not known as having high rates of mitosis and is best known as the structure for which the embryo can release waste, perform gas exchange and nutrient absorption

CURRENT EVENTS IN DENTISTRY CDC Report: Drug Overdose Fatalities Reach Record Highs in 2014 Date: December 21, 2015 Source: American Dental Association A report describes an increase in drug overdose death rate of 137% since the year 2000, including a 200% increase in overdose deaths involving opioids (i.e., opioid pain relievers and heroin). In 2014, there were 47,055 drug overdose deaths in the U.S., representing a 1-year increase of 6.5% compared with 2013; the 2014 drug overdose fatality rate exceeds the death rate from motor vehicle accidents by 1.5 times. It has been estimated that dentists write approximately 10% of all prescriptions for immediate-release opioids in the U.S. It is important for future dentists to have knowledge of pharmaceutical issues because one day you will be the ones that have to make the decision on writing prescriptions for patients. Patient education is very important, and it is recommended that dentists screen patients for substance use disorders and develop a referral network for the treatment of substance use disorders. This goes to show that dentistry is about more than caring for the patient’s teeth, but their overall health and well-being too.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION For those of you applying to HPAC in February Kent has extended the HPAC deadline to February 12 th Make sure you have all of your letters of recommendation sent in by this date

UTHSCSA TOUR OVERVIEW The San Antonio Tour occurred on January 15 th Anyone have any stories about the tour to share? What did you see on the tour? What kind of questions did you get to ask the dental students?

KAPLAN COURSE AUCTION Kaplan course (valued at $1200) This course can be used to prepare for the DAT, MCAT, GRE, etc. and it can be taken at ANY time Starting bid: $550 (payment plans are available) This will be very useful if you are planning on taking the DAT in the Summer

IDEAS FOR A SOCIAL In the past we’ve had barbeques and small boring socials, so this would be a more fun way for us to get to know each other! 1)Rock climbing at Dyno Rock (approx. $15) 2)Laser Tag (Wed. at Alley Cats is $15 unlimited) 3)Bowling ($2 Tuesdays) We are thinking of paying for portions of these events so it will be cheaper if you guys are interested in any of them How many of you would actually want to go to one of these events?

WEB COORDINATOR ELECTIONS Elections will be held on Feb. 12 th After our elections for Vice President last semester we are in need of a new web coordinator If you want to have an officer position and are proficient with technology please run in this election. You will be interviewed for the position by current officers If you are interested contact us at

ETHIOPIA SMILE Dr. Alexander started this project several years ago, in which he travels to provide dental care to the people of Ethiopia. Ethiopia has a population of 80 million people with under 100 trained dentists in the entire country! Dental needs are rampant to say the least. Dental prevention and basic oral hygiene are not a part of the national culture. Morbidity and even mortality, directly related to dental infection, is a common occurrence, especially among the millions living in extreme poverty. For one trip, the majority of treatment occurred in an incredibly impoverished part of Addis Ababa called Korah. Korah is a former leper colony. Today it is the home to over 100,000 living in severe poverty, many surviving by scavenging in the city dump. If you want to get involved, we will be taking donations of toothbrushes and soap

GIVE KIDS A SMILE Glenda Bell, the director of Dental Health Arlington, has invited us to volunteer at their “Give Kids a Smile” event! The event focuses on helping Tarrant county children who are in need receive free dental care. The team consists of 6 dentists, 4 hygienists, and a few assistants and volunteers. When: Friday, February 5 th 2 shifts: 8-12 or 1-4 *Lunch will be provided from 12-1

BAYLOR IMPRESSIONS DAY The purpose of SNDA Impressions Program is to expose pre-dental students, particularly those of an underrepresented background, to the career of dentistry, application process, and life as a dental student at Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas, TX. When: April 2 nd Registration costs $50, which includes t-shirt, food, tons of goodies, and the chance to win a bunch of prizes. You can register or find out more info at sndaimpressionsday.wix.com/2016. Participants will: Learn about the Dental School Admissions Process Tour TAMBCD and have small group discussions with dental students Learn about life at TAMBCD from current dental students Learn about the community of dentistry from practicing general dentists and dental specialists. Participate in a Kaplan DAT Strategy Workshop Enhance manual dexterity during a hands on pre-clinical experience Participate in a mock student interview exercise If fee assistance is needed, limited scholarships are available for those who qualify. Please indicate need on the online registration form. Attire=Business Casualsndaimpressionsday.wix.com/2016

UTSD IMPRESSIONS DAY The SNDA impressions program is designed to expose underrepresented minority pre- dental students to not only a career in dentistry but also to the dental school application and financial aid processes. When: March 5th THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY Any questions: Sign-up link: https:// COST: $35

EXPLORE UTSD When: February 27 th 8:00 AM - 5:15 PM "The day is jam packed with informational sessions, hands on opportunities to experience simulated clinic scenarios, seminars with the Dean and Associate Dean of Admission, a tour of the new building, and QA sessions with current students.“ Attendance fees: $35 for ASDA-Pre-Dental Members; $50 non-ASDA Pre-Dental Students Pre-dental attendees will have the opportunity to experience drilling in the simulation clinic along with taking impressions and placing sealants on model teetth You can find more info at these links: Get tickets at:

OKMOM AND TMOM TMOM Marlin – March 5 th Sign up at: OKMOM Cox Convention Center - Downtown OKC – Feb. 5-6 th Sign up at: We generally carpool to these events, but we will need drivers PDS and those carpooling will compensate the driver for gas

ASDA DENTURES FOR NEW ADVENTURES 5K RUN When: April 2nd ASDA partnered with Mission Arlington Allen Saxe Dental Clinic and Baylor Dental School to sponsor patients at the clinic. The waiting list for dentures at the clinic is long and the money raised helps offset the cost for the clinic. Visit these sites to sign up or fund the event:

NEXT MEETING February 12th