dr - University of Washington School of Dentistry

That’s where most students are paired with a WSDA
mentor in their first year. Although graduate students
are also welcome to seek mentors, the program is focused
on pre-doctoral students, almost all of whom
have mentors.
Students gain crucial professional resources, plus a
clearer view of the values of organized dentistry. During
shadowing visits to mentors’ offices, they learn more
about wet-finger dentistry, operatory protocol, patient
contact and how a practice is run. And aside from modeling
professional behavior, mentors serve as sounding
boards to help students relieve the stress imposed by a
demanding curriculum.
“There are two primary elements in the program:
The dentist shows the student the importance of being
involved in organized dentistry, and the student
learns more about the business side of a practice,”
says Amanda Tran, Assistant Executive Director of
Meeting and Component Services for the WSDA
and coordinator of the program for the last several
years. (She will hand it off this fall to Wendy Wilson,
WSDA’s Exhibit Services Coordinator.) Mentors are
also urged to invite students to study clubs and dental
society meetings.
WSDA matches students
with the appropriate
dentists by the student’s
field of choice – general
dentistry or specialty practice.
In their first year, students
fill out a form, and
then WSDA puts out a
call to members to match
up. Students may seek a
mentor at the annual reception,
but even if they
already have one, they’re
still welcome to attend.
Dentists are given general
guidelines for the mentorship, but they conduct it
mostly as they see fit. “Once we match them up, we
hope for good chemistry,” says Tran. If the pairing doesn’t
work, however, another mentor will be found.
mentors
mentors
The bigger picture
While clinical and treatment questions may come up,
students turn to their mentors for other answers.
Dr. Don Wenker of Woodinville, Wash., says he
told student Robert White (’10), “More than anything,
come into the office, observe, and see how things run.
I also told him that as he would sit in on a clinical situation,
he’ll realize that there are a lot of different ways
of skinning a cat.”
As much as anything, mentors serve as models of
professional behavior.
“I can see the way he treats his patients. He’s very
caring,” says Roderick Youngdo Kim (’11) of his mentor,
Dr. James Reed of Bellevue, Wash. “He really explains
to patients what he’ll be doing. He’s really good
technically, too, and he’s thorough – he’ll go into the
recovery room at least twice to check on a patient. …
He doesn’t stress out – I think that’s important for students
to learn.”
In addition, mentors give students valuable insights
into the nuts and bolts of running a practice.
Says student Richard Baldwin (’11), who is mentored
by Dr. Richard Voget (’72) of Seattle: “I didn’t know
the first thing about the practical aspects of dentistry.
Dr. Don Wenker
has counseled
Robert White to
be flexible in the
clinic.
summer / fall 2009 DentalAlumninews 29