Fall 2021 Edition
A student publication of the University at Buffalo Chapter of the American Student Dental Association
The Bull Burnisher
In the Fall of 2021, we began to reestablish a sense of normalcy. Masking became as routine as putting on glasses or contact lenses in the morning. The energy could be felt throughout Squire Hall as the entire UBSDM community was in-person for class, clinic, and everything in between. We welcomed the Class of 2025 in August with Orientation Week while the upperclassmen finished summer rotations and courses. Nightly social events brought us all together and helped introduce the incoming class to the existing student body while showcasing the exciting events to come. During the first week of Fall classes, we hosted ASDA Week. We kicked off with our Annual Boat Cruise on Monday, which was followed by the ASDA Vendor Fair on Wednesday, the ASDA Club Fair on Thursday, and a social on Friday night to close out the week. These events in the first two weeks of the semester had everyone brimming with excitement and ready to tackle the semester. Early in September, BOCA hosted a Celebration of Life on Clark Field, just outside of the dental school. There was BBQ, music, and field games, which were then followed by a lantern lighting festival. As we all are aware, dentistry is a challenging profession and gives way to multiple avenues for stress to settle in. The celebration was purposed to raise awareness for suicide prevention and was one of the most impactful events of the semester. Later that month, we held the most anticipated event of the year—the Annual Bills Tailgate! We sent over 100 students to Orchard Park to tailgate and watch the Buffalo Bills destroy the Washington Football Team. Next year, we are hoping to host the first ASDA Superbowl Tailgate for the Bills!
Andrew Hanna, 2023
In October, we worked with the Office of Student Affairs to co-sponsor a Pumpkin Carving Event in which students, faculty, staff, and families came together to celebrate in the spirit of Halloween. That weekend, we hosted an ASDA Bar Crawl in Allentown and students came dressed up in their most creative costumes and supported five of our local bars. November was an exciting month for ASDA. Pasta and Politics was an event that brought students and faculty together to discuss various advocacy initiatives such as licensure reform while carb loading. During the second weekend of the month, 33 students drove down to Ithaca, NY for the District 2 Dental Meeting. District 2 is composed of the six NY and NJ dental schools. The weekend was filled with programming, a vendor fair and concluded with a gala. At the awards ceremony concluding the gala, Buffalo won both the Excellence in Wellness and Chapter of the Year awards! The following weekend, 6 students traveled to Chicago, IL to attend the National Leadership Conference: The Summit. The conference commenced with a keynote speech from Aron Ralston, the lone hiker James Franco portrayed in the award-winning film “127 hours.” The weekend also consisted of leadership trainings, networking, and social events. November was closed out with many students traveling home for Thanksgiving to spend time with their families and regroup before finals. After a great 4 months full of academics, clinic, wellness events, socials, conferences, and much more, we returned for one last week of class before closing out the semester with finals. The Fall of 2021 was a defining semester for our student body, as we finally regained a sense of community after a period of isolation. Traditions were reestablished, connections were made, and excitement was rekindled. A big thank you to the people that make ASDA so special—looking forward to what Spring 2022 holds!
A is for Advocacy S is for Social D is for Diversity & Inclusion A is for Alumni
L is for Lunch & Learn E is for Editor in Chief A is for ASDA Reps D is for (pre) Dental S is for Sustainability
These individuals, along with so many others, selflessly lead the ASDA Buffalo Chapter!
Written by: Rachel Honard '23, ASDA Secretary
We asked our e-board what comes to mind when they see the letters A.S.D.A
Creativity Corner
Articaine Stannous fluoride Dentin Access to care -Preethi Singh '23, Treasurer
Actinomyces is bad Stay away from sugar Don't forget to etch before you bond Always check for an undercut in the CCC#30 or you might get an N -John Lepore '24, President-Elect
A on the miller (tooth) mobility index Syncope so make sure to take the patient's initial blood pressure Dams of the green and rubber variety ALARA so make each radiograph count -Chris Lepore '24, Treasurer-Elect
Advantageous Synergetic Dynamic Adaptable -Drew Hanna '23, President
Diwali The "festival of lights" was celebrated at AXIS360. It was led and arranged by Manoj Kumar '22. The evening event included traditional Indian food & sweets, Indian music, Bollywood dancing, and a night of fireworks!
This semester we were able to experience Hispanic Heritage Month as well as Diwali!
Hispanic Hertiage Month HDA helped the student body celebrate Hispanic Heritage month, which took place from mid September to mid October. This month was filled with: Spanish classes every Tuesday evening "In the Heights" movie night Salsa dance class A dinner to celebrate Hispanic Heritage HDA also arranged for several outreach opportunities during this month, which included: Hispanos Unidos de Buffalo: Our student volunteers helped table, distribute dental products, and help fill out applications for patients. Mary Randolph Community Wellness Day: Our student volunteers helped our patients throughout their dental journey, by helping the patients fill out paperwork as well as assisting the dental providers during cleanings and exams.
-AADMD x BOCA organized and arranged the "Trunk or Treat" event! Our volunteers volunteered their time and cars to provide candy and games for children with IDDs in the Buffalo area. -UB Pediatrics Club arranged several outreach opportunities during the Fall semester. Our student body helped the pediatric population via the Amish Outreach, Welloween Family Health Fair, Smile Team Teddy Bear Clinic, Vive House ornament painting event, as well as Toys for Tots! Kudos to the Class of 2022 for donating the most toys! -HDA involved us with the "Back to School Backpack Giveaway." This event involved handing out school supplies as well as healthcare information! -Our Pre-Dental committee , led by Brooke Thornhill '23 and Marta Telepko '24, is always giving back by providing workshops and advice for future dental students. The committee has been volunteering their time throughout the year by giving school tours during interview season and mentoring pre-dental students. In the fall, the committee hosted an in-person Soap Carving workshop to pre-dentals!
-BOCA presented us with many outreaches and opportunities throughout the year: Fall Fun 5K Run, volunteering at Genesis Center, St.Luke's Mission of Mercy, painting nails at Elderwood, walking to end Colon Cancer, and the BOCA Bake Off to name a few! Our D4s were very fortunate to have gone on several RAM trips this semester to help with patient populations (including but not limited to) in Virginia, Tennessee, and New York.
"Even if you just change one life, you've changed the world forever." -Mike Satterfield
On Saturday, November 13th, UBSDM hosted the annual "Dentistry Smiles on Veterans" day for our local veterans served in the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Army, and the Coast Guard. We were able to treat close to 180 veterans by providing them with cleanings, dental exams, and radiographs; all provided by the student body. We worked closely with students from the UB School of Nursing, who helped with vitals and intake. Our students not only learned more about the dental field, but also learned more about people who served our country. A few of our veterans were father and son duos as well as one veteran being the son of a American Major League Baseball player.
A huge thank you goes out to Dr. Dowd as well as our student organizers Jenna McCune '22 and Morgan Girardi '23. "It was incredible to see students, faculty, and the Buffalo Dental School community come together to honor and give back to our veterans. Each patient I came into contact with was amazed and grateful for the services we provided, when in reality it was our honor to give back what we could to those who sacrificed so much for our freedom.” -Morgan Girardi '23 We would also like to thank the faculty as well as the Eighth District Dental Society.
On Friday, November 15th, students and faculty enjoyed the highly anticipated annual UBSDM charity fashion show! This year, "Bright Lights" was held at the Buffalo Marriott Niagara! The evening began with dinner and a pre-show, consisting of a photo booth, exhibit gallery, and even a Squid Games competency! The evening then turned into a runway fashion show, thanks to the MCs, photographers, and DJs of the evening, with both student and faculty models! Between lines from ASDA Sustainability to one created by Morgan Marin '22, there were many intermission performances from our student body. The night concluded with a final walk by the children from VIVE Refugee Home, who wore Tie Dye shirts made with love from Morgan Girardi '23 and UB Pediatrics Club! All profits from the evening were donated towards VIVE. A big thank you goes out to student organizers, Ting Xue '23 and Sandy Ding '23, and their committee! Ting was determined to make her vision of bringing back this UBSDM tradition into reality and she could not have done it without Sandy! Sandy was in charge of fundraising , and with relentless determination , not only successfully sought several sponsors but faculty participation as well! Kudos to both of our D3s! Shout out to the committee members : Emily Nguyen '23, Alicja Kazmierowska '23, Charlene Tsou '23, Anna Cassidy Scott '23, Morgan Girardi '23, Christopher Lepore '24, Gabbie Sadek '23, John Lepore '24, Douglas Yuan '23, & Hangi Song '23.
ASDA ADVOCACY: Throughout the fall semester, our Advocacy liasions (Briana Sambuchi '23 and Shruti Gajbhiye '24) arranged many lunch and learns, including a discussion led by Dr. Miller on the topic of Medicare Part B. Out liasons even brought back the famous Pasta & Politics! Our student body got to experience this in-person event, where they learned about student debt, access to care, Medicare Part B, and pathway to licensure while enjoying pasta with the UBSDM faculty! Be sure to check out the latest Advocacy video, starring Molar Bear! https://www.instagram.com/p/CVz6rlqLNES/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
AAPHD : UB AAPHD presented us with a Lunch and Learn, with our very own professor Dr. Yepes, as guest speaker! His topic, entitled "How Covid Has Changed Dentistry," was served with food from Rachel's Mediterranean Grill.
LUNCH & LEARNS: We were kept well-fed and well read this semester thanks to our Lunch and Learn Coordinators (Bushra Azhar '23 and Casey Brand '24)! The student body got samples and advice from Crest Oral B, EDIC, MedPro, Waypoint Wealth Partners, Dental Dreams, and DDSMatch, while enjoying food ranging from Panera to Halal Guys! Some of us even won Amazon Gift Cards!
"Myriad of reasons - Best in research, best faculty, Special needs program exposure. I have always heard good thing about the school and now, after being part of this school, I can say I could not have asked for better school for myself. The constant support from the faculty and the administrative team has been overwhelming. They do not just do what they do because it is their job, they do it because they enjoy it. The school's environment and our fellow classmates have always been supportive and welcoming. (It may sound cliche but UB Dental School is my home away from home)."
How did you end up selecting the UBSDM IDP program?
Educational Background
"I always wanted to do something in the health care field. I went to get a tooth extracted with my mom and my brother, who has Down Syndrome. He refused to enter the dental office, which made me think that I wanted to be in dental clinic where he should feel more comfortable."
Why Dentistry?
Bachelors of Dental Surgery From BRS Dental College MPH from East Stroudsburg University Pennsylvania Research Professional Trainee for almost two years at University of Texas Health Science center School of Dentistry Research Coordinator At Geisinger Hospital in Pennsylvania for a year
"First day of the school is my favorite! I remember even after few weeks, I used to pinch myself just to check if everything that was happening was real. I had waited for this moment for so long that it felt unreal even after a few weeks of school. I remember taking the pictures of my pod with my name of on it and sending to my mom and telling her about how I felt at that moment."
How does being a dental student in your home country compare to being a dental student in the states? "Starting from the teaching style to availability of the technology everything is different." How is Dentistry practiced in your home country vs in the states? "Absolutely huge difference. Dentistry in my home country is when people are in excruciating pain that is when they seek dental treatment."
What are the requirements to get into the IDP program? NBDE Part 1 NBDE Part 2 (for some schools) 3 Letters of recommendation Personal statement TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) What was it like to undergo the intense IDP summer program? "Basically, we do everything from Direct, Indirect, Removable in these three months. It is an expedite process as we are expected to know most of it and will enhance our hand skills during this time."
"Dental school has been a coveted dream. My parents and I shared this dream when I was in high school. Unfortunately, my dad passed away two years ago and could not see me wear my white coat, but I know he is watching me and protecting me. My mom and brothers are my strength and support system, who supported me and believed in me even though they are in totally a different country. I graduated from dental school in 2013, so I am excited about everything in clinic. No matter what you have done in your past, there is always room to learn. For me every day is a new day to learn more from the best faculty that we have in our school. I am planning to do residency in Pediatrics. My focus is on special needs children, as I have a brother who has Down Syndrome. He is my source of inspiration to make an effort in the community for kids who are waiting for their appointments ; sometimes for 6-8 months just for simple extractions. I have started shadowing the Pediatric dental residents on call. I hope to be be the best clinician my parents wished for."
·Tell us more about your Instagram, @ask.ankkita!
·Future plans?
"While I was looking into the application process, I had no guidance. Dental students are so busy that they do not have time to help. I went through so much and I thought there was a need to help those who come from different country to pursue their dreams here. Even though I grew up in California, and familiar with the system, there were still so many challenges that I had to go through alone. Sometimes, the questions are so simple but they are crucial to succeed! I remember my mom mentioning that once you are done with the process make sure you guide and help students who are going through the same phase. Once I got my acceptance letter, the first thing I did was to build my Instagram page, where I started reviewing students CVs, resumes and personal statements; finally a chance to give my feedback from my experience over the years when I was applying to dental school. On my page, I try to share my dental school life and work and try answering their questions to best of my ability. I have even tried to talk to Luke Ramey (Assistant Director, Student & Community Initiatives) to see if there is anything we can do to help students who are in the IDP application process. I want to help students in any way I can!"
Pearls of Wisdom for the Class of 2024
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ASDA fundraising committee (Taryn More '23 & Hastings Williams '24) headed our annual Halloween Bar Crawl T-shirt contest! Congrats to Annie Westermeier '22 and Gabbie Sadek '23 on creating the winning design! UBSDM Art Club brought back ID badge reels! AAWD sold pink ribbons for Breast Cancer Awareness month alongside selling bake goods!
UB Pediatrics Club sold UB Dental joggers, Boo grams, as well as tickets to their Halloween Movie Night fundraiser. AO sold comfy UB Dental socks with bull and teeth designs! BOCA brought back the cozy winter hats!
Gratitude Wall: A place where you could write a piece of gratitude for anyone in the dental school! Wellness Walk Series: Weekly walks around the UB South campus during lunch led by Ryan and Emma! Marco Madness! This H.I.I.T. workout was led by our very own H.I.I.T. trainer, Marco Maronski '22. And let's just say, it was a hit! And finally, bringing back fresh fruit the beginning of the week was a great way to start in-person learning!
September is ASDA National Wellness month. Our Wellness Team (Ryan Prevost '23 and Emma Chubb '24) did a great job arranging activities for both our physical and mental well-being.
What began as a group of friends gathering every weekend to play soccer at a park has officially become The Sports Club. In an effort to reach more students, we sought to officially organize the club. We started recruiting new members this Fall just in time to participate in UB intramural sports. Dental school can be draining mentally. Much time is spent indoors studying or working in the lab. Exercise can help counter this stress. Exercising the body revitalizes the mind, recharging your batteries and getting you ready for the week ahead. Our objectives were simple in creating the club: we aim to promote regular and healthy exercise while creating and fostering friendships between students of different classes. Consistent play has resulted in the accomplishment of these objectives. Students have reported that this exercise has been beneficial to both their mental and physical health by being active and enjoying the benefits of endorphin release. Typically, upper and lower class-men don’t always get to interact with each other. The Sports Club has created opportunities for students to get to know each other better. Soccer, volleyball, and basketball have been officially organized with play occurring weekly as well as intramural games. Future plans include a field day with a tournament of mini games. A partnership would compete for the title of champion. Also, keep an eye out for upcoming sales of UB gear from the Sports Club. If you are interested in joining the Sports Club, don’t hesitate to reach out to either Ahmad Salah '22 or Zach Andrews '23. Most communication concerning weekly play is done via GroupMe.
Written by: Zachary Andrews '23
Our social chairs, Jenna Heitzler '23 and Raveena Munnagi '24, kept our weekends busy with coordinating ASDA Week 2021, Bills Tailgates, as well as the Halloween Bar Crawl! BOCA x ASDA WELLNESS x Sports Club joined forces and arranged the Fall Run 5K Run in Delaware Park! UB AAWD arranged two Saturday September "Yoga in the Park" sessions! One session was lead by Anna Rovetto '22 and another by Rachel Honard '23. We also got to dive into our manual dextrity skills when AAWD hosted a "spooky" macrame ghost-making class! UBSDM Art Club organized a scrub cap and socks Tie Dye event ! The Class of 2024 ASDA committee came together to bring UBSDM a pumpkin carving evening, filled with candy, prizes, & pumpkins! The annual "Celebration of Life" event was brought back this year and was bigger than ever. Thank you to BOCA, ASDA Wellness, UB Pediatrics Club, and UBSDM Sports club for making this event come to life with lanterns and fun and games!
Thank you, Alicja Kazmierowska '23, for putting this together!
WIN AN AMAZON GIFT CARD!!!
Be the FIRST to accurately complete the puzzle by sending a DM to @asdabuffalo
UBSDM Sports Club Racial Justice Student Task Force SMILE PRIDE Perio Club AADMD AAWD DSRG CMDA AO DSD OMFS Student Interest Group Esthetics Club UB Prosthodontics Society
ASDA Wellness ASDA Advocacy ASDA Fundraising ASDA Pre-Dental ASDA Sustainability SNDA BOCA AAPHD AGD HDA Pediatrics Club Art Club Chess Club UBmyFace
We would like to thank our sponsors for their continued support: Crest Oral B Dental Dreams Eighth District Dental Society Pacific Dental
THANK YOU!
Victoria: the companies said no ads
From the Editors' Desk: It is our great pleasure to present you with the Fall 2021 edition of The Bull Burnisher. This publication would not be possible without the continued efforts of our hard-working student body. We would like to thank those of you who contributed to this edition. You have all helped to bring the unique ASDA Buffalo ideals to life! Also, we would like to formally welcome the Class of 2025; congratulations on finishing your first semester! If you feel inspired by this edition of the newsletter and want to be featured in our next edition, please reach out to us! & as always, Horns Up! Sania Naqvi Victoria DiVilio Editor-in-Chief Marketing Manager sanianaq@buffalo.edu vmdivili@buffalo.edu
President/first delegate: Andrew Hanna Immediate Past President: Evan Conley President-Elect: John Lepore Secretary: Rachel Honard Treasurer: Preethi Singh Treasurer-Elect: Christopher Lepore Legislative Liaison: Briana Sambuchi Legislative Liaison-Elect: Shruti Gajbhiye Fundraising Chair: Taryn More Fundraising Chair-Elect: Hastings Williams Social Chair: Jenna Heitzler Social Chair-Elect: Raveena Munnangi Historian: Gabriella Sadek Co-Historian: Anusha Atique Pre-dental Liaison: Brooke Thornhill Pre-dental Liaison-Elect: Marta Telepko Wellness Chair: Ryan Prevost Wellness Chair-Elect: Emma Chubb
Sustainability Chair: Molly Hatala Sustainability Chair-Elect: Brianna Yusiewicz Lunch and Learn Coordinator: Bushra Azhar Lunch and Learn Coordinator–Elect: Casey Brand Alumni Representatives: Tyler Laurel, Joseph Lippa, Tanner Wakefield IDP Representative: Karishma Mitter IDP Representative-Elect: Nicholas Servadio Interprofessional Relations Chair: Jafer Hasani Interprofessional Relations Chair-Elect: Nicole Walawander Web Site Administrator: Matthew Deng Marketing Manager: Victoria DiVilio Editor-in-Chief: Sania Naqvi Gold Crown Chair: Braeden Mathur BOCA President: Zachary Gorgone BOCA President–Elect: Seth Tirsun
UB ASDA LEADERSHIP: 2021-2022
