Celebrate Giving Tuesday with an act of service

NOVEMBER 2016

Serving one another

In the closing keynote at NLC earlier this month, Doc Hendley shared his story of creating Wine to Water, a humanitarian aid organization. As a young man, Hendley considered himself a failure. He struggled in school and at sports, dropping out of college before settling into a bartending job. It was only after he learned about the global water crisis - more than 1 billion people without access to clean drinking water - that he realized he wanted to do more.

Hendley's message to ASDA members ended with a challenge: "the only way we make something of our lives is by serving one another."

Giving Tuesday, coming up on Nov. 29, is your opportunity to put that spirit of service into action. Giving Tuesday began five years ago and has grown into a global movement that encourages a day of giving back.

So here's an ASDA call to action: celebrate Giving Tuesday with an act of service. It's up to you to decide how to donate your time, talents or your voice to the local community. Choose an organization whose mission you support, or reach out to an individual in need. The #GivingTuesday site has ideas, if you're not sure where to start. It only takes a small gesture to make a difference; imagine the difference 24,000 small gestures can make.

From ASDA

Attend Annual Session 2017 in Orlando, Fla. Annual Session will take place in Orlando on Feb. 22-25, 2017, and registration is open! This is your chance to spend four days with more than 600 ASDA members from all over the country to network, help set association policy at the House of Delegates and explore hot topics that will affect your future.

If you'd like to attend, let your chapter leaders know (there are reduced rates through Dec. 19) or register on your own.

Wear your ASDA pride. Show off your ASDA fever with brand-new logo merchandise! ASDA has created an online store where you can purchase shirts, pajamas, drinkware and novelty items that feature the ASDA logo. Buy yourself some ASDA swag, or put your favorite items on your holiday wish list as a suggestion for family.

December wellness challenge: Read along with ASDA. Studies show that reading can help reduce stress and relax your body, sometimes even quicker than listening to music or drinking or a cup of tea. Winter break is the perfect time to take a break and read a book for fun. This December, join ASDA's second virtual book club of the year. Learn more and #BeWellASDA.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Kailee Williams, New England '19

What has been your toughest lesson learned in dental school so far?

As hard as you try, sometimes there is a week, or a day, where the craziness of school and life catches up with you and you don't perform as well as you expect or want. You learn quickly that you can't dwell on it, and you figure out how to do better on the next task.

Kailee is her chapter's secretary and social committee chair. She's originally from Homer, New York. Read more about her inspiration to pursue dentistry and the bravest thing she's ever done.

Noteworthy

When dentistry turns deadly. Dentists involved in fatal patient cases face a tough challenge: how to defend themselves against charges, either from the state dental board, the patient's family or the police, and how to cope with the patient's death. Read more about the repercussions of a patient fatality in this month's ASDA News.

Public health organizations accepted funding from soda companies. A number of health care organizations, including one dental association, accepted sponsorship dollars from soda companies, according to a study published in the October 2016 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The investigators questioned whether these donations represent a conflict of interest, since soda companies lobby against public health legislation and sell products that contribute to disease. (DrBicuspid article requires free subscription)

What happens at NLC doesn't just stay at NLC. The presentations and leadership resources shared at the conference are available to all members. Download presentations on determining your leadership style, choosing post-grad options or building your personal brand. ASDA has also created a leadership library on Amazon of recommended reading for developing your leadership skills.

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