Progress continues on the creation of a new Canadian federation of dental student associations. The student associations from Canada's dental schools unanimously adopted a proposal in January 2012 to select a name for this student federation and to develop draft bylaws.
A Student Bylaw Working Group will draft the new bylaws, which will include the mission developed at the first meeting of the dental student associations held in November 2011. The proposed mission is "to connect dentistry students in order to foster the sharing of common interests and challenges, advocate as a unified national student voice for the promotion of accessible, optimal dental education and patient care, and provide an avenue to introduce and involve students in organized dentistry."
The proposed name and draft bylaws will be distributed to the student associations this spring and the federation will hold its first meeting in Ottawa in June. The desire to create a student federation was reflected in the responses of dental students and new graduates in a 2010 survey conducted by CDA's Student Strategy Working Group.
CDA has offered to host the secretariat of the federation and provide administrative support. CDSPI will be funding the inaugural meeting of the federation.
