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Volume 3 Issue 6
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CDA
at
W
ork
The meeting included a review of the key
outcomes of last year’s FCDSA activities
and a look ahead to upcoming initiatives.
Two projects proved particularly successful
and will be repeated in the future: the
National Forum of Dentistry Students, a web
conference organized for students to discuss
challenges they are facing and formulate
possible solutions, and a virtual town hall
meeting that brought together a panel of
experts and dentistry students to discuss
ethical cases.
Student representatives also established
two new committees. The Dental Student
Conference Committee will be responsible
for overseeing preparations for a new
conference to be held in 2018, and the
Student Wellness Committee will address
students’ physical and emotional well-being.
Dr. John O’Keefe, CDA director of knowledge
networks, facilitated the planning session
where these topics, along with finances
and internal and external communications,
were discussed. External guests included
representatives from the American Student
Dental Association (ASDA), the Student
Professionalism and Ethics Association
(SPEA), the Association of Canadian Faculties
of Dentistry (ACFD), the Canadian Dental
Regulatory Authorities Federation, CDSPI,
and the National Dental Examining Board
(NDEB).
Continuing to work toward its vision of
creating a “nationally integrated community
enhancing the student experience in
the dental profession,” the FCDSA
will focus on six priority projects in the year
ahead:
• Development of a sustainable
financial model
• Representation at key events
• Website consolidation
• Issue management
• Dental student conference
• Student wellness
The FCDSA meeting was also the occasion
to appoint committee and working group
members, and to elect members of the
Executive. Members of the FCDSA Executive
for 2016–17 are:
Khashayar Gharavi (Toronto ’17):
President
Ivy Fangyu Lin (McGill ’17):
Vice-President
Kerri-Lyn Chong (UBC ’18):
Regional
Councillor, Western Canada
Julie Delcorde (Toronto ’18):
Regional
Councillor, Central Canada
Kelsey Eatmon (Dalhousie ’18):
Regional
Councillor, Eastern Canada
Khashayar Gharavi, who will be serving
as FCDSA president for a second term, is
pleased with the outcomes of the meeting.
“This past year was very productive and I’m
glad to report that we have accomplished
our goals and objectives,” he says. “At the
meeting, I referred to the upcoming year as
‘the year of action’. The Federation, along
with its partners (CDA, ACFD, CDSPI, NDEB,
ASDA and SPEA), will focus on producing
meaningful content for dental students,
helping to improve standards of education,
and bringing dental students together as
a well-connected community.”
a
Wellness and Ethics
Among Issues Discussed at Student Leaders Meeting
Student representatives
from Canada’s dental
schools gathered
in Ottawa in June
for the Federation
of Canadian Dentistry
Student Associations’
(FCDSA)
4th Annual
General Meeting.
FCDSA Executive 2016-17:
(L. to r.) Kerri-Lyn Chong (UBC ‘18), Kelsey Eatmon (Dalhousie ‘18), Khashayar
Gharavi (Toronto ’17), Ivy Fangyu Lin (McGill ‘17), Julie Delcorde (Toronto ‘18).