I was fortunate to be asked to lecture at the 2019 BDSA conference, which is held annually for the benefit of dental undergraduate students, who are the future of the profession. My specific lectures were discussing social media and its affects within dentistry as well as enhancing personal CV’s in preparation for applying for specialist training.
The conference was held in the beautiful green campus of Birmingham University in a stunning arena. It’s quite humbling to think that at one stage, I was also a student listening to all the various speakers sharing their knowledge and experiences. I always admire people who can stand on stage and be open and honest about their successes and failures.
I grew up in Wolverhampton so having the BDSA conference in the West Midlands was a perfect setting for me to introduce myself to the students as someone who had humble beginnings and now on the cusp of becoming a specialist orthodontist. I really enjoyed discussing my passion for orthodontics to the students and how it can change not only a patient’s appearance, but their self-confidence
Patients are now seeking information and products via social media and this doesn’t exclude braces! Everybody wants straight teeth and the demand for orthodontics has increased. The more a particular person posts on a niche topic, the general public may presume that the individual is the lead authority – common sense dictates that this isn’t always the case. The public must do their research carefully and sought professional advice and opinions without taking short cuts and look past the ‘social media mist.’
I’m aware I was fortunate to speak at this great conference but it’s important for young undergraduates to acknowledge that as a specialist orthodontist, I have the sound knowledge to correct difficult bites with different methods such as fixed braces, Invisalign and lingual braces. All these methods are different but have the same goal – Straight teeth! Young graduates will need to develop their CV’s if they wish to enter a competitive specialist training pathway OR select the courses with the best reputation before treating patients.
