A month ago from Friday, November 1st to Sunday, November 3rd, 6 student representatives (Michael Chen, DMD23, Jessica Murphree, DMD23, Franklin Zhang, DMD23, Mark Berenshteyn, DMD22, Richard Shen, DMD22, and Edward Hilton, DMD21) from Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) were chosen to attend ASDA’s National Leadership Conference (NLC) in Chicago. It consisted of 3 keynote speeches and more than 50 breakout sessions to choose from, related to unique topics such as political advocacy, new technologies, dental insurance, and mental health. In addition, there were more than 830 dental students represented from 65 schools nation wide. NLC also had an expo, where we learned about emerging technologies, new products, and services.
Being in school, we are focused on learning technical skills through clinic and classes. However, NLC helps equip us with the additional life skills to become successful business owners or leaders. The conference was an incredible way to befriend dental students from different schools and network with experienced dental professionals to gain perspective on what dentistry could be like. It gave each one of us a renewed sense of excitement and purpose that keeps driving us towards the dental profession. In the following few weeks, you will hear different perspectives from the 6 students who attended this conference!