More than 50 dental students from four of the six California dental schools attended a Student Advocacy Day sponsored by the California Dental Association (CDA) on March 2 in Sacramento. The students, ranging from first- to fourth-year dental students, had all expressed an interest in learning more about the different facets of advocacy and how they can be a part of the process now and in the future, the CDA said.
The day began at the CDA headquarters, where the students learned about the importance of advocacy, including grassroots efforts.
"We want to make sure that these future dentists are keenly aware that laws are being made every day that will have a direct impact on the profession, their practice as well as their future patients," said CDA President Thomas Stewart, D.D.S., in a press release.
The students visited the state Capitol, where they heard presentations from several legislators, including Sen. Sam Aanestad (R-Grass Valley), D.D.S., an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who was elected to the state Senate in 2002 and represents the 4th Senate District covering 12 Northern California counties.
"I attended an advocacy conference a few years ago that CDA offered," said third-year dental student Ryan Abelowitz from the University of California, Los Angeles. "I thought at the time how great it would be for more students to attend. This has been a great venue to be able to bring issues to the dental students that will affect them and their future patients, and in turn they can bring the issues to the capitol now that they have been exposed to in the process."
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