A long-awaited meeting
The study day marked the first time in three years that the current cohort of postgraduate students were able to meet each other in person, thanks to several years of Covid-19 cancellations. We welcomed students and recent graduates from all over Australia and New Zealand and extended our invite to include recent graduates from Fiji and Papua New Guinea.
Led by Dr Erin Mahoney and Dr Maria Pandey, the day started with an interactive icebreaker – to the moans of some attendees! However, break the ice it did. Conversations began to flow freely as many students made the most of what was, for many, the first opportunity to connect with their peers.
Icebreaker aside, the cohort donned matching and very stylish AAPD t-shirts for the day, united in their paediatric dental experience.
Getting into the technical talks
The didactic component of the day started with a lecture from Dr Norbert Krämer, which focused on the diagnosis and management of MIH. It was a thought-provoking lecture that left many of us questioning the extraction of severely compromised first permanent molar teeth, with some amazing cases of their long-term survival.
This lecture was followed up by Associate Professor Sotiria Gizani who spoke about managing deep dentine caries as it related to pulpotomies, specifically focusing on permanent teeth.
A quick lunch break was followed by an informative information session by the MGI team discussing finances – a topic that was perfectly aimed at recent graduates with how to manage finances and invest wisely.
Showing grads what their career could look like
The afternoon session comprised of four specialist paediatric dentists sharing their individual perspectives on their own careers.
Dr Jason Michael spoke about the importance of work-life balance and the challenges and benefits of solo regional specialist practice ownership. We then followed this by discussing specialist group practices and expectations of employers and employees with Dr Peter Readman.
Dr Nina Vasan provided insight into her work as a practice owner as well as into her long career as a paediatric dentist. This included talking to how she manages personal stresses and her wellbeing.
To round off the session, Dr Jenny Branson reflected on her amazing career as a paediatric dentist and had us all pondering on life after paediatric dentistry. (She also shared some solid advice to never mix expensive champagne with orange juice!)
The panel joined together for an open question time at the end of the session, leading to a frank, honest open discussion that spanned financial expectations, correspondence and employee-employer relationships.
The day ended with many contact details exchanged, minds abuzz with new information and the next generation of paediatric dentists feeling inspired together.
A big thanks to the AAPD for sponsoring this event – it is definitely a highlight of the postgraduate and recent graduate experience!
