As students graduate from dental school, they may be overwhelmed( or underwhelmed, depending on market conditions) by the employment options available, and feel pressure to make“ the right decision.” Guidance from senior colleagues can allow them to learn from past experiences while being encouraged to consider factors that younger professionals may not foresee. Obvious factors might include family, location and salary. However, more nuanced considerations might be negotiating practice contract terms, navigating insurance reimbursement, or applying for small business loans.
Professional societies might consider providing this type of mentorship early, perhaps in the last year of dental school. This can demonstrate the value of mentorship as a resource available to young professionals through society membership. Importantly, mentorship is also known to be beneficial bidirectionally, as mentors experience positive outcomes of giving back, while also learning about new developments( e. g., digital dentistry technology) through their relationship with their mentees.
As professional organizations continue to address the crisis of membership declines, it will be important to seek and listen to the voices of young and aspiring professionals. PDA staff and representatives are visible at our dental schools, regularly attending school programs such as orientations and signing days, welcoming new members into the profession and showcasing the value of membership in organized dentistry. PDA has also had success with lunch and learn sessions and ASDA events.
Communication efforts require us to show up where young people already gather, which certainly includes social media platforms, and PDA has a robust presence on many of these channels, as well as the PDA Go mobile app. Formal and informal inquiry( e. g., focus groups, surveys, conversations) will be informative to better understand perceptions of younger professionals, rather than assuming current leaders already know the answers. Generational changes will always present new obstacles and opportunities, and the more we spend time listening to each other, the more smoothly we can all work collectively towards shared professional goals.
REFERENCES
1. Putnam, Robert. Bowling Alone. Simon & Schuster, 2001.
2. Pennsylvania Dental Association.( 2024). Attendance data from in-person continuing education events. Unpublished personal communication, June 17, 2024.
3. Anderson, Olivia.( 2024, July 25). Graduating from ASDA to ADA: Dental programs reach high ADA membership sign-ups. ADA News, https:// adanews. ada. org / ada-news / 2024 / july / graduatingfrom-asda-to-ada /
4. Smith, C. S., Stilianoudakis, S. C., & Carrico, C. K.( 2023). Professionalism and professional identity formation in dental students: Revisiting the professional role orientation inventory( PROI). Journal of Dental Education, 87( 5), 646-653.
5. Wiley Publishing Company.( 2023, March 27). How to expand your value proposition for younger members. https:// www. wiley. com / en-us / network / publishing / societies / member-engagement / how-to-expand-your-value-proposition-for-younger-members
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Dr. Laurence Stone is a 1973 graduate of Temple University’ s Kornberg School Of Dentistry. After completing his service as a Senior Assistant Dental Surgeon with the United States Public Health Service, Dr. Stone transitioned to private practice in Bucks County while teaching part-time at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. He achieved Board Certification with the Academy of General Dentistry and maintains memberships with the ACD and the ICD. Dr. Stone also served as President of the Montgomery Bucks Dental Society and ran their continuing education programs for more than 20 years. Now retired from private practice, he continues to volunteer at local free dental clinics, the annual MOM-n-PA mission and remains an active member of the Warrington Rotary Club.
Dr. Eugene Dunne is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Oral Health Sciences at Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry, where he teaches behavioral sciences and serves as the school’ s Wellness Officer. Dr. Dunne is a licensed clinical psychologist, having earned his PhD in Clinical and Health Psychology from the University of Florida. His NIH-funded program of research focuses on understanding and managing chronic pain among adults with HIV. Dr. Dunne also has expertise in stress management and is the co-principal investigator of a clinical trial testing a virtual cognitive behavioral intervention to reduce dental anxiety. Dr. Dunne’ s professional memberships have included the American Psychological Association( APA), Society of Behavioral Medicine( SBM), American Dental Education Association( ADEA), and the International Association of Dental Research( IADR).
MARCH / APRIL 2025 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL 13