A New Dentist’s Guide to Winning at Conferences

Posted on May 5, 2023Feb 22, 2024 by ankush

So you are a newly minted dentist or still training/in school and want to make the best out of your conference experience? No worries…here’s how.

To win you have to have a strategy and in the case of healthcare-conference-winning that breaks down to 3 things. What to do before. What to do while you are there. And, what to do after.

Let’s jump in.

Before the event

Arrange to meet up with colleagues but also plan to separate from them to “mingle” or to do some networking alone so you can meet new people. That way you’ll have the freedom to talk about whatever you have in common but also learn new things. Figure out a good place to meet and schedule appointments for coffee and catching up. Aim to meet someone face-to-face that you’ve only been communicating with by e-mail/online on IG, etc.

Google yourself. Not in that weird narcissistic way! You genuinely want to see what comes up and review your social media activity to check your professionalism, and adjust your privacy settings if necessary.

If you’re an introvert, plan to be a little bolder than you might normally be. Easier said than done – we know. Expect to be a little uncomfortable but know that you’re learning an essential skill. Making small talk with strangers is good practice for promoting your dental practice and attracting and retaining new patients. If you’re an extrovert, plan to listen more than you talk. Asking questions and being interested in other people’s answers is the best way to make new friends. Finally, if you don’t have a LinkedIn profile… what are you waiting for!

At the event

Come prepared with a two minute “spiel” about your professional interests/goals. If you want to make a good first impression, do research into some of the “hot topics” in dentistry so you are prepared to discuss these knowledgeably. Drop by the booths of different exhibitors if you do business with them (or maybe your principal does) so you can meet other sales staff and regional managers. Listen carefully to the presentations you are attending and what people are saying when you’re meeting with them informally on the exhibit floor. Ask thoughtful questions. If you’re keen and ready to learn, people love to be asked for advice.

Don’t be afraid to ask the experts for their professional opinion on a technique or technology they know a lot about. But don’t waste their time. If it seems like something that easily be Googled – Google it! Experts will appreciate it if you show that you know a little bit about their work (e.g., scientific articles they’ve published, other courses they’ve given), and expect you to have paid attention in the lecture. If you hope to discuss a patient’s treatment with them, ask their permission first. (You should also have let your patient know you will be getting some advice about their case.) Some conversations are better held privately or one-to-one (by phone or video conference) after the convention or conference.

If you’ve had a good conversation, get the contact information of the person you’ve been talking to. When you’re starting out as an associate, it’s helpful to get comfortable making small talk with all sorts of people in the dental industry, other oral health professionals, professional advisors to dentists, etc. You can learn something useful from everyone and you never know where your next associateship opportunity will come from. For the same reason you should make an effort to get to know more people in your social circles.

When you want to purchase a dental practice or start one from scratch, you will want to ask for leads and arrange professional consultations. Speakers will usually include their contact information at the beginning and end of their presentations – take notes. When approaching speakers after presentations you may have to wait quite a long while to talk with them. So give some thought to making your questions concise and to the point. Speaking with them in person will help them put a face to your name. When you contact them by e-mail later, you can mention that you met them at the conference and attended their presentation to remind them.

Exhibitors will often have a stack of business cards and sales staff will follow up with you if you give them yours. Make sure your phone is powered up so you can add colleagues to your contacts list immediately. Notes are helpful “memory jogs” – jot down a few points about your conversation/where you met them in the contact information on your phone.

After the event

Make sure to follow up with a request for if you’d like to talk about any subject in greater depth. Be specific about why you want to meet with them. Respect their time. Book 20 minutes and make sure you keep the appointment. Keep in touch (occasionally) with anyone who’s introduced you to someone else. Whether or not the introduction led anywhere, or simply gave you encouragement. Let them know how things worked out for you and what you’re doing now. This is how you build a professional network. Connect with the people you’ve met at the conference or convention on social media and engage with their content. What you’re doing is creating a “digital profile” for the next conference or convention, and gaining some visibility in online dental professional communities that can help you meet even more people next time!

Ready. Set. Connect!

Ok! You ready to go out there and make the best of that conference and make all the connections of your professional dreams. Just don’t forget to have fun doing it – conferences should first and foremost be a time to destress from the daily grind in clinic. You have your strategy now go out there and make the most of that next healthcare conference or event.

Dr. Lesia Waschuk is a Compliance & Education Specialist at Prep Doctors. She has more than 20 years of experience working with the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO) and NDEB.

If you are attending the 2023 ODA ASM, make sure to stop by our booth (#1947). We’d be happy to connect and chat about some of our highly sought after CE courses and we’ve got lots of prizes and freebies as well. See you there!

AFK Exam: 5 Simple Hacks to Improve Your Analytical Thinking

Posted on Apr 10, 2023Feb 22, 2024 by ankush

The Assessment of Fundamental Knowledge (AFK exam) is a written exam designed to test your knowledge of biomedical science and applied clinical science. It is also really important because it is the admission requirement for many Canadian Degree Completion Programs and the gateway to the rest of the NDEB equivalency process.

To put it simply, you must cram four years of instructional learning into a single exam before moving through the next stages of your dental equivalency process. Considering this test covers everything from Anatomy to Pharmacology and a slew of other dental subjects, it can often feel like an overwhelming task.

We need analytical thinking as human beings. This mindset allows us to find unique solutions to problems, plan to overcome the situation, and then take action to reach our goals. Taking the AFK exam is no different.

To become a dentist in Canada, focusing on your analytical skills will boost your ability to breeze through any exam setting.

So, how do we boost our ability to relax our minds, start detecting patterns, and solve complex problems? It comes down to hacking the test in a way that elevates your capabilities.

Don’t worry.

That might not sound very easy, but with consistency and our five hacks to improve your analytical thinking, you’ll feel fully prepared to study for the AFK exam.

Hack #1: Know the Test Format

You need to become so comfortable with the AFK test format that fear is completely removed from your success equation. Anytime you let fear of failure creep into your mind, you stunt the creation of long-term memories.

This short circuits your ability to retain all the practice and studying you have completed along the way.

A great way to do this is to join an AFK study group and complete sample questions. You want to familiarize yourself with what the AFK will feel, look, and actually be like on exam day. It should be like greeting an old friend at your home instead of a stranger.

This way, you are hacking your brain to rely on the information you have gathered and not some irrational fear of the unknown.

But hang on! DO NOT spend all your study time in study groups — your AFK course will provide you with ample test and format preparation. Use groups as a hack to solidify your memory. And if a group isn’t focused or taking up too much time, simply drop it!

Hack #2: Kill the Distractions

One of the most common barriers to analytical thinking is distractions. So, you need to adopt the mindset to kill your distractions. That means anything that prevents you from engaging in analytical thoughts, like digital screens, social activities, ringing phones, or even the faucet down the hall, that will not stop dripping.

Obviously, you want a healthy life full of balance, so you must dedicate some established time and space to studying each day.

A “safe study zone” free from anything that distracts your focus away from the task at hand. Friends and family should know that when you enter this space, you are on a mission to study for the AFK exam.

This is not a time to answer questions about where the phone charger is from your roommate.

This is the critical time you need to stay consistent with every topic so there are no surprises when it comes to taking the test.

Hack #3: Go Beyond Memorization

Want to pass the AFK exam? Go beyond memorizing data and then regurgitating it on a piece of paper or a screen. Analytical thinking is all about problem-solving.

When you apply yourself to each practice quiz in your AFK course, try to think of it differently. Give each question the weight of a real-world scenario.

Develop a hunger for a deeper understanding of why this question is crucial for you to know in the first place, and you’ll get to the answer a bit easier.

A good dentist never stops asking questions about why things are happening and how they can be improved.

More than 93% of business and non-profit leaders believe those who demonstrate analytical thinking are better at communication and complex problem-solving.

This is because you are willing to identify problems, select information when evaluating the issue, and draw a conclusion based on your collected evidence.

So, to apply this skill to improve your AFK results, go beyond memorization and:

• Read each question carefully so you fully understand the problem.
• Rely on your memory to give you the criteria for formulating an answer.
• Ask your instructor to clarify if something just doesn’t make sense to you.
• Present a solution based on the best-fit information you have collected and compare it to any hints on the exam, like multiple choice or key phrases that stand out to your mind.

Hack #4: Visualize Your Goal

No matter how you might feel about visualization, it works. Formal, structured goal setting leads to higher levels of engagement and achievement in individual performance. In other words, make a plan to study and pass your AFK exam.

Give yourself a definitive timeline and set a date for taking your exam. Break studying into smaller chunks for how much you’ll study each day and where you hope to be in 1, 4, 8, or 12 weeks.

Put that schedule on sticky notes all over your study space and keep the idea that you will be successful in the front of your mind. You’ll feed your analytical mind with motivation to work harder.

Hack #5: This is a Marathon

This last hack is a reminder. It’s just that simple: this is a marathon. You are not going to pass the AFK exam with only a day of review. Instead, this is a long-term study plan requiring dedication and commitment. So, find all the resources you can, build a study plan, join a study group, designate a space, and get to work.

Consistency breeds confidence, and you need to endure the negative thoughts of failure to move on to the next stage of your successful dental career.

The AFK exam is only a stepping stone along your professional dental journey but a critical one to take. Use these mental hacks to switch up the way your analytical mind works, and you will see fantastic returns when examination day comes.

You can do this! Don’t forget Prep Doctors is here to help.

Head over to our AFK Course page to learn more about our AFK Full Course, Crash Course, or Review Package options and when you can begin studying for your first NDEB exam.

About the Author

Karen Nunez was born in Valenzuela, Philippines. She received her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from Centro Escolar University in Manila.

Karen currently is a practicing oral health care professional based in Alberta, Canada; and runs a website where she writes a slew of articles to empower internationally trained dentists to integrate into Canadian dentistry.

Read more of her blogs here.

The Ultimate Guide to Boost Your Memory and Concentration

Posted on Feb 14, 2023Feb 22, 2024 by ankush

You’re a dental student, meaning you are expected to have an advanced memory and be able to concentrate for hours on end. You can’t afford to let your brain go all wonky during exams.

Building your memory and concentration capabilities is like developing any other skill. It takes time and practice to integrate healthy habits into your lifestyle so that your brain power is maximized. You want your energy and mental capacity to operate at full throttle whether you are entering a dental school in Canada or trying to pass your NDEB exams.

Here are some tips for boosting your memory and concentration:

1. Eat Better

You do not need the body of a swimmer to be a dentist. However, you work in the medical field and should be more than aware that a healthy body equals an active mind.

The best foods to eat to boost your memory and concentration are those high in B vitamins, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and other nutrients.

Foods rich in these nutrients can help your brain function at a higher level. Balancing your diet with the essential nutrients you need will improve your memory and reduce brain fog.

2. Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is the best thing you can do to boost your memory and concentration. In fact, research has shown that sleep deprivation impairs the hippocampus, the part of your brain responsible for consolidating learning and memory. Think about amount of memory power you need for the AFK exam or all the radiographs you need to interpret for ACJ – good sleep should be a key part of your strategy for success.

Shoot for somewhere between 6-9 hours of quality sleep a night. Everyone is different, but that would put you at the average.

3. Get Up and Move!

If you want to boost your memory and concentration, then the best thing that you can do is exercise regularly. Exercise not only helps keep your body healthy, but it also has many positive effects on your brain and mind.

Even attending a cycle class twice a week can make you feel more alert and refreshed. Your body will produce neurotransmitters that boost your mood, motivating you to study and focus on what needs to be done to pass your next midterm university or NDEB exams.

4. Lower Stress

When stressed, our body produces hormones like cortisol which can negatively affect cognition. In fact, one study found that stressed people had an increased risk of short-term memory loss by up to 40%.

Other studies have shown that stress could make it tougher to learn new information and remember things while causing headaches or feelings of fatigue more often.

Do what you can to lower your stress levels. Take pauses throughout the day, and remember to breathe. You can do this!

5. Meditate

Mindfulness meditation is a simple technique that can be practiced anywhere, even while you are engaged in other activities. It involves focusing on the present moment and observing thoughts and feelings without judgment. When you practice mindfulness meditation, you move away from a stressful mindset by focusing instead on what is happening right now—the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations around you.

There are endless studies proving meditation is a surefire way to improve mental focus and concentration. Even 10 minutes a day with a free mobile app can boost your cognitive capabilities.

6. Socialize

Socializing with people unknown to you is also important so the brain can create new memories and associations. In this way, we can use different memories together to improve our ability to recall things that would otherwise be difficult for us.

Social interaction also protects against depression and stress, adversely affecting memory loss. It will also help you to prepare for the interactions you will have with patients in the university clinics, actors the NDECC® Situational Judgement exam and real world patients once you are licensed to practice dentistry in Canada.

7. Get Organized

To boost your memory, you’re going to have to organize. Not just tidy—organize.

Organization is more than just being able to keep your house clean and tidy. It’s about being efficient in the things you do, so you can get more done in less time.

It’s also about being able to find the things that you need when you need them. And it helps if those things are where they should be when needed.

8. Try Evidence-Based Supplements

Supplementing your diet with some beneficial nutrients and herbs can help improve cognitive function and the brain’s ability to store new information. Only use what is scientifically proven to work, and consult your medical provider beforehand to not negate any medications you are taking.

You can try things like:

• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin B12
• Omega 3 Fatty Acids
• Gingko Biloba
• Vitamin E

Be Gentle with Yourself

There are numerous other ways to improve your memory, but these are the best options for dental students. You can try flashcards, have group study sessions, or employ mnemonic devices.

In the end, you want to be gentle with yourself because this process is a marathon, not a sprint. You can achieve success on your NDEB or dental school exams and, later, your dentistry practice by integrating habits that optimize your energy more than your time.

If you’re struggling with memory and concentration, take some time to assess your lifestyle and see what you can do to improve it. A few simple changes can significantly affect your ability to remember things and stay focused on tasks.

About the Author

Karen Nunez was born in Valenzuela, Philippines. She received her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from Centro Escolar University in Manila.

Karen currently is a practicing oral health care professional based in Alberta, Canada; and runs a website where she writes a slew of articles to empower internationally trained dentists to integrate into Canadian dentistry.

Read more of her blogs here.

Careers in Dentistry Series: Why You Should Network as a Dental Student

Posted on Aug 17, 2021Dec 20, 2023 by ankush

There is a saying in business: “It’s not what you know. It’s who you know.” The same goes for the dental industry that thrives on building and maintaining relationships through networking.

In this edition of the Careers in Dentistry Series, our Compliance and Education Specialist, Dr. Lesia Waschuk, and her guest, Akhil Chawla, discuss networking for dental students and practitioners. As a second-year dental student at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Dentistry, and the host of The Majestic Mutt Podcast, Chawla discusses the value of conversations, confidence, and social media. As he and Dr. Waschuk recall how they met through LinkedIn, both Chawla and Dr. Waschuk comment on how to use social media platforms and which are more important in the dental industry. Chawla mentions the significance of creating a profile for visibility, networking both online and in-person, and how to connect with people through authenticity.

Whether you’re just starting in your first year of dental school this fall, about to graduate or complete the NDEB equivalency process, there’s a great deal of networking that you can do now to set yourself up for a fantastic dental career once you complete your program. In addition, networking places you in a stronger position, as your classmates today maybe the people you work alongside in the future. Watch the full conversation below or on our YouTube page here.

Beyond networking in professional environments, it’s important to remember that everyone has something meaningful to offer. Reassuring yourself of this will allow for more meaningful conversations that will enable you to be more memorable. You can also start a LinkedIn profile with your updated resume, professional experience, volunteer and student leadership positions that will help you stand out while in school to get your name out in the industry and become top of mind for future employers.

And you don’t need to worry about having a huge following. “It really does come down to authenticity. Authenticity is really what’s wanted and needed and what people really resonate with,” says Chawla.

About the Series

Our Prep Doctors Careers in Dentistry series is an opportunity for you to peek behind the curtain of various avenues of dentistry you can take from a career and business perspective. Hosted by Dr. Waschuk, we sit down with highly regarded dentists to discuss their career paths, the challenges and benefits of the field, and how you can get started on your dentistry journey.

Click here to learn more about Prep Doctors and the stories of our dentists. Have a question? Please reach out to us on our Facebook page. We look forward to hearing from you!