ASDA Board Retreat Held at Dr. Joe Calabrese’s Home

On Saturday, September 10, 2016, the annual American Student Dental Association (ASDA) Board Retreat was held at Dr. Joe Calabrese’s home. The committee and Dr. Calabrese and his wife Michele, were joined by Drs. Tina Valades, Bing Liu and Hesham Nouh.

“During this retreat, our organization hashed out the events we plan to host this year and brainstormed for new ideas to implement within our chapter. We were spoiled with excellent food (all prepared by Mrs. Calabrese), some friendly competition in bocce ball, and even enjoyed smores as prepared by bonfire,” said Monica Schmidt, DMD 17, and President/First Delegate of ASDA. “It is events like this that allow our chapter to spin all of our wheels in tandem and implement change not only within our school, but within our profession.”

Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) has a very active ASDA chapter, with over 40 students on their board. Every dental student at the GSDM, both DMD and AS, is a member of our ASDA chapter. Nationally, more than 84 percent of all DMD students join ASDA at their respective institutions.

The ASDA chapter at GSDM is made up of twelve committees; advocacy, community outreach, dental education, diversity and inclusion, ethics and professionalism, fundraising, health and wellness, lunch n’ learn, the newsletter, public relations, pre-dental, and social. The purpose of the retreat is for each committee to lay out their plans and goals for the upcoming academic year.

“The annual ASDA Fall retreat is a great way for the students to collaborate and share all of their thoughts and ideas from all of the committees, said Dr. Joe Calabrese, Dean of Students and the faculty advisor of ASDA. “My wife Michele and I look forward to hosting the meeting and the BBQ every year.”

The mission of ASDA, a nation-wide organization, is to protect and advance the rights, interests, and welfare of students pursuing careers in dentistry. It represents students with a unified voice and provides information, education, advocacy, and services. The association introduces lifelong involvement in organized dentistry, and promotes change for the betterment of the profession.