Student Professionalism & Ethics Association named Chapter of the Year
The Student Professionalism & Ethics Association (SPEA) national executive council has named Schulich Dentistry as its Chapter of the Year. SPEA Schulich Dentistry President Caitlin Loo, Class of 2022, was also elected as Regent and will represent Canada on the National SPEA Board this year.
SPEA is a national student-led organization with chapters across Canada and the United States. Their mission is to support dental students’ lifelong commitment to ethical behaviour for the benefit of the patients they serve and to further the dental profession
The Chapter of the Year Award is given to a dental school team that went above and beyond in terms of student involvement, membership, and promoting ethics and professionalism at their dental school. This award recognizes the work of the students who make up the SPEA Schulich executive team, including immediate past President Xue Er Hong, DDS’21, current President Caitlin Loo, and team members Caroline Alpert, Natalie Chan, Kieran Elliot, Shideh Gharaei, Mariam Kamel, Tianhui (Daphne) Li (Class of 2021); Young-Jin Cheon, Hannah Der, Alicia Gordon (Class of 2022); and Eunice Park and Caitlin Sherry (Class of 2023).
Founded in 2016, The chapter had been supported by advisors and Schulich Dentistry faculty members Dr. Paul Romanson and the late Dr. Jack McLister. The executive team has dedicated the award to Dr. Jack McLister, who passed away on October 10, 2020, in memory of his unwavering support and guidance, which helped the chapter to succeed and grow.
The Schulich Dentistry chapter of SPEA hosts several events and initiatives throughout the year, providing academic support, encouraging learning and professional development, and promoting discussion about issues in ethics and professionalism affecting dentists.
This year, SPEA event programming kicked off with the annual “Surviving First Year” event, held virtually for the first time on October 18. Students from the Class of 2024 and the ITD Class of 2023 tuned in to hear upper year students share their experiences and tips for adjusting to dental school. Topics included the transition into dental school, how to schedule your day, preparing for exams, how to decide on whether or not to specialize or do a general practice residency, and the highs and lows of dental school.
To learn more about SPEA Schulich Dentistry, visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/SPEASchulich
