Dental students make the most of ADA-ASDA externships
Washington鈥?/em>Dental externs Brittany Bensch and Jacinta D. Watkins describe their summer with the ADA Washington Office as “an excellent opportunity” and “challenging yet enriching.”
The Washington National Health Policy Externship is an American Dental Association-American Student Dental Association partnership designed to give dental students a look at ADA interaction with the legislative process. Ms. Bensch is a sophomore at the University of Washington School of Dentistry and Ms. Watkins is a senior at Howard University College of Dentistry.
“Working with the ADA in Washington, D.C., especially during the development of health care reform bills, has been an excellent opportunity to see the hard work that goes into translating opinions of the dental community to changes in legislation,” Ms. Bensch said. “I will return to ASDA and my dental school with the message that student involvement with policy is crucial to the future of dentistry and students should be confident that the ADA is representing them very well.”
“The externship has been one of the most challenging yet enriching experiences of my life,” Ms. Watkins said. “I am blessed to serve as an extern during such a critical time in our nation’s history with the reforming of our health care system. I aspire to apply the knowledge I have obtained in health policy to advocate for the dental profession and ensure that more students and professionals understand the importance of becoming involved in the advancement of dentistry.”