Purpose:         To work with students at the UNLV School of Dental Medicine to instill professional ideals, model professional conduct, and to assist in the transition from school to practice.

Method:          Practicing dentists who are members of the SNDS volunteer to serve as a mentor to third and fourth year dental students.  Students must be ASDA members to participate.  Dentist/mentors agree to make themselves available to the students and work toward developing a working relationship.  Dentist/mentors also agree to participate in mentor program events, and act as a liaison between the SNDS and their students.  Ideally, each mentor will have a third and a fourth year student assigned to them.

Students who are participating in the mentor program may attend SNDS dinner meetings but ONLY IF ACCOMPANIED BY THEIR MENTOR.  This means that mentors should be willing to participate for the benefit of their students.  In addition to SNDS and mentor program activities, mentors are encouraged to invite their students to visit their office on several occasions in order to see how a practice operates, and perhaps to assist.

We have also planned two special 2 hour CE seminars for the mentors and their students, which will deal with issues pertaining to transition to practice.  Mentors will receive 2 CEU’s for each seminar, at no charge.

The schedule of events for 2008-2009 is as follows:

            Tuesday, September 23, 2008*      Program kick-off at LVI     6:30pm
            Tuesday, October 14, 2008              SNDS dinner meeting
            Wednesday, November 5, 2008       CE Seminar, TBA
            Tuesday, November 11, 2008           SNDS dinner meeting
                           December, 2008                SNDS Holiday Party, TBA
            Tuesday, January 13, 2009                SNDS dinner meeting
            Tuesday, February 10, 2009              SNDS dinner meeting at Nellis AFB
            Saturday, February 21, 2009             Give Kids A Smile, UNLV
            Wednesday, March 4, 2009               UNLV vs Air Force basketball, UNLV
            Tuesday, March 10, 2009                   SNDS dinner meeting
                           March 2009                        CE Seminar, LVI - TBA
            Tuesday, April 14, 2009                     SNDS dinner meeting

*The program kick off is ESSENTIAL to being a mentor.  Besides good food and the program orientation, it will be the best opportunity to meet your students, and begin to develop a working relationship and exchange contact information.