Over the last few months, new students have been anxiously awaiting the start of dental school, and at last, Friday concluded DS1 summer orientation.  Students got a chance to learn about their new classmates via daily ice breakers and fun interactive activities, while also getting to know the staff and support offered at the School of Dental Medicine.  Highlights from the week include Apple support day, where IT staff helped students set up their new MacBook computers, a scavenger hunt which allowed students to work together to find important places around campus, and a barbecue in which upperclassmen had the opportunity to speak about different student organizations on campus.  DS1s also had to opportunity to attend a Colorado Rockies game and mingle with their classmates, professors, and SODM staff.

With a week of orientation under their belts, the Class of 2018 has officially begun their journey through the next four years.

On behalf of Colorado ASDA, good luck and have fun!

COMING THIS FALL...

...Colorado ASDA presents Thrush Week! Thrush Week is series of events during the first week of school that ASDA is hosting as an introduction to the new school year. Both the incoming Class of 2018 and current students are invited to register, and participation is a must! Participants will be arranged into teams where they will compete to earn "diamonds." The team with the most diamonds at the end of the week will win the Cup of Carabelli and have their names engraved on a plaque! And now, because of a grant we received from national ASDA, students will be able to attend all of the week's events for FREE! The events include:

Monday 8/11: Meet and Greet from 5:30-7:30pm. Meet your Thrush Week team over snacks and prepare to battle for the Cup of Carabelli!

Tuesday 8/12: Dental School Selfie Contest. Post your best dental school selfie on Instagram or Twitter and tag #ThrushWeek and you could win 5 diamonds for your team! However, following Colorado ASDA on Instagram or Twitter is a requirement to win!

Wednesday 8/13: Lunchtime Sports from 12:00-12:50pm. Enjoy your lunch break outdoors with us and play some volleyball, ultimate frisbee or just relax in the sun. Your team will win participation diamonds just for coming!

Thursday 8/14: Dental Joke Contest. Have a hilarious dental joke? Submit it as a post here on Colorado ASDA's blog, The Colorado Quickset. The winner will receive diamonds for their team. However, remember to like Colorado ASDA on Facebook in order to win!

Friday 8/15: Initiation Lunch and Learn from 12:00-12:50pm (Class of 2018 only). Come join us for free food and learn about everything that makes ASDA so worthwhile!

Then, for the finale, on August 16th, all students registered for Thrush Week are cordially invitedto participate in the Amalgames! This is a dentathlon (dental decathlon) tournament comprised of 10 challenges that include events such as the Inlay Onlay Relay Race, Mulberry Molar Pie Eating Contest, and much more. Alongside your Thrush Week team, all will continue the race to win the ultimate prize: the Cup of Carabelli (see picture on the right). The team bestowed this high honor will be pronounced the "Crowned Knight Guards of Anschutz" and their names will be engraved on a plaque in their honor. The Cup of Carabelli and the plaque are kept on campus so that everyone will know of the winning team's glory!

Please join us as we welcome the new students and begin the new school year!

To participate in Thrush Week and the Amalgames, register now at http://coloradoasda.org/thrush-week.html.

For more information about the Amalgames visit the official website at http://coloradoasda.org/the-amalgames.html.

~Lauren Llorente, Class of 2017, DS1 Orientation Committee Chair

http://youtu.be/GjTOV1uuCC0

My first step on the path to dental school was a confusing one. I was about as disoriented as I was the first time I assisted in clinic. I returned home from a two-year mission with my church and decided to start school again. My undergraduate university had just combined departments and, as a result, had gotten rid of all official pre-health academic advisors. Fortunately, I had a dad who was a dentist and could at least give me the basics, but I essentially had to figure everything out on my own. Eventually I made my way through the process and was accepted into dental school, but I can still remember the anxiety and distress that I felt while getting here. For this reason, I wanted to provide some sort of road map or compass to help other pre-dental students orient themselves on their own voyage to dental school. And so, with help from Dr. Samantha Moreno and former ASDA Pre-Dental Chair, Ryan Gonzales, Colorado ASDA's Summer Pre-Dental Academy (DSB101: Dental School Basics) was born.

This program was modeled after Harvard ASDA's Pre-Dental Lecture Series, but modified to what I felt were the most basic and essential topics that a pre-dental student would need in order to successfully apply to dental school and complete their first year. 40+ students sign up and over an 8 week period, we were able to cover everything from DAT prep and an AADSAS walkthrough to dental waxing, drilling, filling and more. As an added bonus to the students, Christian Piers lead a workshop on personal statements, Ryan Gonzales lectured on Pediatrics, and Christina Pham gave an overview of Oral Surgery. Because of these individuals and the many other volunteers throughout the weeks, our first Summer Pre-Dental Academy was a huge success.

Organizing and teaching this pre-dental course was such a great experience for me and I would like to thank everyone who helped make the Summer Pre-Dental Academy possible. We could not have done it without you!

~Kyle Luis Larsen, Class of 2017, Colorado ASDA President-Elect

Welcome to Colorado ASDA's first blog post!  In a world where social media is the foundation of many conversations and relationships, we thought a digital blog would be the perfect tool to connect members.  Our goal for this blog is to keep members updated on happenings within Colorado ASDA, as well as to share with the world how great it is to be a dental student at CU.  We look forward to posting informative and entertaining articles to keep you updated on the obvious and not-so-obvious goings on in dentistry and dental education.  As a member of Colorado ASDA, this blog is yours to do with what you wish.  We see potential in each of you as a prospective author, so email us (blog@coloradoasda.org) to share your knowledge and experiences.  We all love Colorado ASDA, and together, let's make it even better!

~Ali Lindauer, Class of 2017, Colorado ASDA Electronic Editor