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 Southern Nevada Dental Society (SNDS) volunteer to serve as a mentor to third and fourth year dental students.  Students must be American Student Dental Association (ASDA) members to participate.  Dentist/mentors agree to make themselves available to the students and work toward developing a working relationship by sharing their dental and business strengths.  Dentist/mentors also agree to participate in mentor program events, and act as a liaison between the SNDS and their students.  Ideally, each dentist/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.  We, also encourage dentist/mentors to invite their student to all SNDS continuing education programs and any ADA Annual Sessions i.e. 2011 in Las Vegas.  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 in February and March, 2011.  Mentors will receive 2 CEU’s for each seminar, at no charge.  The proposed schedule of events for 2010-2011 is as follows: (Contact SNDS for details)

Thursday, September 30, 2010*	Program Orientation Kick-Off, LVI @ 6:30 pm
October 9-12, 2010	151st ADA Annual Session, Orlando, FL
Friday, October 22, 2010	CE Series, Gold Coast, 9 am–4 pm, Dr. Donald Lewis “Doctor, your check has bounced AGAIN”
Tuesday, November 9, 2010	SNDS Dinner Meeting, Gold Coast @ 5:30 pm
Tuesday, November 16, 2010	CE Café, Allen Kim, CPA, “Last Minute Tax Stategies”
Thursday, December 2, 2010	CE Series, Gold Coast, 9 am–4 pm, Dr. Carl Misch                                                             “Treatment Plan For Progressive Loading of Implants”
Friday, December 10, 2010	SNDS Holiday Party, TBA
Tuesday, January 11, 2011	SNDS Dinner Meeting, Gold Coast @ 5:30 pm
Thursday, January 20, 2011	CE Café, Dr. Dean Mersky
Saturday, February 5, 2011	Give Kids A Smile, UNLV SDM @ 7:30 AM
Tuesday, February 8, 2011	Nellis AFB Member Dinner Meeting @ 5:30 pm
Tuesday, March 8, 2011	SNDS Dinner Meeting, Gold Coast @ 5:30 pm
Friday, March 18, 2011	CE Series, Gold Coast, 9 am–4 pm, Dr. Joseph Blaes “Pearls For Your Practice”
Tuesday, April 12, 2011	SNDS Dinner Meeting, Gold Coast @ 5:30 pm
Friday, April 15, 2011	CE Series, Gold Coast, 9 am–4 pm, Dr. Robert Cronin “Etiology and Restoration of Worn Dentition”
Tuesday, May 3, 2011	CE Café, TBA
July 7-9, 2011	NDA Annual Meeting, Grand Wailea Resort, Maui, HI
October 9-12, 2011	152nd ADA Annual, Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV

*The program kick off is ESSENTIAL to being a mutually beneficial experience for both mentors and protégés.  Besides good food and great program orientation, it will be the best opportunity to meet each other, and begin to develop a working relationship and exchange contact information.

Mahalo nui loa,

Franson KS Tom, MS, DMD, Chair Mentor Program