My unforgettable experience at the One Voice Conference
By Kiran Nagdeo – AOHAB Student
The Alliance of Oral Health Across Borders (AOHAB) Student Leadership in Global Oral Health (SLGOH) program came as a blessing in my life. While the program encompasses great experiences and opportunities to learn from the leaders in global oral health, the best part was the program's conclusion at the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry (AADMD) 2023 One Voice Conference in Denver, Colorado.
The AOHAB SLGOH program is an exceptionally empowering medium for young minds like mine to develop leadership skills and enhance growth in the field of global oral health. As a foreign-trained dentist pursuing a Master of Public Health degree in New York City, I wondered if I could find the perfect combination of my previous experience and current passion. The answers to all my questions were found in the AOHAB SLGOH program.
The AOHAB organizers invited numerous global oral health experts to teach, inspire, and guide us. My worries about me pursuing public health being perceived as a career switch from dentistry because of its emphasis on medical health rather than oral health vanished. SLGOH showed me that rather than letting go of my passion for dentistry, I can incorporate it into my current public health studies as I work towards improving global oral health.
“I was inspired by the wide range of webinars on oral health, as well as ethics and professional speaking. We also had office hours with dedicated committee members and student mentors, all eager to impart their knowledge to young minds. I religiously attended each office hour and was blessed with extraordinary guidance, mentorship, and a community within a community.”
The program concluded at the AADMD One Voice Conference in Denver, and I’m ever so grateful for the opportunity to participate and present my work at the conference. It was my first-ever conference experience, and it will remain unforgettable. We were greeted with a lovely dinner, and I believe there is no greater power than sharing a meal and breaking bread together. That lovely beginning helped break the ice and build community. It also allowed us to express our gratitude to our sponsors as well as the prominent leaders at AADMD who graced the evening with their presence.
The first day was action-packed with an official welcome from the president of the AADMD, Dr. Carl Tyler, followed by the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion panel with prominent experts sharing their wisdom: Dr. Dian Chin Kit-Wells, Julie Reiskin, Kimberly Jackson, Amanda Harrinaugh, Leolinda Lokepa, and Elisa Aucancela. There was a “Housefull” lunch keynote session on foundations of developmental medicine by Dr. Rick Rader. When Dr. Rader concluded his power-packed session, we had the chance to present our posters to all the attendees. It brought to fruition all that we’d been working on for the past 8 months of the SLGOH program. A couple of our student leaders, Omer Sonmez Faruk and Hildah Nkonde, got a chance to give an oral presentation, applying the public-speaking skills shared by Dr. Joseph Greenberg in the final webinar of the SLGOH program.
The Global Health Panel was on the second day of the conference and our President Dr. Deborah Weisfuse was one of the panelists. She spoke of the importance of communicating across the many silos within our oral health community and those in related fields. This will bring theoretical information directly to those who will be the ones to apply it. She emphasized the concept of implementation research to help bridge the gap between the theoretical and the practical. The SLGOH program will continue to bring in leaders to share practical learning examples and personal experiences with our students to teach and inspire future classes.
Another highlight of the day was the AOHAB breakout session with Dr. Rick Rader and Dr. Cesar Sabates which was moderated and hosted by Dr. Deborah Weisfuse. Dr. Rader applauded everyone for coming to the AADMD meeting and reminded us that we all were involved in advocacy, either in our neighborhood, school, or hospital. “Advocacy starts wherever you wake up,” were his inspiring words. Dr. Sabates earned a standing ovation with his exceptionally brave personal story overcoming adversities and driving forward to deliver social change. His story touched me greatly, giving me hope that one can achieve greatness despite adversity present in our lives. Dr. Sabates will always be someone I look up to.
The conference and the program concluded with a round table discussion with Dr. Weisfuse and the student leaders. We all shared our thoughts and feelings about the experience and were asked for feedback on how to enhance this experience for future cohorts. This was just as crucial for each of us as for the Alliance because it allowed us to express our gratitude for this beautiful time we all experienced and describe how it impacted our lives.
“My heart was full after attending and presenting at a conference for the first time and meeting people from all over the world. I made friends that I never would have met if it weren't for the AOHAB bringing us together. I left the program and conference with a community of friends and mentors; it’s an experience that I possibly couldn’t have found anywhere other than the Student Leadership in Global Oral Health program. “
It wasn’t the end, but the beginning of a newly found friendship and professional collaborations that continued as soon as I returned to New York City. Dr. Weisfuse opened new doors for me with an invitation to the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Alliance session on universal healthcare at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters—another first for me. It was enhanced because I was able to invite another student leader, Omer, who was visiting New York, to the NCD Alliance event and continue our AOHAB journey, beginning with the UN and concluding with sightseeing.
It continued with another student leader, Hildah Nkonde, when she visited New York for the Young Leaders Program at MCW Global, one of our supporting organizations. I also got a chance to intern there during the summer.
“The AOHAB has opened so many doors for me and I am privileged to continue the journey with my new friends and initiate my new work with Dr. Weisfuse. I hope to always be a part of the AOHAB and continue supporting the beautiful cause of this amazing organization.”