By Cassie Thu-Ha Truong, Class of 2017
UCSF Dentistry’s chapter of the American Student Dental Association (ASDA) sent seven students to National Dental Student Lobby Day in Washington, DC, April 13 and 14, to attend an ASDA-sponsored conference and meet with representatives and congressional staff on Capitol Hill.
The conference was co-sponsored by the Academy of General Dentistry, the American Dental Association (ADA), the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), MedPro and Patterson Dental, and was attended by nearly 400 dental students from across the United States.
ADA President and keynote speaker Maxine Feinberg addressed the importance of legislation that protects the dental profession and patients. ASDA at UCSF obtained six legislative appointments and met with two representatives to urge co-sponsorship of Action for Dental Health (H.R. 539) and the Student Loan Refinancing Act (H.R. 649).
H.R. 539 would allow organizations to qualify for oral health grants administered by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and support organizations and events providing dental services to the underserved, such as Give Kids a Smile Day. H.R. 649 would allow new dentists to refinance their federal student loans at any time during the life of the loan, so that students could potentially take advantage of lower interest rates.
In meeting with Representative Eric Swalwell (CA15), we discussed the high cost of dental school and the difficulty of repaying student loans within a reasonable time frame. He heard our concerns and has agreed to co-sponsor H.R. 649. Representative Mark DeSaulnier (CA11) had already agreed to co-sponsor H.R. 649, and would further consider support for H.R. 539.
We also met with Representatives Ami Bera, Jerry McNerney, and the staff of Representatives Mike Thompson and Nancy Pelosi who understood the importance of both bills and said they would take an additional look at the details before considering co-sponsorship.
National Dental Student Lobby Day was a great opportunity to advocate for legislation to protect dental students and our future patients.
Pictured
UCSF ASDA members on Capitol Hill for National Dental Student Lobby Day
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