Frater - Spring 2004
Selections from the Frater Magazine published by the Psi Omega Fraternity
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Frater - Spring 2004 Selections from the Frater Magazine published by the Psi Omega Fraternity |
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| From
the Central Office There are a couple of chapters we are concerned about that need new members. We encourage these chapters, and you know who you are, to do what they possibly can to generate new student members. Psi Omega remains a strong dental fraternity, so we want to keep chapters active at the dental schools. If there is anything the Central Office can do to help you in this area, please do not hesitate to let us know. We will certainly do all we can, even if we need to visit the school. But, on a positive note, we would like to thank the majority of the chapters for their efforts in rushing new students. We do sometimes get new student members during the Spring, so maybe we will hear from a few more chapters?! New student membership and alumni support keeps Psi Omega going - we have entered into its 112th year of existence and while we won’t be around to see it in another 112 years, it would be nice for it to continue on and on. Not to be redundant, but as Dr. Butler mentioned in his President’s Message, we need the continued help from the alumni members - student members become alumni members after graduation and, many times, we lose touch with the new alumni members simply because of a wrong address. We have access to address information through the internet, but this can be time consuming. If that is what it takes, then it has to be handled in this manner; however, if you move, we would appreciate you updating the Central Office - it’s only a phone call or e-mail away and we won’t lose touch! Plus, it will save us money because for each piece of return mail we get from the Post Office, it costs the fraternity and this adds up in a hurry! We need the money that you as alumni members contribute through the generosity of your dues to be generated towards aiding our student members. A reminder notice is found elsewhere in this magazine regarding the deadline for the Autumn Frater, but we will go ahead and mention that the deadline is August 16th, so already knowing this before getting through the rest of the magazine, we encourage everyone to make note of this and send us chapter-check in’s, pictures, alumni news, etc. We know the summer can often be as time consuming as dental school, so keep us in mind! Also, the foundation continues to pay $500 for a scientific article. Get us a scientific article to publish and get $500 bucks! As always, if there is anything we can do for any of the alumni members, student members, or chapters, please feel free to let us know. Your Central Office Staff. . . Tom NOTE:
The DEADLINE for the Autumn Edition of the Frater is Monday, August
16th |
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| Jay H. Eshleman, DDS...Retires at the age of 93! Dr. Eshleman was born in 1910 and raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He attended PreDental Elizabethtown College from 1928-1930. From there he attended Temple University Dental School from 1930-1934. He was Grand Master of the Eta Chapter of Psi Omega Fraternity in 1933 and graduated as an Eta member of Psi Omega Fraternity in 1934. The following is a breakdown of the accomplishments of Dr. Eshleman:
Retired
August 1, 2003 after 69 years of practice! We wish Dr. Eshleman the
best and as he so put it in a note to the central office - “CHEERS”! |
Jay H. Eshleman, DDS |
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| Mission
of Mercy Project: A Partnership of Dental Students and Organized Dentistry Carol N. Brooks, DDS and James Butler, DDS |
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| The Virginia
Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, in conjunction with the Virginia
Dental Association and the Virginia Health Care Foundation have formed a
partnership in providing dental care for the uninsured and underserved populations
of Virginia. The Mission of Mercy Project was initiated because thousands
of Virginians are unable to obtain dental care despite their urgent needs.
One of the largest factors influencing a person’s ability to access
dental services in Virginia is geography - specifically, where a person
lives. In some rural areas, the ratio may be as low as one dentist to 5000+
individuals.
In July 2000, the Virginia Dental Health Foundation launched the Mission of Mercy (M.O.M.) Project. The Mission of Mercy projects are conducted in identified, underserved areas of the state where there are not enough dental practitioners to adequately address the oral health needs of the community. Due to the tremendous success of the 2000 project, eight additional M.O.M. projects have been hosted, Eastern Shore (2001, 2002, 2003); Wise County (2001, 2002, 2003); Northern Virginia (2002) and Martinsville (2003). The VCU School of Dentistry plays a vital role in not only giving care to this needy population but also provides staffing support, transportation and delivery of the School’s mobile education students, faculty, and staff. To date, 5,365 patients have been provided with over $1.8 million worth of free dental care. Virginia’s M.O.M. projects have broken records for the largest two and three day dental outreach clinics ever conducted in the United States and serve as models for other states. Mission of Mery projects have been held in airport hangers, high schools, vacant factories, and fairgrounds. Field clinics are set up, resembling a M.A.S.H. unit with portable dental chairs, dental units, x-ray machines and sterilization facilities. Patients start lining up the night before to ensure that they have a place in line that they will receive treatment. Usually, these projects are held in conjunction with a health fair that provides screenings and physical exams for the community. Seeing patients stand in line, when the students arrive at 6:00 a.m., is usually the first glimpse of their patients for the day. It can be overwhelming to realize how great the need for dental treatment is, not only abroad but also in their own state. Students apply for the opportunity to be part of the project. They are chosen to attend based on their record of teamwork, their ability to follow instructions, and clinical skill. Students are able to perform any treatment that they have already been trained to provide in dental school. Faculty supervise the students and provide instruction. Time moves very quickly with an effort to provide at least one procedure for every person who seeks treatment. It is also an opportunity to demonstrate that dentistry is a “caring” profession concerned for the patients emotionally as well as professionally. The patients that are seen are very appreciative, but the volunteers have found that they often times receive more than they give. |
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| Psi Omega Students have been involved with the M.O.M. Project initiative from the start. Dr. James Butler, current President of Psi Omega Fraternity and a faculty member at VCU, has been involved with the M.O.M. Project for the last two years. His enthusiasm and leadership have helped to inspire students to see the opportunity to participate as more than just the delivery of dental care, but also the chance to share a gift with people that have needs. | ||
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