Guiding hands
Will McLaughlin: Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery
The Dental Ambassadors are the College’s eyes and ears on the ground across all levels of the dental professions. Currently more than 30 representatives in 14 regions of the UK and Ireland are providing support to the various dental communities in hospital, community and practice settings.
Support starts with the Early Career Ambassadors, who offer guidance to recently qualified members of the profession and assist them in finding their way on the career pathway with advice and encouragement.
Next, the Dental Team Ambassadors demonstrate the benefits to the whole of the profession of joining the RCSEd by arranging courses and supplying advice on College examinations.
Further along the career pathway, the Dental Specialty Ambassadors assist those Members undertaking specialty training, providing guidance and encouragement as trainees look to work towards Specialist and Consultant roles.
Expertly supported by Craig Brodie, the RCSEd’s Marketing and Communications Manager, the Ambassador network continues to flourish and grow. Here, four of our Dental Ambassadors from across the regions share their thoughts on the important role they play within the Dental Faculty.
Alice Duke Early Career Ambassador for Northern Scotland;
StR Restorative Dentistry, Aberdeen Dental Hospital and the Institute of Dentistry
Why did you apply to become an Ambassador?
I wanted the opportunity to be more involved with the RCSEd Faculty of Dental Surgery in an environment where I could engage with a national network of Early Career Ambassadors. I feel mentorship is crucial for successful career development and the College has an excellent approach to supporting Members in professional development through a variety of membership programmes.
Maintaining membership has been hugely beneficial to my progression through specialty training, and becoming an Ambassador has been a great opportunity to meet other members of the Faculty to share knowledge and ideas and to network with like-minded individuals.
What do you hope to achieve?
I hope to continue to engage with the Early Career Ambassador network to support newly and recently qualified dentists in their transition from BDS to foundation training and beyond.
It can be an overwhelming time, with numerous opportunities to explore career pathways within the hospital setting and general practice.
I enjoy helping to host the RCSEd Dentsply Sirona Dental Clinical Skills Competition. As well as being an excellent opportunity for dental students to showcase their clinical skills, it’s a great time to discuss the College’s portfolio of educational courses, examinations and online resources, to support final year students in exploring career pathways in specialty training, academia and general dental surgery.
My aim is to continue to help promote the benefits of membership and support early career dentists in navigating the opportunities available to them through the College.
What does the RCSEd mean in the part of dentistry you represent?
I feel the RCSEd is a supportive community for early career development, offering Members insight and mentorship to explore a variety of career pathways within the dental specialties. The examination portfolio provides a globally recognised framework
for candidates to gain accreditation and recognition within their chosen specialty. Involvement with the College boards and committees presents opportunities to actively influence developments in dentistry as a profession.
As an early career dentist, the support provided by the RCSEd can be crucial to shaping future career pathways.
Nirmal Shah Dental Specialty Ambassador for Eastern Scotland;
Specialist Registrar in Orthodontics (ST5), Edinburgh Dental Institute
Why did you apply to become an Ambassador?
Being a Dental Specialty Ambassador offers a unique platform for personal and professional growth, facilitating valuable connections with fellow specialists and offering the chance to contribute to shaping the direction of the College.
What do you hope to achieve?
To be an advocate for the profession by promoting awareness among professionals and the public. I would also hope to improve networking and foster a supportive community for mutual learning and growth.
It would be excellent to share knowledge and insights within orthodontics to enhance the professional development of colleagues as well as those hoping to specialise.
What does the RCSEd mean in the part of dentistry you represent?
The RCSEd ensures high standards in dental specialty education by accrediting training programmes and conducting examinations for specialty membership. RCSEd membership grants access to valuable resources, ongoing education opportunities and a supportive professional network.
Specialists benefit from the RCSEd’s role in shaping guidelines and standards within the dental specialties. Holding membership in orthodontics at an institution with more than 500 years of history symbolises a legacy of excellence in surgical and dental care.
The RCSEd is a cornerstone for training, fostering continuous learning, maintaining professional standards and providing a collaborative community for the advancement of dental specialties.
Kate Armstrong Early Career Ambassador for the North East and Cumbria; Associate Dentist and Educational Supervisor, Billingham Dental
Why did you apply to become an Ambassador?
As an educational supervisor, I am passionate about the development of young clinicians and felt being an Ambassador would allow me to further support undergraduate colleagues with their transition into practice and beyond.
What do you hope to achieve?
Working in primary dental care can be isolating once you leave foundation training, so it is important to invest in your development and professional networks. I also hope to promote the College’s postgraduate qualifications to the whole multidisciplinary team, as in the modern world of dentistry we should be promoting the whole team’s career ambitions.
What does the RCSEd mean in the part of dentistry you represent?
I think my field of dentistry has been under-represented in the RCSEd and it doesn’t engage with the College as much as it should. Generalists are key members of the dental team and I have found that the RCSEd can support careers in general practice as much as those in dental specialties. Affiliating with the College for general dental practitioners is more about professional networks and development courses to keep our knowledge up to date. It is about being part of an organisation that gives dentistry a voice on a global stage.
Tom Frawley: Dental Specialty Ambassador for Yorkshire and Humberside; Consultant Orthodontist and Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer, Charles Clifford Dental Hospital, Sheffield
Why did you apply to become an Ambassador?
Despite the stresses of sitting high-stakes examinations, I was always impressed by the College’s ability to remain friendly and welcoming, while maintaining high levels of professionalism and organisation.
During a much-needed post-ISFE break, I saw an advert for a Dental Ambassador vacancy. Having been recently awarded an educational grant by the College, I decided I wanted to give something back so I immediately applied. One of my favourite aspects of being a Consultant is developing others and seeing them perform well; becoming a Specialty Ambassador for the College was a natural step.
What do you hope to achieve?
To inspire people within my region to develop themselves professionally, whether that is through undertaking specialty training or other professional development opportunities with the College. I have enjoyed organising regional careers events for younger dentists and dental students.
What does the RCSEd mean in the part of dentistry you represent?
Within my own field of orthodontics there have been some well-documented changes to the MOrth specialty examination.
Despite initial controversy, these changes have aligned the examination with important quality-related educational principles. These changes, as well as the Faculty’s commitment to making assessments as robust and fair as possible, have contributed to its excellent achievement in meeting all of the General Dental Council Standards for Examination Providers.
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