Boston University team wins ADA's 2023 Student Ethics Video Contest
ADA Council on Ethics, Bylaws and Judicial Affairs has run competition since 2008
The ADA Council on Ethics, Bylaws and Judicial Affairs selected the winner and runner-up of the 2023 Student Ethics Video Contest, with the grand prize winner a team of dental students from the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine.
Their video, titled "Undercover Dental Justice," displays the principles of veracity, patient autonomy, justice, non-maleficence and beneficence, as found within the ADA Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct.
The winning video made the ethical principles come alive in an interesting scenario, said Debra Peters, D.D.S., council chair.
“The team of students are to be complimented for their originality, resourcefulness and production quality as it pertains to the proper interpretation of the Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct and for clarity in communication of these objectives,” she said.
The Boston University team — Veronique Matthews, Melanie Thomas, Sarah Sveen, Olatorera Aina, Scott Hunter, Anooja Lall and Saif Alankau — will receive $2,500 to divide among themselves.
The video is available on the ADA's YouTube channel: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgVW4hDBH0pertw4BUhQqcDU2r3w5gOhD.
One of the winning students, Ms. Lall, said the topic of ethics and professionalism is of supreme importance in the dental profession.
“It is so important for all of us to adhere to ADA Code of conduct,” she said. “As dental students, if we keep neglecting the ethical values because of managing school and patients, it will stick to us for the rest of our careers. As it is rightly said: ‘You can’t build a great building on a weak foundation.’”
The runner-up video came from dental students Nicholas Kagelmacher, Cailin Cleary, Jackie Kostenko, Allyson Newman, Lauren Mistretta and Gil Barahman of the Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine. Their video, “Nightmare at the Dentist,” earned them a prize of $1,500.
As with the grand prize winner, this video is available on the ADA's YouTube channel.
“The ADA Code of Conduct is a guideline for students and dentists, enabling them to focus on patient-centered care and maintain high ethical standards,” said Mr. Barahman. “Learning and following this guideline gives the dental practice a framework to operate and provide our patients with the best standard of care.”
The council created the Student Video Contest in 2008, and this year, the contest was jointly sponsored by the council and the Student Professionalism and Ethics Association in Dentistry.
“Both organizations emphasize the importance of understanding the principles of ethics and the application of the Code and Advisory Opinions within the dental profession,” Dr. Peters said. “This contest highlights the importance of these objectives to dental students within their dental education so that they may be applied early in their careers and understand where to turn for guidance and insight of ethical dilemmas.”
