IUSD SPEA

Our most recent event~Shortcuts to Failure~ was a huge success. One of our most interactive and captivating events yet! Huge thank you to our D1s for putting together this event, thank you to our amazing speakers and thank you for all who attended!

Very late introduction, but SPEA is proud to introduce our D1 committee: Roua, Joe, and Samir our D1 representative Jonathan and our IDP representative Sheet. Thank you for all you guys do to further our SPEA chapter at IU ❤️

Our next event is tonight! Portrait of a professional with Dr. Stewart! Join us in room 117 at 5pm for pizza and a great conversation on what it means to be a professional!

Tonight’s event!! “Cases that Haunt Us” you won’t want to miss it! (Plus the free Yats)

Wow what a great first event we had! Dr. Steele brought to light some hard decisions dentists may have to make with treatment decisions, and we had a great turnout for discussion. Thanks for all who attended and shout out to for helping with the heavy lifting (swipe to see) 🦷

Attention! SPEA is excited to announce our event TONIGHT “Would I do This on my Mom” featuring Dr. Jeffrey Steele! Come for some great case discussions and dinner in IUSD room 117 at 5pm!

Congrats to our two D1 social media contest winners!! and Good luck with your first year of dental school 🦷❤️

Congrats to Danielle and Janel on winning the SPEA D1 gift card giveaway! Thanks to everyone who participated and followed/liked us on social media. Good luck to all the D1’s this summer as you begin your journey at IUSD ❤️ Janel Aslan

ATTENTION IUSD D1s!! Go follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook and then comment below with your new quarantine skill/hobby for a chance to win the 15$ gift card! Hurry because the winner will be announced Friday!

As an organization that prides itself on professionalism, ethics, morality, and developing the integrity of current and future generations of dentists, IUSD SPEA would certainly be remiss if we did not release a statement regarding the racial injustices that plague the Black communities of America, especially at a time such as this. Though we are writing on our own behalf, we urge all those reading to reflect, unite and denounce the racism and violence affecting those in our community.

IUSD SPEA stands in full solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in their fight to bring an end to racial discrimination. We recognize that the recent injustices done to George Floyd and Breonna Taylor are just two of the many atrocities committed against Black Americans every day. We understand that these are just two of many names. We fully support the communities seeking justice for both of these senseless murders. We recognize that these injustices are a symptom of the larger issue that is institutionalized racism.

Racism is a disease that is deeply rooted in our country’s history. Though this issue has received a large amount of media attention the past few weeks, we must continue to do our part to recognize that this is a battle Black Americans fight and work to overcome every day. We, as dental professionals and especially as clinicians who serve a clinic of majority Black and Brown communities, can and must be part of the change that brings forward a new age of acceptance, love, and support for the Black community. As professionals, it is our duty to do intrinsic work that involves realizing our implicit biases, understanding our roles in the fight towards equality and justice, and to be intentional about treating each patient with respect regardless of their race.

SPEA is an organization committed to shaping dental students’ ethical viewpoints in order to foster growth within themselves, to benefit the patient’s they serve, and to further the progression of the dental profession. Unfortunately, dentistry is no stranger to racial discrimination. However, it is our commitment to this school and to our profession to educate students, faculty and staff at IUSD about the importance of supporting this movement.

Silence is violence. Now is the time to take a stance and outwardly condemn not only the unjust murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others, but to also change the infrastructure of our profession in order to do our part in eradicating the ramifications of systematic oppression Black people have encountered for centuries. We plan to host more events this upcoming year to address this issue, and to facilitate other uncomfortable conversations within our profession. We hope to see you there.

Here are some educational resources to promote learning and effective conversations:
https://blacklivesmatter.com/resources/
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/what-to-read-listen-to-and-watch-to-learn-about-institutional-racism
https://www.charisbooksandmore.com/understanding-and-dismantling-racism-booklist-white-readers

Here are some organizations that you can donate to right now:
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/movement-4-black-lives-1
https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/donate.html
https://whitecoats4blacklives.org/

(no title) White Coats For Black Lives

We are bringing our very own Dr. Jill Stetzel-Torkeo to share her SPEA experience and how it influences her post-graduation. Join us in welcoming her back to IUSD!

A huge thank you to everyone who attended our end of October event, Cases that Haunt Us. Special thanks to our two faculty members, Dr. John and Dr. Pinney, who gave us some haunting stories and good perspective just in time for halloween.

We ended the night officially welcoming our newest SPEA members and giving out their iconic SPEA pins! Welcome everyone, we are excited to see what each of you brings to the club and to watch your professionalism and ethics develop further!