As the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD) celebrates 20 years, it is also welcoming a new chapter with incoming president Sam Jethwa.
The British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD) has been instrumental for providing me with world-class education, especially in my early days, on techniques that I otherwise would have struggled to find.
The BACD brings the education to you, be that at conferences or regional events, and at appealing prices that are hard to believe. Equal to the education is the network I have been able to build – the BACD gave me access to the contacts, role models and culture I needed to create a vision of my own career in ethical, cosmetic dentistry. Without this, I would have found it difficult to navigate my professional journey and would not have had the same opportunities. To put it simply: without the BACD I would not be the dentist I am today nor would I have the nonclinical life I have today.
I see my role as president continuing to build upon the great work of my predecessors. The presidents of the past – and myself – have never taken the title for granted. It is a position that takes years of training. I have chaired a variety of committees over the years, from those relating to membership, the website and communications, giving me an in-depth understanding of what the BACD needs. Armed with this experience and with the help of our board and committee members, I intend to ensure that the BACD continues to stand at the forefront of cosmetic dentistry. We will build on its reputation as a welcoming, inclusive and inspirational academy for all.
Moving forward, I am very keen to work even more closely with our board and committees. They are incredible clinicians and master operators who are also great friends. Every clinician behind the scenes at the academy, be they board or committee, gives up their time voluntarily, and it is hard to appreciate just how much daily activity is required to maintain the BACD. I have always been interested in streamlining these daily processes to increase efficiency, maximising what the academy can give back to its members. This is a challenge I am excited to throw myself into, along with future-proofing
the academy and pre-empting profession-wide changes that may be coming. At the BACD, providing value to our members is a key focus. Value is mostly represented through both the excellent
educational opportunities and the supportive network that members can access. These are a priority to enhance, but we also try our best to hear what our members want so that we can do everything we can to provide as many members as possible with value.
For instance, the BACD website was recently entirely overhauled with an app-based design, making it incredibly easy for colleagues to book events, track CPD and membership points, upgrade and maintain membership status, and digitally register for the events themselves. We are also looking to increase attention on content production so that we can grow the membership across all demographics, be they clinicians in early or later stages in their careers.
For more information about the BACD please visit www.bacd.com