Form a Study Club

Express interest. Contact classmates, colleagues in the area, or place an announcement of interest in the BCDA newsletter.

Find a mentor. Do you know someone who has a reputation for performing this branch of dentistry well? A likely possible mentor might be a specialist or a general dentist who already mentors another study group. An established mentor might be able to provide the name of another, lesser-known but gifted individual who is ready to teach. Both the Seattle Study Club and the R.V. Tucker Academy are internationally-based study club organizations that may provide information on starting an affiliated study club in your area.

Form a study group. Traditional study clubs that perform clinical dental procedures typically run from 6 -12 members. This gives everyone a generous amount of time for operating and for guidance from the mentor. A small group can operate in a private office. A bigger group can spread expenses over more members and reduce individual costs. Study clubs that don’t do clinical procedures can run to a higher membership (dictated in part by the size of the meeting area).

Look for a facility. This could be a private clinic, the Study Club Alliance Sirona Learning Centre, or a meeting room, in the case of a treatment-planning or webcast-based study club, for example.

Work out a meeting schedule. A typical schedule would feature once-monthly meetings from September through May or June.

Establish a budget. Cost variables include membership size, number of meetings, travel expenses, facility requirements, and if meals are included in membership fees.

Contact the College of Dental Surgeons to ascertain that requirements will be met for continuing education credit eligibility.

Choose a name, select club officers to include at a minimum, President and Secretary, and open a chequeing account. Dues are generally collected once or twice a year.

Remit copy of Financial Statement, Continuing Education Credits and Annual Report to College of Dental Surgeons annually.