IHS Dental Job Fair Goes On-line
Dental Careers with Opportunity, Adventure and Purpose is the topic of the next Indian Health Service (IHS) Dental WebForum, the second in a series of presentations using the latest in Web conferencing technology to spread the word about the opportunities and adventure of an IHS dental career. The IHS Dental WebForum will provide an overview of IHS career paths for dentists and dental hygienists, including requirements, benefits and how to prepare a job application.
Tim Lozon, DDS, Director of the IHS Division of Oral Health (DOH), makes frequent trips to campuses around the nation to talk with dental students about IHS careers and how they can contribute to public health dentistry. But for those who miss the opportunity to meet with Dr. Lozon in person at a Lunch & Learn or Dental Career Fair, the WebForum provides another means of obtaining the information they seek.
“I can make the same presentation in the WebForum that I do in person, and participants can ask questions and receive answers in real time,” says Dr. Lozon. “It’s convenient, interactive, uses technology everyone’s familiar with, and the presentations are highly planned and produced.”
The first IHS Dental WebForum, held on November 28th, covered dental externships with IHS. Participants learned about opportunities available at IHS and Tribal externship sites. Future topics are scheduled for January and others are in the planning stage, but students can be assured that the WebForums will always be rich with content.
“It’s the place to be involved,” Dr. Lozon says. “For anything new going on at IHS DOH, this is the avenue through which we’ll convey it to people. Whether it’s changes in the salaries or new information on the Loan Repayment Program, the WebForum is a convenient way to get the information to students all over the country.”
It’s easy to participate in a IHS Dental WebForum – all you need is a computer, a phone (speaker phone and a projector if you're having a group over for popcorn!) and a high speed connection to the Internet.
To register for the next IHSDental WebForum, to be held on January 30th at 5:00 PM (ET) and February 1, 2007 at 12:30 PM (PT) send an email with your name, school class year, and the date and time of the WebForum you’re interested in to: DentalWebForum@ihs.gov.
You’ll receive a return email with a link and instructions on how to participate. On the day of the Forum, simply click on the link to the site you received via e-mail, call the phone number, and you’re in with visuals and voice.
“Webex is one of the most common platforms out there for webcast events,” says Dan Koczera, Senior Account Executive with Horne Creative Group, producers of the Dental WebForum for IHS DOH. “It’s very easy to use. In the conference, you can view PowerPoint presentations, ask the host questions through live chat, and view live demonstrations of how to use IHS Dental Web site.”
Koczera notes that at some dental schools, students participated in the first WebForum as a group rather than individually. Group participation not only gives more students a chance to join the WebForum, but can also make the presentation more dynamic for those who may have slower connections at home.
Students can also keep in touch with IHS dental happenings on the new Dental Recruitment List Serv, another avenue of communication technology being utilized by DOH. This is where news can be found instantaneously, which is convenient for both students and IHS, says Dr. Lozon. To join the Dental Recruitment List Serv, go to www.dentist.ihs.gov and follow the instructions on the Web site.
“We don’t hesitate – as soon as there’s something new to report, we will broadcast it on the List Serv. It’s another avenue for getting answers to commonly asked questions, but thousands of people at once can get the answers. It’s also an interface for people from 56 different dental schools in the nation to connect with each other, to ask questions of each other and find out what other people’s thought processes are.”
Says Koczera: “It’s a knowledge base developed by a community with shared interests – dental students talking about issues that relate to them,” he says. “It’s another way that IHS is creating a community of dental students sharing information with each other.”
Don’t forget to sign up now for the next IHS Dental WebForum – send an email with your name, school, class year and the date and time of the WebForum to: DentalWebForum@ihs.gov.
For more information about the IHS DOH ListServ, go to www.dentist.ihs.gov and follow the instructions on the website.
It’s easier than ever to learn about the opportunity and adventure of an IHS dental career. With Dental WebForum and DOH ListServ, IHS is at the forefront of new communications technology, finding even better ways to connect with you and keep you informed.
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