My Love Affair With UCLAN Begins

Monday 4th September was the start of  induction week at the UCLAN dental clinic. Arrived at Preston excited but not looking forward to a day of health and safety and procedural stuff. Actually it didn't turn out to be as bad as I expected although I was suffering terribly with a bad stomach as a hangover from our India trip. I met my dental and DCP colleagues as well. It seems like we have an excellent, motivated team.

Things got more interesting on my return on Wednesday 6th when I reported for x ray training. I am familiar with the software being used but the x ray machines themselves and how to use them, specifically the OPG were brand new. I fell in love with the Sirona OPG unit and thought that the quality of the images was amazing. I did come back down to earth when I was advised that the cost of such a machine was 45k plus VAT.

That afternoon I had the privilege of meeting my über boss Prof StJohn Crean the head of the postgraduate school. He is one of the most motivated and driven men in dentistry that I have ever come across; however there seems to be a genuine caring and compassion that underpins his drive. It is not all ruthless. Needless to say after 90 minutes with StJohn I was BUZZING. He is bursting with ideas, plans and schemes to drive UCLAN to the top of the university rankings. I am just humbled and privileged to be a small part of this.

The coming week may well see some interactions with real patients...I will keep you posted. However I do feel as though I am going to fall in love with this place. My love affair with UCLAN has indeed begun!

TJD 9.9.12
www.tariqdrabu.co.uk
www.uclandentalclinic.com

The GDC Must Get its Affairs in Order

By Tariq Drabu – Manchester Dentist

The affairs of the GDC have been causing angst and concern amongst many of the profession. The way it manages itself and conducts its affairs are viewed by the profession with mistrust, anger and worst of all, fear.

Issues centre on the appalling Fitness to Practise procedures which last year were slammed by the CHRE (the GDC’s own regulator). There has been some improvement this year but there is need for a major overhaul. In terms of FTP the GDC regrettably has been reactive to criticism rather than proactive in trying to work out its strategy for the years ahead.

The abundance of illegal tooth whitening clinics that go unpunished by the GDC makes many registrants wonder what they are paying their registration fees for. This disgraceful set of affairs must not be allowed to continue.

Let us see what the next 12 months have in store and we will see if the GDC can really get its affairs in order.

TJD 4.9.12

I write with a sense of expectation, anticipation and and excitement on the plane home back from India as I look forward to my new appointment to a senior specialist teaching position at the brand new University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) Dental Clinic in Preston. Induction starts Monday 3rd September.
The University of Central Lancashire has spent £1.3m creating a state-of-the art dental clinic at its Preston city campus, which will provide much-needed services for local people as well as staff and students.
The clinic will have four general dental surgeries; an oral surgery suite (two surgeries and recovery room) and a 10-chair training suite and will be fully equipped to meet both treatment and teaching requirements. UCLan is believed to be one of the few universities in the country, other than specialist dedicated medical centres, to have such facilities on site.
I will be leading the specialist oral surgery services at the UCLan Dental Clinic. As a  registered specialist with the General Dental Council (GDC) in Oral Surgery I will have responsibility for providing treatment to patients and also teaching dentists. This is similar to the role that I had between 2001 and 2009 when I was a senior teaching fellow in oral and maxillofacial surgery at Manchester Dental Hospital where I was responsible for the teaching, lecturing and supervision of dentists on the University of Manchester’s Masters program in oral and maxillofacial surgery. As a teacher and educator I am proud over the past decade to have taught and mentored over 500 dentists in oral surgery at postgraduate level both at regionally and nationally.
Paul Walsh the Clinical Director spoke at a pre event open day last month at the clinic to local dentists and said that many high quality candidates had applied to posts in the clinic and that he was thrilled to "get his A team of first choices." I was flattered and humbled by that statement and am looking forward to working with some great colleagues.
For me there are new and exciting challenges that lie ahead. I am thrilled, honoured and privileged to have been appointed to what I consider to be a ground-breaking new dental venture at one of the most exciting and progressive universities in the UK. UCLan by setting up this venture is setting down a benchmark for quality and education in dentistry and setting its future direction of travel that will see it pushing its way up the university league tables to aim to knock at the door of the Russell Group. Ventures like this and its already excellent undergraduate BDS dental course will only see it shoot higher.
I will keep you posted about my progress.
Visit www.uclandentalclinic.com for more information.
TJD 2.9.12