Fourth-year School of Dentistry student serves the European Dental Student Association (EDSA) as President
A School of Dentistry fourth-year dental student, Ramin Torkizadeh, was offered a unique opportunity as he was appointed the EDSA Liverpool president for the organisations’ 72nd general meeting.
EDSA represents over 70,000 dental students across 34 countries, meeting twice annually across the globe to network, foster international collaboration, promote the interests of dental students, and keep students informed on relevant current affairs. More than 120 participants from 33 countries attended last year’s event. Ramin kindly shared some of his reflections on the experience as president as well as this year’s meeting in Bucharest.
Ramin and his team were responsible for organising hotels, sponsors, and workshops while coordinating with the EDSA board on the lead up to the big day. Highlights for the team included the Gala night and the coinciding Association for Dental Education in Europe (ADEE) event. The ADEE brings together dental schools across Europe to promote the advancement of health care, coordinate training and share knowledge. Ramin’s team managed to capitalise on this coincidence, working to integrate additional activities with ADEE, sharing an evening at the Museum of Liverpool, which some members of the EDSA team even spoke at.
The attendees also had the opportunity to explore the historic city of Liverpool, visiting the university campus and the Royal Albert Docks, as well as enjoying the city's vibrant nightlife. The conference featured discussions on EDSA's future, upcoming conference locations, and board member elections.
Ramin had this to say about his time as president,
“My time as president was not only culturally enlightening, but it also provided an opportunity to take on a significant leadership role, helping me to improve my communication, teamwork, and organizational skills. Id like to take the time to acknowledge the help from my dedicated team and the support from individuals such as Marta Adam from EDSA, Denis Murphy of ADEE, Professor Barry Quinn, Professor Vince Bissell, and Dr. Joshua Kennedy."
Following the success of the Liverpool event, Ramin was invited to attend the recent EDSA meeting in Bucharest April 2024, about which he said,
"2 months ago, I got the opportunity to attend the following EDSA General Meeting in Bucharest, Romania. It was so nice to be able to enjoy the event as a participant rather than having the stresses of an organiser. During the wonderful week I got the opportunity to network with European dental colleagues and immerse myself in Romanian culture.”