Did you know that Virginia has 10 residency programs – Bon Secours Pediatric Dentistry, Carilion Clinic Dental General Practice, Richmond VA General Practice 2-year Residency, UVA Health System General Practice Residency, VCU’s AEGD Residency, VCU’s Endodontics Residency, VCU’s OMFS Residency, VCU’s Orthodontics Residency, VCU’s Periodontics Residency and VCU’s Pediatrics Residency –  spread out over 4 components? 

Over the past 8 months, our membership department has been working with members and each of the residency program heads to develop stronger relationships with all 71 Virginia dental residents.  Through these efforts, we’ve been able to connect these students with resources from the ADA and VDA as well as to help them develop deeper relationships with our member dentists. 

While at the New Dentist Conference in March, several VDA members approached us about providing the ultimate level of support to these young dentists – sponsoring their membership into the tripartite.  In just over a month, we were able to find sponsors for the remaining non-renew and non-member residents. We’re proud to announce that, for the first time ever, all 71 Virginia residents are active tripartite members! 

Additionally, we combined sponsorship with the ADA’s Member-Get-A-Member program. Any member who sponsored a non-member resident will receive a $100 gift card from the ADA. Since resident membership is only $30, most sponsors profited off of their act of goodwill! 

Here’s how the Member-Get-A-Member program works. Active members (meaning that you’re up to date on your dues) recruit a new member, which means that they were either not a member in 2017 nor paid $0 dues at the national level in 2017 (which is the case for new grads).  Members complete the and at the end of the quarter will receive a $100 gift card from the ADA and a $200 check from the VDA for each new member recruited. Additionally, VDA Members can recruit up to 5 new members each year. 

While we’re proud to have all Virginia-based residents on board for the 2018 membership year, there are plenty of non-members still out there.  If you have a colleague who may benefit from membership, then here’s a great tool to help you start that conversation. 

Contact: Sarah Mattes Marshall