ADA Recognizes Two UNC Dental Students for Service, Ethics

The American Dental Association recently recognized two fourth-year UNC dental students for their accomplishments: Shenan Bradshaw for her outstanding international service and Chris Vo for his grand prize-winning video about dental student ethics.

Bradshaw received the ADA Certificate for International Service for organizing the now-annual Nepal service trip, also called the Nepal Project, when she was a second-year D.D.S. student. She was also awarded the UNC Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship Award for this work in 2010. Since beginning the Nepal Project, Bradshaw has returned to Nepal once and her efforts have allowed other UNC School of Dentistry students to serve there annually. This recurring service trip consistently improves the dental health of citizens in Nepal and was one of the determining factors to Bradshaw receiving this honor.

Vo is the grand prize winner in the 2011 ADA Ethics Video Contest, which asks entrants to depict and resolve an ethical dilemma they face as dental students. Working closely with classmates and faculty, Vo wrote, directed and produced his prize-winning video, The Bridge Patient, in which he portrays a dental student who needs to complete a bridge in order to graduate. When his only bridge patient moves away, Vo talks an existing implant patient into getting a bridge, despite knowing it is not the best treatment option. In the end, Vo acts ethically by explaining the situation to his patient and placing only the implant.

“Our students are talented and ambitious,” said Dr. Al Wilder, Assistant Dean for Admission and Student Affairs. “Honors like these demonstrate their dedication to providing quality patient care locally and globally with high ethical standards.”