Purvis Elected Student Professionalism and Ethics Association Speaker of the House in Dentistry

James Purvis, UNC School of Dentistry D.D.S. student, was elected as the Speaker of the House for the Student Professionalism and Ethics Association in Dentistry (SPEA). Purvis was elected to this position by the SPEA house of delegates in the fall of 2011 during the annual ADA meeting in Las Vegas, NV.

SPEA sends representatives to all national dental meetings so they can provide a consistent platform of ethical standards. The prevalence of these standards, the association hopes, will encourage individual schools to raise awareness and action about maintaining professionalism and high ethical standards. As Speaker of the House, Purvis will moderate these national meetings and host all formal debates which take place. His appointment is for the term ending in the fall of 2012.

“I was honored to be elected Speaker of the House for SPEA,” said Purvis. “I still struggle through my academic and clinical load like all of my colleagues – making plenty of mistakes along the way – but at the end of the day, I definitely feel called to serve in this capacity.”

SPEA is a student-run, national organization established to support a lifelong commitment to ethical behavior in order to benefit patients and the dental profession. The association began in 2007 as the Student Professionalism and Ethics Club at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry at USC. The original club sent start-up kits to other dental schools across the US and was eventually endorsed at all US dental schools by the American Student Dental Association, American College of Dentists and American Society of Dental Ethics. In 2010, the organization grew into a national organization and changed its name from club to association.