Millie Chung DMD 08 Completes 2007-2008 Grand Rounds

Millie Chung DMD 08 presented her Grand Rounds case on April 24 as part of the Updates in General Dentistry Conference, held the same day. Chung completed research for her presentation as part of 10-week externship rotation at United States Coast Guard Craik Medical Clinic in Yorktown, Virginia. She was the fourth and final Grand Rounds presenter for the 2007-2008 academic year. Professor and moderator of the session Dr. Carl McManama added, "The important thing to take from Millie’s case is that this is an excellent example of what we want all the students to strive for as they go into the clinic."

Chung told the large audience of faculty, staff, students, and APEX and externship preceptors, including her externship preceptor Dr. Maria-Paz Smith, that her 10-week rotation was a great experience and her first time getting a feel for what practicing independently was really like. "This experience definitely affirmed my career choice as a dentist," said Chung. "I believe I will look back on this as a pivotal moment of my career."

Chung’s case detailed treatment planning for a 63-year-old female with a broken tooth. After an initial exam she came up with a long list of orthodontic, endodontic, and surgical problems needing treatment but learned a valuable lesson when the patient did not wish to pay for the extensive treatment and had no interest in modifying her oral hygiene practices. Ultimately Chung recommended a simpler long-term plan, focusing on stabilization of the patient’s oral health and treatment of her chief complaint, the broken tooth.

Dean ad interim Dr. Jeffrey Hutter emphasized that Grand Rounds are a learning experience for everyone, which was witnessed at this session as various faculty members and conference participants asked and answered questions related to Chung’s case. Dr. Hutter added, "Ms. Chung did a wonderful job presenting to the large audience. Her case was both insightful and well researched and she brought the 2007-2008 Grand Rounds nicely to a close."