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Flipping hamburgers to pay the rent and stock the fridge, to the detriment of their studies, will hopefully be a thing of the past for some dental students, thanks to an Assistance Fund being financed generously by the Western Australian Dental Foundation.

A total of $500,000 will be endowed for the WADF Assistance Fund and it is expected that up to $25,000 annually will be available to help dental students in financial difficulties and to facilitate projects and activities within the School of Dentistry. These projects can have a wide range of focus and may include special equipment or travel support for a postgraduate or undergraduate student presenting a paper at a conference or attending a symposium.

Clinical Associate Professor Albert Tan, recently elected as Chair of the WA Dental Foundation, said there were some dental students in need who would otherwise have to do paid work during their arduous degree and this could adversely affect their studies.

“It is based on the well established medical model of helping students,” he said. Last year, one dental student was working so many hours in a restaurant that he had little time to study and needed to repeat the year.

The WADF was established in 2003 by UWA dental graduates and aims to provide support to the School of Dentistry through a range of activities such as professional development opportunities for dentists, enhanced study experience for students and fundraising projects.

Clinical Associate Professor Tan said the WADF was also keen to embark on a special project to raise $120,000 over the next year for the establishment of a scholarship for a student entering dentistry through the Outer Metropolitan Program. This program is part of the Aspire program and actively encourages academically able students from areas under-represented in higher education to consider a career in dentistry.

Dr Tan announced the establishment of the Assistance Fund and scholarship project at a “thank you” event hosted by the Foundation and Office of Development last month to acknowledge the generous and ongoing support of the WADF Fellows and members over the years. It was attended by 45 of the 235 donors.

Dr Terry Pitsikas, immediate past chairman of the WADF, who was also the inaugural chairman, was thanked for his outstanding contribution to the WADF. Without his enthusiasm and determination, the WADF would not have been established for the benefit of dental education at UWA and future generations of students at the University.

For information about the WADF Outer Metropolitan Scholarship Program, please contact Ms Fabienne Vonarburg on 6488 4211 or email [email protected]