Brisbane, 3 December 2021
Queensland dentists, Dr Lynda Richardson and Dr Kylie Pearce, have been awarded the 2021 Australian Dental Association Queensland Branch (ADAQ) and BOQ Specialist Dental Excellence Bursaries.
Dr Richardson from Varsity Smiles in Varsity Lakes and Dr Pearce from ABC Dentistry in Buderim will each receive $5,500 to put towards ADAQ Continued Professional Development (CPD) courses after being named the recipients of the bursary.
Now in its fifth consecutive year, the ADAQ and BOQ Specialist bursary program aims to recognise and reward dental practitioners who are committed to high quality learning by providing financial support for further professional development. There are two bursaries offered – the Practice Bursary awarded to an experienced dental practitioner to support the training and development of themselves and their team and the Emerging Practitioners Bursary awarded to dental practitioners with less than five years of work experience.
Emerging Practitioners bursary recipient and 2019 graduate Dr Richardson said that her university training was a great foundation on which to build, however, she knows that there is a lot of room to grow over the next few years.
“I am at the beginning of my career and building the foundations for a successful career requires me to continue to extend my knowledge and clinical skills. This bursary provides me with financial assistance to give me an opportunity to do this.
“Enhancing specific skills, particularly in the area of Endodontics, will ensure I am more confident with procedures and assist me to deliver high quality patient care.
“This bursary will allow me to prioritise my career, I can now build strong foundations by extending my knowledge and clinical skills, without having the stress of also worrying about other financial commitments.”
Fellow bursary recipient and owner of ABC Dentistry, Dr Pearce said that the benefits of the bursary to her practice are significant.
“This bursary gives me the freedom to explore areas of dentistry that I am interested in. It will also allow me to support my staff’s training and development needs, which will have a positive impact upon the practice.
“CPD has always been a priority for me. I feel a huge responsibility to every patient. That’s why I make sure my treatments and techniques are the best that are on offer.
“As a practice, we strive to provide practical dental care to our patients. We are purely motivated by improving their oral health and providing honest advice to families.”
ADAQ Immediate Past-President and bursary selection panel member, Associate Professor Alex Forrest AO said, “This year’s bursary recipients demonstrated an impressive commitment not just to their own continuing professional development, but also to developing their teams to deliver the highest quality care to their communities.”
BOQ Specialist’s Queensland State Manager, Mark Bartholomeusz, concluded, “BOQ Specialist has been working closely with dentists for over 30 years and during this time, we have continually seen the benefits and opportunities that ongoing upskilling and training not only brings to practices, but to the wider community.
“We are proud to partner once again with the ADAQ to recognise two outstanding recipients in Dr Richardson and Dr Pearce.
“As a recent graduate, Dr Richardson’s consistent commitment to her professional development in order to provide an exceptional level of care to her patients is commendable, making her a most deserving recipient of the Emerging Practitioners Bursary.
“Dr Pearce’s genuine passion for patient care, as well as her team-oriented approach to professional development, also makes her a very deserving recipient of this year’s Practice Bursary,” said Mr Bartholomeusz.
Dr Richardson and Dr Pearce will be profiled in ADAQ’s Dental Mirror as well as BOQ Specialist’s own ‘Best Practice’ magazine.
Media Enquiries
BOQ Group Media Relations
Tel: (07) 3212 3068
Email: mediarelations@boq.com.au
ADAQ
Jane Nettleton, Manager – Marketing, Membership and Engagement
Tel: (07) 3252 9866
Email: jane.nettleton@adaq.com.au
About BOQ Specialist
BOQ Specialist has been Australia’s leading financial services partner for medical, dental and veterinary professionals for over 30 years. Their distinctive range of personal and business banking products and services include everyday banking and savings accounts, credit cards, residential mortgages, car loans, practice purchase loans, equipment and fit-out finance, commercial and investment property loans. For more information, call 1300 160 160 or visit www.boqspecialist.com.au
About the Australian Dental Association Queensland Branch
The Australian Dental Association Queensland Branch (ADAQ) is the peak body representing the dental profession. We advocate for our members, and work with government and other bodies to develop oral health policy and resources which will provide for improved oral health of all Queenslanders. ADAQ supports the practise and development of dentistry in Queensland through the design, support and delivery of education and professional services to member dentists and dental students. Further information: www.adaq.org.au