Melbourne, 2 September 2019
A Yarra Ranges dentist committed to ongoing professional development has been awarded the inaugural Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch (ADAVB) BOQ Specialist Recent Graduate Bursary.
Dr Amy Thompson will receive $5,000 to put towards ADAVB CPD training courses after being named the recipient of the coveted bursary. Launched in July, the bursary aims to recognise and reward recent dental graduates who are committed to high quality learning by providing financial support for further professional development.
Graduating from La Trobe University in 2017, Dr Thompson then relocated to the Yarra Ranges district where she now shares her time between Inspiro, a community clinic in Lilydale and Your New Dentist, a private clinic in Mooroolbark.
Dr Thompson said she was “completely blown away” by the unexpected news that she had been awarded the bursary. “I received the news right before seeing a client so I had to take a moment to compose myself and stop my hands from shaking from excitement!”
Commenting on the bursary and how it will benefit her as a recent graduate, Dr Thompson said “The bursary will definitely help me to reach both my clinical and non-clinical goals sooner, and allow me to continue to absorb as many skills and as much knowledge as possible during these early formative years of my career.”
ADAVB President, Dr Gitika Sanghvi, said “We are delighted to offer the inaugural recent graduate bursary to Dr Thompson. She has shown incredible strength and commitment to both her work and her ongoing professional development, while at the same time promoting the importance of mental health and sharing her own personal experiences.”
“Dr Thompson has taken a broad approach to her learning, exploring a wide range of dentistry areas and overcoming difficult personal circumstances to create for herself a fulfilling career where she acknowledges there is always more to learn. Her openness to further development, her heartfelt commitment to her patients, and her quest for development of confidence and independence were qualities that were hard to look by,” said Dr Sanghvi.
BOQ Specialist CEO, Hugh Lander, concluded, “We are proud to partner with the ADAVB to recognise an outstanding recipient in Dr Thompson. The bursary not only marks the strength of our partnership, but our organisations’ commitment to supporting the next generation of dentists.”
“Having worked closely with dentists for over 25 years, we understand their career trajectory and the importance of training and upskilling in these formative years. We congratulate Dr Thompson for her unwavering commitment to quality learning and her genuine passion for the dental profession and the Yarra Ranges community which she serves. Dr Thompson’s focus on both her professional and personal development in order to deliver the highest level of care to her patients is admirable, and a great example to other young dentists,” said Lander.
Dr Thompson will be featured in ADAVB’s online and print publications as well as BOQ Specialist’s own ‘Best Practice’ publication.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Laura Travis
Marketing Manager - BOQ Specialist
t: 02 9293 2033
e: laura.travis@boqspecialist.com.au
Sophia Ljaskevic
Communications Manager - ADAVB
t: 03 8825 4600
e: sophia.ljaskevic@adavb.org
Note: It is a condition of registration as a health practitioner with the Dental Board of Australia, that dentists undertake 60 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) over three years.