 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
ABOUT US
BUDSS is the oldest and largest dental student society in the UK! Membership of BUDSS is open to all students of the School of Dentistry – society members include Dentistry, Dental Hygiene and Therapy, and Biomedical Material Science students. With students from each of the courses acting as representatives on the committee.
Academic staff, clinical staff at the Birmingham Dental Hospital and Birmingham Dental School Alumni are amongst the non-student members. The committee is elected each year at the AGM, with representatives from each student year. BUDSS also receives staff input from the ‘Staff President’ and ‘Staff President Elect’.
Members of BUDSS represent dental students on committees within the School of Dentistry; for example, Staff-Student Liaison Committee, as well as the Curriculum Development Committee. BUDSS members represent both the university and the society on many large scale platforms. For example, BUDSS members act as delegates at the EDSA - European Dental Student Association Conferences.
Throughout the year we take part in many sporting events with BUDSS teams. For instance, playing in the British Dental Student Association’s National Sports Day - competing against all of the UK's dental school sports teams. With in excess of 500 students at 13 dental schools, the turn out is always impressive. BUDSS also competes in the Northern Dental Schools Sports Day, as well as entering teams into the University’s Intramural Leagues. Freshers’ Week events are organised by BUDSS each year to help integrate new students into University life. A variety of activities are planned and organised each year by BUDSS. These range from charity events, to the Annual Stratford Pub Crawl. With the highlight of the BUDSS social calendar each year being the Dental Ball, usually held in late winter.
Take a look at our blog entries below and click on the pictures to enlarge. For more pictures click on the 
icon below to go to the BUDSS facebook page.
BUDSS AGM + Goodbye from BUDSS Committee 2011-2012
This Thursday (17th May), the BUDSS AGM will be held in the AMLT at 12:30pm.
Please read on for more information about the committee positions.
Everyone this year went well beyond their job roles…remember just because you job title says one thing; you’ll be expected to get involved with all aspects of the committee.
If you’re interested in running for a position please email back to slf968@bham.ac.uk with your name (and your preferred name on voting ballot) by 12pm Wednesday 16th.
Web Admin: Patrick Stewart and Vinson Yeung
Patrick was tasked with looking after and updating the BUDSS Facebook account. This was a great role as he got to be involved with all the social activities, setting up events and sending out information, and offered the chance to share in all the highlights of the events from a variety of people. It is a fantastic role to be in, the best part being the fact that it allows you to contact students from all years. To which end this position is recommended to any sociable person, who wants to get involved with BUDSS!
Vinson was tasked with redesigning the BUDSS website. The site now operates as a blog page, to keep you updated with all things BUDSS-related. He went above and beyond; getting stuck in at every opportunity, be it hustling raffle prizes for the ball, or meeting prospective students on interview dates - he never fails to entertain.
Sports Reps: Funmi Oluwajana, Hussam Lone, and Jaipal Dhillon.
From staff-student football, to teams representing Birmingham nationally at BDSA sports day – the sports reps have had the tasks of organising training sessions, team trials and performing competitively.
Publicity Reps: Sachin Basandrai and Roshni Arora
This year, Roshni and Sachin made sure every event was beautifully promoted around DH. As well as this, Sachin renewed BUDSS with a brand new logo, which was so awesome it has graced the front of t-shirts, the website, cupcakes and been carved into an ice sculpture! This is a really fun position for anyone with an eye for design.
Ents Reps: Rakshini Ravindran and Devan Raindi
Throughout the year, the ents reps liaise with businesses and promoters in Birmingham to get the best venues for events and bar crawls and discounted drinks deals for BUDSS members. If you’re a fun, social and outgoing person this is the job for you.
Guild Rep: Georgina White
This year we will be replacing the role of Guild Rep, with that of Sponsorship Rep.
As well as using the proposal to raise funds and find new companies to support BUDSS, you’d be expected to liaise with our existing sponsors, who are large multinational organisations. This year the responsibility for sponsorship was handled by BUDSS chair who sought funds for every event to reduce the costs to BUDSS members, so this is a very active position.
Treasurer: Sharon Dhariwal
Sharon worked as if every event was an ‘Apprentice’ challenge… and there is no way she would have been ‘fired’. This role involved managing our accounts, determining event budgets, keeping a close track of income and expenses. The role requires you to work closely with the BUDSS Chair.
Secretary: Yuki Stewart
This is one of the most important jobs in BUDSS. You maintain the smooth running of BUDSS by keeping everyone organised and informed. Being a large committee group, across all years, this wasn’t an easy job, but Yuki did it fantastically. This role best suits someone super organised, and devoted to the job.
Vice Chair: Ameer Allybocus
This role is what you make it. You’ll be involved with all aspects of BUDSS be they academic or social. This role is well suited to an active and enthusiastic student, ready to support the committee in all aspects of BUDSS.
BUDSS Chair: Sarah Franks
As student chair, your job is to represent the student body with your involvement extending from the social arena to the academic, sitting on the Staff-Student Committee, and Curriculum Development Committee. Your involvement is year round - you’ll be asked to help out with open days for prospective students, and organise school tours for interview candidates. It’s an incredibly fun job too, from organising the biggest fresher’s fair to date, deciding on bar crawl themes, inducting the students at paintballing for minder-mindee and throwing the annual ball, there was a lot to keep busy with. Finding fun ways to engage with students and keep BUDSS fresh is key - for example this year’s free ball ticket competition, offering opportunities to review clinical books for publishers such as Elsevier and sharing opportunities that BUDSS presents by electing a dedicated EDSA rep. More than anything, the position is incredibly fun! And it really is a privilege. This role is best suited to someone incredibly dedicated to BUDSS.
BDSA Reps: Tanika Gohil and Deji Olaore
After five years representing BUDSS at the BDA, Tanika now concludes her tenure. Deji shall be graduating to the position of senior rep. So the position of Junior BDSA rep is now available. You’ll need to be available to travel to the BDA headquarters in London, organise a contingent of students to attend this year’s BDSA sports day in Manchester and the conference in Leeds. You’ll need a political awareness of current dental issues affecting students; including the higher education reforms, the NHS bursary, and changes to the DFT/VT scheme applications. As these issues mainly affect final year students we suggest the position would be best suited to a student in their clinical years. This position requires a continued commitment for two years, as you will take on the role of senior rep.
Cheese and Wine Evening
Althought slightly later that usual, Cheese and Wine will still be held this year in the hospital canteen where staff and students can pit their wits against each other for bragging rights in the hospital. Tickets cost a mere £5 and all profits will, again, go to Birmingham St. Mary's Hospice. There are only 120 available so hurry up quick to get your hands on one!
Birmingham students chosen to review new dental textbook
Back in November last year, Laura Moylan (BDS4) and Narina Evans (BDS3) were chosen by chance and won the opportunity to review the latest edition of Chestnutt and Gibson's - Churchill's Pocketbook of Clinical Dentistry.The editors at Elsevier had been in touch to offer BUDSS this brilliant opportunity. Narina here is pictured with the book fresh off the press. They won £50 and a free copy of the publication.
Annual Dental Ball
We held our carnival-themed ball at the Burlington Hotel this year and it was a hugely successful evening. We raised a healthy amount for Birmingham St. Mary's Hospice and will also look to add to that at the forthcoming Cheese and Wine event. As they say, "A picture paints a thousand words." (Click on the icons to magnify.)
Annual Dental Ball - 126th Edition
And the winners of the free tickets are:
- Maddy Bickley (4th Year BDS)
- Joanne Abiodone (1st Year BMedSci)
- Libby Unsworth (1st Year DHT)
- Hinna Irshad (3rd Year BDS)
- Dima Mobarak (2nd Year BDS)
Congratulations to these five lucky ladies - THEY SHALL GO TO THE BALL! For everyone else who proudly declared "I WANT TO GO TO THE BALL!", tickets can now be purchased via their year reps - menu choices will be available soon.
Annual Dental Ball
The New Year is approaching, meaning only one thing: Dental Ball. This year, it will be held at the beautiful Burlington Hotel in heart of Birmingham city centre. Our theme will be centred around carnivals - not much more to be said here, you will have to attend to find out! With one years' free gym membership, meals across Birmingham and an iPod among the charity raffle prizes - you could do worse than going to the Dental Ball on January, 28th. Tickets will be on sale soon, WATCH THIS SPACE!
Northern Sports Day: Toga Evening
Three hundred students braved the cold, to don their finest toga outfits for the Northern Sports Day evening entertainment. We were also joined by dental students from Bristol who joined us for their Engima Night. Draped in white cloth (and the occasional bedsheet), we partied along Broad Street. Thanks to the ents reps (Rakhshini and Devan) for organising some amazing drinks deals at Walkabout, Vodka Revs, and Risa! And many thanks to our sponsors at Gatecrasher for hosting a toga takeover.
BDSA Sports Day Sheffield
What links a bobsled, netball and over 500 dental students? BDSA Sports Day of course!
This year it was held in the beautiful city of Sheffield! Birmingham didn't excell on the pitch, however what we lacked in sports prowness we more than made up for in socialising on Friday and fancy dress on Saturday night! Our theme was athlectics, which allowed for many wide and crazy ideas! BDS 2 had the 118 118 brothers, the 4th year girls had athlectic barbies, the highlight however was the 4th year boys Jamaican Bobsled Team! This handmade costume and sled gained alot of attention all night!
This annual sports day never fails to impress! We will definitely be representing in the years to come!
Minder-Mindee Paintballing
Another successful year for Minder Mindee! This is our mentor event where we pair our new 1st years to a wise upper year! We did things a little differently this time round and went paintballing during the day. There was a fantastic turn out by all years involved and although it threatened to rain it quickly turned into a great day with lots of socialising, laughing and a few bruises!
We re-grouped at a local bar to get to know everyone the student way! Again a brilliant turn out, with most sporting the ‘Back to School Theme’. Here, the drink and conversation flowed into the night. When the time came many continued the party at a club in the city whilst others stayed, socialising into the early hours of the night. In short, a great time was had by all!
It was brilliant speaking to you all, and seeing so many students keen to join the dental fold. If you have any more questions, drop us a line - follow the Facebook link at the top of the page, message 'BUDSS Birmingham' and we'll get back to you.
.png "Click to magnify.")
Good luck for results day, from BUDSS! You’ll be receiving your BUDSS fresher’s pack in the post soon, and we look forward to welcoming you all on board in September. BUDSS has an amazing year ahead planned, and we can’t wait for you to be part of it!
Birmingham School of Dentistry is proud to be hosting Northern Sports Day 2011. The committee has been hard at work and it’s set to be an amazing event! Birmingham is well known for its competitive edge, so as well as being great hosts we hope to win a trophy or two. After all we have the titles as the UK's number one dental school to uphold: Best in UK - Guardian University Guide 2011, Top Dental School - The Complete University Guide 2011. We’ll be running trials for the BUDSS teams, in netball, football and mixed hockey. Watch this space for more details.
The fifth years were sent off in style with the Annual Leavers Stratford Bar Crawl. Over 300 dental students invaded Stratford, making it one of the biggest turn outs yet, with the students as always dressed to impress! The costumes always get bigger and better, with the theme of “Good vs Bad” interpreted in every way possible we saw Harry Potter vs Voldemort, coppers vs robbers, Batman vs The Joker.
BUDSS Chairman, Sarah Franks and Vice-President, Ameer Allybocus were kindly invited to the BDA head quarters in London for their Annual Council of Dental Society Presidents Meeting. Pictured here with BDSA President (front row centre left) and BDA Chief Executive, Peter Ward (front row centre right). It was an excellent opportunity to meet other Dentsoc members from all the dental schools across the UK. Giving the chance to network with other dental schools; share hints and tips; find out what works well for other dental societies; learn about the work of the BDA and how it can and does support you as students. The event was a great success, and a great deal was learnt - equipping the society with even more knowledge and skills that will be of benefit to the BUDSS committee 2011-2012, so we can serve the student body in the best way possible.
There have been many famous sporting rivalries throughout history, United – Liverpool, Barcelona – Real Madrid, Federer – Nadal, but none run as deep as the El Dentico... The staff-student football grudge match saw both sides aiming to bring the cup home to respective fans and earn the bragging rights for the year. The verbal sparring began early, and the students were there to cheer on their side and contribute to a great atmosphere! For the second year running the staff team were the victors, and proudly lifted the trophy at the presentation at Urban Village. Thanks to all those that took part and congratulations to BUDSS sports rep Hussam Lone, for organising an entertaining match.
The School of Dentistry
|Privacy|Accessibility|University contacts
