King's College London

King's welcomed over 600 students from dental schools across the UK for the action-packed weekend which was made possible thanks to the hard work of an incredible organising committee, consisting of 2nd to 4th year FoDOCS students, led by Leena Soltan BDS3.

The weekend kicked off with a warm welcome from the Executive Dean, Professor Michael Escudier, setting the tone for two days of inspiring lectures delivered by an impressive lineup of national and international speakers. Among them were King’s very own Professor Kathy Fan and Dr. Risha Patel, as well as esteemed alumni Dr. Angela Auluck, Dr. Amit Patel, and Dr. Farzeela Rupani. Between these speakers, they covered the vast range of topics in areas of maxillofacial surgery, endodontics, orthodontics, implantology, and periodontics. For the first time in BDSA history, there were also speakers from Portugal and Australia that joined the lineup, further enriching the conference with their knowledge and different perspectives.

The second day of the conference featured the highly anticipated return of the Research Summit, overseen by Professor Abigail Tucker and Dr. Sadia Niazi from the faculty, adding another dimension to the event’s success.

In addition to the engaging lectures and research discussions, the conference offered plenty of opportunities for socialising and networking. A T-shirt party at Sway started the weekend right, allowing students to get acquainted with one another before the conference officially began. This night featured special guests from the Apprentice cast, including DJ Virdi and Dr. Paul Midha. With each university in a different coloured shirt, it was great to break the ice and catchup with students from across the country. Following a day filled with learning, delegates embarked on a memorable journey along the Thames aboard the Dixie Queen Charter, with the iconic Tower Bridge arches rising in salute to the occasion. With every university dressed as different tube station, it was the perfect way to interact and meet people in a guessing of stations.

The weekend culminated with a spectacular “Greatest Showman” themed ball, where students, speakers, sponsors, and faculty came together to celebrate the success of the weekend. From the exquisite decor to the outstanding singing, dancing and acrobatics entertainment, the ball provided a fitting finale to an unforgettable weekend of networking and learning. With a three course meal, game stalls, two chocolate fountains, candy floss, popcorn and magic mirror photobooth, there really was so much to do. Amongst all the fun, we also managed to raise close to £1000 for Dentaid, a wonderful charity whose mission is to provide dental care and oral health advice to under-served communities in the UK and overseas.

Overall, the King's BDSA Conference 2024 was a resounding success, thanks to the hard work and dedication of the organising committee, speakers, sponsors, suppliers and attendees. It provided a platform for dental students to expand their knowledge, forge connections, and create lasting memories, reaffirming the importance of collaboration and community within the dental profession.