Lasting Impressions | Fall 2017

NSU COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE © 19 18 © NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY Student Impressions For the seventh year in a row, the WLSL has inspired worldwide participation. Records were broken during the summer 2017 event when 40,298 participants at 641 host locations in 24 countries around the world jumped into pools. The number of participants was up 6 percent from 2015, and the number of host locations grew 33 percent. South Florida had 279 participants in the pool at The Swim Academy, along with Camp Sagemont and the Chesterbrook Academy, Smith said. In addition, there were 15 to 20 volunteers, 20 swim instructors and lifeguards, and 30 to 40 camp counselors, teachers, and firefighters. Since its debut, the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson has consistently set Guinness World Records . In 2014, there were 36,564 participants in 22 countries. During 2016, in- volvement jumped to 38,170 participants in 22 countries. “Each year, we have broken our own record and landed our- selves in the Guinness World Records ,” said Smith, presi- dent of the CDM’s Psi Omega Dental Fraternity chapter. The water has long been a part of Smith’s life, from wakeboarding and spearfishing to varsity swimming and water polo. For the past six years, he has worked as a lead swim instructor for The Swim Academy in Weston. Two years before starting at NSU’s College of Dental Medicine, he had worked his way up to being the company’s general manager, overseeing the aquatics programs for three schools in South Florida. This position put him on track to organize and emcee the WLSL. “I think we have a great opportunity as dentists to really make a difference in people’s lives,” said Smith, who is a class of 2020 D.M.D. candidate. “Not only by providing oral care and education to the community, but also by restoring someone’s confidence through their smile. I am looking forward to the opportunity to travel the world on medical outreach trips to help those who cannot afford or don’t have access to proper oral health care.” Growing up in a family of physicians has prepared Smith for his career. “I was able to regularly observe how reward- ing the doctor-patient relationship is. I have always had a passion for helping others, and combined with a love of working with my hands, a career in dentistry was the next natural step” he said. “I love being able to give people the confidence to hold their head up high and smile.” Ryan finds a correlation between the WLSL and his career plans. “Putting together the WLSL has helped me develop the qualities and skills I will be able to use during my future dental career—whether it be building relationships with patients, managing my office staff, or educating the commu- nity on oral care,” he explained. “I have no doubt my past experiences have helped shape me into the dental profes- sional I hope to be. I’d say I feel the most confident as a leader only after the event is completed and everyone is out of the water and home safely.” Visit wlsl.org for more information. u Swim Instructor/Dental Student Pools His Skills BY OLINE H. COGDILL Second-year dental student Ryan Smith has helped organize and emcee the South Florida compo- nent for the World’s Largest Swim Lesson for the past two years. When second-year dental student Ryan Smith is not in the CDM Simulation Lab or studying about procedures, look for him in a swimming pool, or in the Guinness World Records . For the past two years, Smith has helped organize and emcee the South Florida component for the World’s Larg- est Swim Lesson (WLSL)—a promotional event designed to build awareness and generate local and national media attention about the importance of teaching children to swim to help prevent drowning. It is the second-leading cause of unintended, injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “What’s exciting about the WLSL event is that so many organizations and individual aquatic facilities come together to make it happen. The cause being ‘Swimming Lessons Save Lives,’ which is the official motto and educational goal of the event,” Smith said.