The Australian Dental Association New South Wales branch (ADA NSW) is the peak body for dentists in NSW and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). It provides world-class education and training to support the growth of dentistry careers at every stage—from students, recently graduated dentists and early-career dentists to dentistry practitioners, dentist practice owners and retirees.
In an interview, we sat down with three leaders from ADA NSW:
- Jae Redden, chief executive officer (CEO)
- Dr Cathleen Dong, clinical education principal and board director
- Claire Schifter, CPD manager
We explored ADA NSW’s evolving approach to continuing professional development (CPD) and how the association is leaning into hybrid, on-demand approaches to deliver learning tailored to each stage of a dental professional’s career.
What are the current challenges for the association?
The biggest challenges ADA NSW is up against will sound familiar to many associations. As Redden explains, “It’s all about staying relevant and connected to members and communicating our value to them.”
The quality of its programmes is something ADA NSW takes great pride in—and for good reason. In addition to building robust online education spaces that include digital dentistry practices, the association also has an advanced training centre that enables hands-on delivery, patient demonstrations and other learning opportunities. “We’re comprehensive in what we can provide. I’m comfortable saying we have the widest range of CPD courses being offered, and they’re always taught by subject matter experts who are specialists in their field,” says Dong. Schifter adds, “It’s an exciting opportunity for us to be at the forefront and be able to support our members as we move into a more digitized world of dentistry.”
Although there isn’t another association that vies directly with ADA NSW for member share, that doesn’t mean it’s immune to competitive threats. It just means that—as is the case for many associations—more competition is coming from more non-traditional sources. “We’re not the only place to get education,” says Redden. “Learners may feel that they can get their needs met in a variety of ways rather than by coming to a one-stop shop like us, so we need to demonstrate our value at all times.”
As a peak industry body, we’re invested in ensuring that our members have access to up-to-date information and see us as a credible source. That trust they place in us is translated into the value that keeps them on board.Claire Schifter CPD manager, ADA NSW
How is ADA NSW driving member engagement?
Supporting members throughout their careers
Delivering a great member experience (MX) is crucial for associations because it’s what keeps members invested, involved and committed over the long term. In the Association Sector Digital Trends Report 2024, improving the MX was the top reason associations said they were pursuing digital transformation initiatives. Having the right technology can be a game changer, but truly understanding members’ wants and needs is fundamentally important to being able to offer experiences that meet them where they are.
“We segment our members into students, recent graduates, early-career dentists, practice owners and retirees,” says Redden. “We can then tailor our courses, services and benefits to reflect each group’s needs.” “That variety is one of our biggest assets,” Schifter adds. “We cover everything from clinical courses and practice management to interpersonal, leadership and communication skills.”
As an example, Schifter explained how the association supports dentists who are at retirement age and exiting their practice by helping them put the foundations in place to hand over a business and make sure that after a long, successful career, they’re also looking after themselves as they move onto a new chapter of their lives. “It’s not just being there with the simulation model and a drill in hand,” she says. “It’s the whole person and business experience.”
Meeting the needs of younger members
As workforce demographics change, younger members are coming to represent a growing share of membership for many associations. The hurdle is often that prospective younger members don’t necessarily have the same affinity towards associations. The opportunity is that they still want the career growth that joining an association can provide—they just want it on their terms.
Our challenge is to drive engagement amongst the digitally native younger members as they progress through their careers, as well as to connect more with all our members.Jae Redden CEO, ADA NSW
“We see younger members moving into online spaces and wanting learning to be more flexible, personalised, relevant and on demand,” says Dong. “The ideal outcome is that we see further engagement and create a stickier point, so that we get more engagement both digitally and in person. It’s a big undertaking, but we want to continue to grow that relationship with our members that we’ve built over the years.”
Increasing access to education
One of the limitations associated with face-to-face training can be the travel required. Especially for members who don’t live close to a training centre, participating in CPD can mean taking time away from their jobs and families and incurring transit and lodging costs.
Schifter explains how this impacts ADA NSW and its members. “We have a large population of dentists from across a vast state. If they’re eight hours away from Sydney, it’s not necessarily feasible for them to attend lengthy in-person training. Doing coursework online enables them to prepare in advance so that when they’re with us in person, they can participate more fully, have a more well-rounded experience and go home with tangible learnings they can use in their practice.”
Offering blended or hybrid learning experiences is also about continuing conversations and deepening engagement with members. “We hope that digital spaces can offer pathways for people to continue to engage with our association outside of traditional, in-person events,” says Dong. “It’s the ability to share relevant announcements, be a reliable point of contact and create a platform that makes CPD more convenient for our members.”
Where is ADA NSW in its digital transformation journey?
Incorporating digital CPD offerings isn’t about supplanting in-person courses. Especially in a field like dentistry, these will always be popular among members keen to enhance their practical, hands-on skills. Instead, it’s about adding to them—making education more convenient, personalised and relevant for members and helping them shape CPD around their professional and personal lives.
Our objectives in creating a hybrid system are to offer more modes of learning and, expand our existing courses and aid in members’ continuous learning. We can’t teach dentistry completely online, but we can augment what we have to make the experience more convenient for members.Dr Cathleen Dong clinical education principal and board director, ADA NSW
“We’re launching new initiatives to enhance engagement and expand our digital footprint. D2L Brightspace will help us track behaviour, personalise learning and stay at the forefront of dental education,” says Redden. “Our goal is to meet members where they are—digitally and professionally.”
What’s next for ADA NSW?
For ADA NSW, the focus of the future is on investing in approaches that will make CPD more relevant, flexible and convenient to better serve members throughout their careers. “We’re looking at creating a natural progression through tiered learning paths, for example. Rather than having someone pick their next topic at random or determine what course they need, we can develop pathways to help them come to a decision based on their needs,” says Schifter.
Says Redden, “This is really the next level of elevation for us. We’re looking forward to the next level of the journey that we’ve embarked on.”
ADA NSW isn’t just keeping pace with change—it’s actively shaping the future of dental education in Australia. Its dedication to innovation, accessibility and lifelong learning will help ensure the association remains a trusted, relevant and forward-thinking leader in representing its members and the profession.
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