The UAB chapter of the Student Professionalism and Ethics Association (SPEA) is back with renewed energy and a clear mission to foster ethical decision-making and professional integrity in dentistry. While this marks a new chapter for the organization, it’s also a return to form: UAB SOD previously hosted an award-winning SPEA chapter, including a student who served as national president during the 2019-2020 term.
Now reorganized under a new slate of student leaders, the chapter is preparing for its first official meeting this fall. The executive board includes:
- President: Hanna Sepsick (D4)
- Vice President: Saman Ezadpanah (D3)
- Secretary: Maria Picado (D4)
- D4 Representative: Helen Gibson
- D3 Representative: Zach Sutton
- D2 Representative: Crystal Estrada
- D1 Representative: David Melcher
The chapter’s momentum coincides with the national SPEA Annual Session, which took place October 24-26 in Washington, D.C. Several UAB students attended to help spotlight the renewed chapter’s presence on the national stage.
SPEA is a student-driven organization dedicated to preparing future dentists to be not only excellent clinicians but also unwavering ethical advocates for their patients and the profession. Through case-based discussions, guest lectures, and workshops, the UAB chapter will offer a supportive forum for students to explore the complex ethical challenges they’ll face in practice.
In a profession where trust and judgment are central to patient care, the reorganized SPEA chapter will help students build the habits of thought that shape ethical practice.
“We’re excited to bring SPEA into focus again at UAB,” said Hanna Sepsick, D4 and chapter president. “Our goal is to create a space where students can talk openly about the ethical challenges in dentistry and grow into professionals who lead with integrity.”
That space complements what’s already built into the D.M.D. curriculum, where ethics and professionalism are considered a cornerstone – beginning with a dedicated Ethics in Dentistry course and continuing throughout all four years through case-based education, service and professionalism portfolios, clinical integration and professional development sessions, and faculty-guided clinical encounters with assessment and feedback. The school reinforces its commitment to ethics through a daylong program for D3 and D4 students – developed in partnership with leaders in organized dentistry across Alabama – and a dedicated Student Code of Ethics that promotes professionalism and guides ethical decision-making.
With more than 20 student organizations active at UAB School of Dentistry, including 10 with national affiliations, SPEA fits into a broader pattern of student leadership and professional engagement. That 2019–2020 term marked the second time a UAB student held the national presidency since the chapter’s founding.
What’s ahead feels less like a restart and more like a return to something that’s always mattered.