Why me?
Kia ora koutou katoa! My name is Michelle Cronje and I am running for President for 2025.
You might know me as ‘that girl from the Dent Revue’. I’ve spent 6 years in Dunedin—because apparently one degree wasn't enough—completing a BSc before diving into Dentistry.
I’m all about striking the perfect study-life balance (although some weeks, it’s more study than life, let’s be real). Between sim clinics, patient clinics, lectures, and exams, it can feel like everything’s piling up faster than a stack of unwashed scrubs.
I’ve been involved with the dental school since BDS2. I have volunteered in community events such as the Tertiary Open Day to promote Dentistry, the Women in Health Network Interview Intensive, and the Teddy Bear Hospital. For the last two years, I’ve been a main character in the Dent Revue to bring drama and dental humour to life. I have also gone on the Dent Hike every year and participated in the (not so) social netball team since 2nd year. My aim as president is to connect and foster close knit communities.
What change would I bring?
I want to foster a tight-knit student community with a strong focus on emotional wellbeing—because dentistry isn’t just about teeth; it’s about staying sane while dealing with teeth. In collaboration with the Auckland Rep and Publications Rep, I plan to introduce year group handovers and survival guides, featuring video diaries and a 'need-to-know' PDF created by students for students.
This initiative will include all BDS cohorts (including those going to Auckland), as well as DTech and BOH cohorts. Furthermore, I have connected with lecturers and tutors - Carolina Loch, Karl Lyons, Ruth and Maddie Homan to offer their own personalised talks on emotional wellbeing. They will share their experiences, including how they ground themselves, how they manage a work-life balance, and navigate their own emotional wellbeing journeys.
Lastly, I would like to propose a ‘Dentistry Through The Ages’ seminar series where we can learn about the improvements and changes that have occurred in Dentistry throughout the years. Lastly and very importantly, I endeavour to bring a toastie machine to the common room, because Dunedin is cold so the least I can do is help make things toastie xx
Vote Michelle for President!
If you forgot what I just said, I've outlined it again below for you.
Things I've done to connect communities:
- Tertiary Open Day volunteer to promote Dentistry
- Women in Health Network Interview Intensive volunteer
- Teddy Bear Hospital subgroup lead
Events I've participated in at the Faculty of Dentistry:
- Dent Revue
- Dent Hike every year
- Interfaculty Netball and Basketball tournaments
- Weekly social netball
