Month: February 2012

My Business Cards Have Arrived! – Want Your Own?

Post author By Elias Almaz
Post date February 24, 2012
1 Comment on My Business Cards Have Arrived! – Want Your Own?

I got my business cards in! They look and feel great!

A TON of my friends have been asking me, “Elias, why would you need business cards?” Its pretty simple, WHY NOT? Business cards are cheap and effective and will make you stand out in a crowd. Imagine meeting a dentist at some conference, after a long and insightful conversation, you exchange business cards. Then Tom (a random pre-dental student I just made up) meets the same dentist and also has an insightful conversation, and as a result the dentist also gives Tom his business card, but Tom doesn’t have one to give back. Who do you think the dentist will be more impressed with and, as a result, remembered better? This scenario applies to many situation. It could even help during interviews for dental school!

Now you are probably asking, “Elias, where do I get my own business cards?” I bought mine from www.overnightprints.com for a ridiculously good price. There are many places to get them online, but I found a secret technique to getting great cards for cheap. I read a tip on the internet that recommended searching for the term “business cards” in google and to shop for prices using the ads displayed above the results. They have deals that they do not dare to advertise on the companies’ websites. You can refresh a few times and you might find a better deal from the same company, its all luck! For example, the 500 card deal for $8.45 from Overnight Prints (shown below) is on sale for $28.65 on their website. That is 70% OFF SALE PRICE. For once, google ads have been useful to me!

Here is an example search I just did:

Just make sure the business cards you order don’t have the printing company name on it (I’ve heard vistaprint is notorious for doing this, but I have not confirmed it myself). I know for sure Overnight Prints does not do that. Have fun making business cards!

Have a great weekend!

Advice Tips Website

New Logo, New Feature!

Post author By Elias Almaz
Post date February 21, 2012

Good morning!

I am excited to announce two new additions to the website!

I spent a few hours this week working on designing this website’s logo. My goal was to create a logo that expressed characteristics that symbolized the website and its dental related content. I was striving for something simple, professional, and also had some attribute of dentistry that could easily be recognizable. After selecting the colors and coming up with the design, I am excited to introduce the new logo for Almaz Dentistry! It is designed as a vector drawing which allows me to grow and shrink it to any size without distortion! I hope you guys like it!

I’d also like to introduce the feature Ask Elias. This is a Question & Answer system which allows you, the readers, to submit questions and get responses. Readers can ask anything they would like, dentistry related or not. Furthermore, I plan to compile the questions submitted (with the asker’s permission) into a FAQ section in order to help others find answers to the same questions later on. If it is personal, I will privately respond to it, so don’t hesitate to ask ANYTHING!

The form has its own own page titled “Ask Elias”. It can be found next to the home button at the top. The form is also posted here as an introduction!

[contact-form-7 id=”241″ title=”Ask Elias”]

Have a good week!

P.S. If you go to UC Irvine, please come out to our ASDA general meeting today at 5PM in SH 174!

Background Information Website

How Do I Know How to Make Websites? – My Technological Background

Post author By Elias Almaz
Post date February 17, 2012
2 Comments on How Do I Know How to Make Websites? – My Technological Background

Good afternoon pre-dental colleagues!

This weeks blog post is not answering the “Why Dentistry?” question I previously promised. I will be writing that one as soon as I get the chance to. It is MUCH more difficult to write than a regular post like this.

Since this blog is new, I ran into a few kinks along the way and have been working to get everything running smoothly. With the time I have been putting into building the back-end of this website, I figured it would be a good time to write a little background on how I acquired my website experience. I have been building websites since the beginning of high school, when I enrolled in a program called GBiT. At the time, GBiT was a revolutionary program that allowed me to do what ever I wanted by providing me with a blank slate and all the resources I needed. During the three years I spent in the program, I learned how to build and repair computers, solder hardware, write websites, code, etc. As a hobby of mine, I dove into as many technology fields as possible. I found the application of the skills I acquired to be challenging, fun, and ultimately useful in the near future. With the original program director and many highly skilled students, the program was nationally recognized and sponsored by Intel.

All throughout high school and college I have been given opportunities to work on numerous websites, mainly for small businesses in Sacramento. I have worked on several versions of websites for my high school (Granite Bay High), security companies, dentists, and a plumbing company. I also had the honor to design websites for NFL Madden 2010 and NCAA Football while working with Electronic Arts through the process. I have had my fair share of experience with websites and I am excited to finally be able to apply this experience to a project of my own in order to help others.

My technology hobby is part of my past and will always be part of my future!

I have spent this past week working on tuning the website so that it will run as smooth as possible and allow for much growth in the near future!

ASDA Background Information Dental Assistant Paul Binon Website

Welcome to Almaz Dentistry! Short Introduction

Post author By Elias Almaz
Post date February 12, 2012
No Comments on Welcome to Almaz Dentistry! Short Introduction

Good day!

Welcome to my blog! My name is Elias Almaz. I am a second year biological sciences student at University of California, Irvine. Home of the anteaters, ZOT ZOT! I wanted to start a blog to help pre-health students decide if dentistry is the right career for them. This is an important objective of mine since going into a profession as specific as dentistry means one is investing into a lifelong commitment. Such a commitment should have a driving force backed by passion. It’s important to remember that if this career is pursued, you will be working in the profession for two or three decades. As a member of the UC Irvine Dental Club ASDA, American Student Dental Association, as well as it’s treasurer, I have had the opportunity to mentor several pre-dental students here at UC Irvine to help them shape their reasoning for pursuing a career in dentistry. For those who are positive in their decision to become a dentist and are currently pre-dental students, this blog will provide much advice for ways to prepare for dental school and a future as a dentist.

As a second year in college, I have had the amazing privilege of working with Paul Binon, DDS, MSD, a prosthodontist and implant dentist in Northern California, who has been in the dental field for over thirty years. Dr. Binon has been my mentor for several years and has contributed a significant amount to my knowledge of dentistry . He is a member of several high caliber dental organizations like the American College of Prosthodontists, Academy of Osseointegration, and the Pacific Coast Society for Prosthodontics. Dr. Binon has taught and lectured throughout the world and has published over 50 scientific research and clinical articles relating to dental implants. I am truly thankful I have a once in a lifetime opportunity to get to know, work, and learn from Dr. Binon. His website has been one of my ongoing projects, and is an excellent resource for information about dental implants, dentures, crowns, and bridges. Please check it out if you are interested!

As for myself, I have worked as a Dental Assistant since 2009 and I have nearly 1,200 hours assisting chair side. In that time, I have had many eye opening experiences and have gained insight on what to expect when I take the role of a dentist in the near future. These experiences are what helped me come to the conclusion that dentistry is truly a passion of mine. The soul purpose of this website, Almaz Dentistry, is to share these experiences and documenting my journey to becoming a dentist.

I’d like to start the blog with a little background information about myself and how dentistry became my profession of choice. I would like to officially welcome you to Almaz Dentistry, a resource for all pre-dental students to explore their near futures. If there is anything in particular you would like me to talk about, please leave comments below and I would love to respond and help in any way I can.

Keep an eye out for a future post which will answer the most difficult question for a pre-dental student , “Why Dentistry?”

-Eli