A tour de force in change
A great privilege is how outgoing Department Head Ellen Frandsen Lau characterises her six years at the helm of the Department of Dentistry.
News winds are literally blowing for newly departed Department Head Ellen Frandsen Lau. Her large executive office has been replaced with a smaller version, characterised by being already fully furnished when she moved in. The previous resident had even included a table fan in the inventory, and this is now working overtime to create a little breeze in the south-facing office.
Ellen Frandsen Lau left her position as department head on 1 August after six years. In her farewell email to the department’s staff she described the years as turbulent, but also fantastic and rewarding.
“Grateful is the word that covers my emotions most precisely. I am very grateful to have been allowed to lead such a dedicated group of staff. I think they can be really proud of the results they have presented despite all the changes, renovation projects and cutbacks," says Ellen Frandsen Lau.
High demands made of staff
Ellen Frandsen Lau’s period as department head was characterised by the major renovation of the School of Dentistry, which is the reason why the school can today welcome students to ultra-modern clinical facilities, new training laboratories, a comprehensive research laboratory and well-equipped lecture halls.
Organisational changes were also made during this period in the form of centralisation of the administration, particularly in 2014, which will be remembered for the tough budget cutbacks. There have been duties and events which have placed high demands on both management and staff.
"I am not going to claim that the department has benefited from the harsh period with cutbacks, but I am pleased with the understanding and cooperation that these demands were met with. Today, now we are on the other side of all this, I can note that the department has a stable economy, which is a good sign for the future.”
Dentists must delegate tasks
The same applies to the students, according to Ellen Frandsen Lau. She has worked to ensure that the degree programme to a high degree prepares the coming dentists for the reality they will meet after they graduate. Dentists are no longer one-man-armies.
"In the future, dentists must be the specialist who masters the biologically based comprehensive view of diagnostics and treatment of patients. They are also the person who carries out the complicated treatments. The other tasks such as prevention and the like should be delegated to the other disciplines. This is what is taking place in the other parts of the healthcare system and dentists must also be able to match this," says Ellen Frandsen Lau.
She is now returning to a position as associate professor specialising in periodontal microbiology with teaching and research time. And she is looking forward to all of it.
"I love teaching. Being together with the young people gives you energy and life and I am looking forward to working in my field of expertise and to being a colleague again.”