The intercollegiate undergraduate student research conference, Fathom 3.0, was organized by SCGDCHN on Thursday, August 8, 2024 at Government Dental College & Hospital Nagpur, as part of the scientific programme of the annual social gathering “UTSAV-24.” The event was inaugurated in the morning at the hands of Dean Dr. Abhay Datarkar and SCGDCH General Secretary Miss Kashak Jain. The scientific research conference, Fathom 3.0, was inaugurated at the hands of Dr. Vikas Mahatme, the chief guest, and Dr. Satish Wate, ex-director of NEERI and president of “VIBHA,” along with Dr. Prakash Joshi, Director of AIIMS Nagpur, who was present as a guest of honour.
Dr. Vikas Mahatme encouraged students to adopt a holistic approach to research projects. Dr. Satish Wate urged students to expand their research by collaborating with other fields such as engineering and offered assistance from VIBHA for research projects. Dr. Prakash Joshi was impressed by the students’ enthusiasm and expressed interest in conducting future research conferences at AIIMS Nagpur. He also guided the students, emphasizing that research should ultimately benefit society. Dr. Datarkar discussed the contributions of GDCH Nagpur to the field of research, while Dr. Rakesh Bahadure explained the complete program schedule of UTSAV-24. Dr. Shubhangi Wate reviewed the journey from Fathom 1.0 to Fathom 3.0.
The conference saw participation from approximately 440 delegates, including 35 scientific papers, 55 scientific e-posters, and 22 tabletop presentations. Students from six different dental colleges and one engineering college participated in the conference. During the scientific session, Dr. Ritesh Kalaskar, Dr. Abhay Datarkar, and Dr. Harshvardhan Arya delivered keynote lectures on various topics related to dental research and innovations. The aim of the conference was to promote research innovations and collaboration in dental education. Dr. Vaibhav Karemore and Dr. Sachin Khatri made diligent efforts to ensure the conference’s success. Dr. Shubha Hegde, Dr. Vaishali Sarve, Dr. Deepak Khade, Dr. Pooja Rasal, Dr. Mansi Joshi, Dr. Mansi Wadekar, Dr. Ranu Ingole, and Dr. Kartika worked hard to ensure the smooth conduction of the conference. The 2019 intern batch and students from all years contributed significantly to organizing the event. The masters of ceremony were Mr. Bhavesh Purohit and Miss Radhika Dhoke.