Dr. Gregory Stoute and BUVSDA Students Put Their Skills to Work on the MAC Van

Director of Minority Affairs Dr. Gregory Stoute, and Boston University Vietnamese Student Dental Association (BUVSDA) members, Cindy Tran DMD 11, Lucas Patrick DMD 11 and Linh Nguyen DMD 10, all took time out of their busy schedules to volunteer on the Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS) Foundation’s Mobile Access to Care (MAC) Van November 30. 

The MAC Van is a 38 foot long van with two fully equipped dental operatories containing a patient chair, X-ray equipment, a dental unit, and an intraoral camera.  The van is staffed by MDS employees and volunteers and provides dental screenings and basic treatment, including exams, x-rays, sealants, and fillings; all free of charge.  The mission of the MAC Van is to provide low-income children in Massachusetts with critical dental care that they may not have access to otherwise.

As a member of MDS, Dr. Stoute was interested in volunteering on the van and extended the offer to the dental students of BUVSDA.  During the volunteering, Nguyen acted as student dentist and Tran and Patrick acted as assistants. 

“It was a wonderful experience for us to be able to interact with the community and show BUGSDM’s dedication to community service,” said Tran. “I’m glad that there is an opportunity for student organizations at the school to be involved in these types of events.” Tran also mentioned that she, along with all the patients they treated that day, were impressed with the set up of the van and the level of care they were able to provide from the van.

Dr. Stoute also found the experience enjoyable and he looks forward to volunteering again.

“The best part of the day was witnessing the positive experiences the students were having as volunteers,” said Dr. Stoute.  “I hope to provide additional students with this opportunity in the upcoming year.”