International Externship Takes GSDM Students to Guatemala
From January 8–19 and 15–26, 2015, two groups of students and faculty from Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) travelled to Poptún, Guatemala. Set in the rural foothills of the Maya Mountains, this small agricultural town was the location of their international elective externship trip, directed by the non-profit organization Liga International. Also known as “The Flying Doctors of Mercy”, the organization brings volunteers to impoverished areas, such as Poptún, to provide free health care to the community. Since more than half of Guatemala’s population is living in poverty, and it has one of the highest malnutrition rates in the world, the country’s citizens are in dire need of dental care.
After landing in Guatemala City, the volunteer group spent the first three days in Antigua. This former capitol city in the central highlands is known for its Spanish Baroque-influenced architecture and ruins of colonial churches. “The first few days in Antigua were the perfect welcome to Guatemala. It was a beautiful city to explore and we were able to spend time getting to know each other before starting our work,” said Linda Linsinbigler DMD 15. “We ate the local cuisine, took a guided tour of the city, and hiked the Pacaya volcano.”
Following their immersion into Guatemalan culture, a small bus drove the crew seven hours northeast to Poptún, a rural town located in a humid rainforest region where the temperature ranged from 60 to 80 degrees fahrenheit. There, a makeshift dental clinic was set up in the back classrooms of a church—one room was used for operative procedures and another for oral surgery. Tools consisted of two high-speed hand pieces—one with a water spray—and a couple of air water syringes. In addition, there was a waiting area outside, an area for triage, and another room for steam sterilization. Poor lighting and an absence of suction devices posed a challenge for procedures. “It was good to learn about how treatment plans needed to differ according to the people, their lifestyles, and what they have available to them,” said Emma Amal Lattouf DMD 15. “With such limited means we had to change the way we are trained to think, in order to prolong and improve the health of their teeth.” The students quickly adapted to their new work environment, and with the help of a few church volunteers during their five day stay, they treated numerous patients ranging from pediatric to geriatric.
“This experience has taught me to think on my feet and work in suboptimal conditions,” said Linsinbigler.” It also developed my decision-making skills when deciding whether or not a tooth can be saved.” Lattouf reported that the majority of the extractions were severely broken down and carious teeth, and that most of the operative restorations were bulls-eye lesions and really deep occlusal caries.
“I did 83 extractions—this doubled my experience,” said Andrew Soule-Hinds DMD 15, who reported that his group saw 286 cases, consisting of about 400 extractions and about 100 fillings. “Working with Dr. [Thomas] Kilgore was amazing; I learned a tremendous amount.”
Josh Williams DMD 15 echoed this sentiment. “It was amazing to work one-on-one with Dr. Kilgore who gave me so much advice and help beyond what I could have received at school,” he said.
In general, Linsinbigler felt that patient education should be a larger part of the mission trip in order to make a bigger difference in the lives of the community members. “Education is the most important step in achieving optimal oral health,” she said. “If a patient doesn’t understand why oral hygiene is important, and how oral health is connected to overall health, the patient will not participate in oral hygiene practices.”
Following Poptún, the groups got a further taste of Guatemalan culture with a two-night stay in Flores, a town of pastel-colored buildings located on an island on Lake Petén Itzá. On a day-trip to the popular destination of Tikal, they explored the ancient Mayan ruins featuring five pyramids that soar above the jungle floor.
As the students now reflect on their time in a land so vastly different from the world of GSDM, they concur that it was a very worthwhile externship. “I would recommend it to any student who wants more experience, and is ok ‘roughing-it’ a little bit,” said Soule-Hinds. Williams plans on taking many more mission trips during his dental career, and Linsinbigler appreciated the opportunity to both treat patients in the clinic and learn about the country.
“I would 100% recommend this trip to a third-year student,” she said. “I really learned a lot and this experience has helped to shape me into a better clinician. It was so rewarding to provide a service to those who would otherwise not be able to receive dental treatment.”
“I’m very pleased that many students, along with alumni, faculty and staff, participated in this exceptional externship to provide dental care to those in need,” said Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter.
Students and faculty on the January 8–19 service mission were: Director of Global Initiatives in the Department of Global & Population Health Kathy Held, Professor in the Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Dr. Thomas Kilgore, Jasnoor Mann DMD 15, Andrew Soule-Hinds DMD 15, Anne Tran DMD 15, and Josh Williams DMD 15.
Students and alumni on the January 15–26 service mission were: Kevin Acone DMD 07, Ingy Alhelawe DMD 15, Christina Donnelly DMD 13, Justine Karanian DMD 15, Amal Lattouf DMD 15, and Linda Linsinbigler DMD 15.
Photos are available on Facebook and Flickr.