Students Share Experiences from China Externship
On Tuesday, April 7, 2015, Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) DMD 15 students Michelle Darocha, Michael Lee, Derek Leung, and Keely Matheson gave a well-attended presentation to the GSDM community about their three-week International Externship Exchange Program to three world-renowned institutions for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) located in China.
The September 2014 trip included an exchange program with the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Stomatology in Shanghai, The Fourth Military Medical University School of Stomatology in Xi’an, and the Peking University School of Stomatology in Beijing. The students spent one week in each city, of which five days were spent observing clinical cases and two days were spent touring the surrounding communities.
Administrative Coordinator for Global & Population Health Ms. Elizabeth Anatori accompanied the students on the externship and served as the GSDM program leader.
For their presentation to the GSDM community, the students described their unforgettable trip and the cultural experiences they were exposed to. They observed a variety of clinical cases such as cleft palate surgery and surgeries that focused on regenerative and reconstructive procedures on patients with advanced head and neck cancers. They also had the opportunity to observe a surgical case performed by the Dean of the Peking University School of Stomatology in Beijing, Dr. Chuan-bin Guo.
Keely Matheson summed up her experience by saying, “What drew me to apply for the China externship was the idea of seeing how dentistry is practiced on the other side of the world. What I found was not only an incredible diversity of procedures and techniques, but ultimately a quality of care that resembled our own.” She continued, “With a population of 1.3 billion, and the hospitals we visited being hubs for their respective regions, I expected chaos! But what I found was an incredibly organized system that handled the volume of patients exceedingly well. What really blew me away was the devotion of the students and surgeons to their work and how efficiently they worked together as an operating team.”
“Looking back, there was something magical that happened during those three weeks” said Derek Leung. He continued, “My clinical acumen has been honed, and my colleagues with whom I have shared this journey have become dear friends. It was an adventure that has shaped my character and my career. For that, I am eternally grateful.”
Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter commended the students and the entire faculty and staff from Global & Population Health, “I am pleased that another cohort of students from our School was able to have this unique clinical and cultural experience as we continue to expand the global presence of GSDM.” Dean Hutter also praised Dr. Lee Chou, Dr. Michelle Henshaw and Ms. Elizabeth Anatori for all of their hard work and effort in organizing the China Externship.
Read about earlier China externships and exchanges here, here, and here.
Photos of the presentation are available on Facebook and Flickr.