GSDM Students Present on International Elective Externship and Global APEX Experiences
During the 2015-2016 school year, 43 DMD students from Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) traveled to nine countries (for about a week at a time) to deliver dental care to people in need. The students were participating in GSDM’s International Elective Externship program and Global Applied Professional Experience (APEX) Program.
The students presented on their international externship experiences on Tuesday, April 26, 2016, to an audience of over 75 GSDM community members including Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter in classroom 301 of the School of Dental Medicine.
The International Elective Externship program provides fourth year dental students with an opportunity to go to developing countries to use their knowledge and the clinical skills that they have learned at GSDM. The Office of Global and Population Health (GPH) works closely with Non-Government Organizations (NGO) to ensure quality and educational experiences in global service.
One NGO that GSDM partners with is Dentistry for All (DFA), which is directed by Dr. Brad Krusky, DMD 97, and has a mission of “Changing lives through dental education, prevention, and corrective treatment.” Project Stretch, another NGO partner, shares a similar mission which is, “To provide sustainable, vital and preventive dental services to disadvantaged children in our own communities and abroad.”
While working under their preceptors’ guidance, it is hoped that through this experience, students will gain a greater appreciation for challenges and barriers that are faced in global oral health care delivery. In addition to becoming more well-rounded health professionals, they are building translatable skills and behaviors that strengthen their personal and professional commitment to care for vulnerable populations.
The program has been in place for 10 years at GSDM and the number of student volunteers during the 2015-2016 school year—40—is the highest number to date. Also during the 2015-2016 school year, five GSDM faculty members, one GSDM staff member, and 10 GSDM alumni also participated in GSDM’s International Elective Externship. The flights to and from the service locations are generously paid for by the GSDM DMD Alumni Fund.
The Global APEX Program is the newest GSDM International initiative, providing students who have completed their first year of dental school the opportunity to integrate and apply classroom learning in an international setting.
“Hearing firsthand, from the students’ perspective, how GSDM’s involvement in international electives provides our students with an opportunity to both make a positive impact on the oral health of our global community and enrich their dental education underscores the value of this program,” said Dr. Michelle Henshaw, Professor in the Department of Health Policy & Health Services Research, and Associate Dean for Global & Population Health. “It is especially gratifying to hear how the School’s long term commitment to our global partners is translating into improved oral health for the community and to see how many of our alumni who previously participated as students have transitioned to positions of leadership and mentored this year’s students.”
At the April 26 presentation, students from the various global service locations presented about their experiences in the countries that they served, and how these experiences have contributed to their dental education.
Jennifer Ng and William Nguyen reflected on their experience: “We honestly believe that we had an impact on the oral health of the community. People were lined up all day just to get a chance to be seen. We saw hundreds of patients a day and provided a service to a population that is severely underserved.”
They continued, “People dressed up nicely, just to come to the clinic and made it an event for the community. This trip was an eye opening experience to see how inaccessible medical and dental care is in the rural area that we worked. We are privileged to be living in America.”
Upon completion of the presentations, the audience viewed a video the GPH Office had created of the 2015-2016 International Elective Externship program, the following students were presented their Certificates of Achievement by Ms. Kathi Heldirector of Global Initiatives and
Assistant Professor in the Department of General Dentistry and Dean Jeffrey Hutter. The video can be viewed on GSDM’s Facebook.
Naomi La and JinJoo Lee volunteered with Dentists for Humanity in Haiti from August 1 to 8, 2016.
Assal Abdossalehi volunteered with Zion Care International in Jamaica from August 2 to 8, 2015. Photos from her externship experience can be found on GSDM’s Facebook.
William Nguyen and Jenny Ng volunteered with Cape CARES in Honduras from October 17 to 24, 2015. Photos from their externship experience can be found on GSDM’s Facebook.
Michelle Prieto and Idin Zhalehdoust Sani volunteered with Dentistry for All in Guatemala from October 21 to 2, 2015. Photos from their externship experience can be found on GSDM’s Facebook.
Luri Lee; Daniella Rizzo; Christopher Balaban; and Lindsey Nowland volunteered with NEVOSH in Panama from January 16 to 24, 2016. Photos from their externship experience can be found on GSDM’s Facebook.
David Lane volunteered with Jamaica Outreach Program in Jamaica from January 17 to 24, 2016.
Mary McClintock; Lana Le; Aaron Mertz; Casey Smauder; Sapana Thakore; Amanda Yip; Shelby Curtis; Andrea Lam; Matt Mara; and Oren Sudai volunteered with LIGA International in Guatemala from January 21 to February 1, 2016. Photos from their externship experience can be found on GSDM’s Facebook.
Kayla Cuddy; John Costello; and Michael Mayr volunteered with Superemos in Nicaragua from February 6 to 16, 2016. Photos from their externship experience can be found on GSDM’s Facebook.
Carol Patel; Charlotte Bigg; Shivani Patel; and Faraz Tartibi volunteered with Project Stretch in Mexico from February 27 to March 5, 2016. Photos from their externship experience can be found on GSDM’s Facebook.
Mohamed Bayoumy; Aisha Hakeem; Salman Khanani; and Nora Nakshabendi volunteered with Rio San Juan Relief in Nicaragua from February 27 to March 6, 2016. Photos from their externship experience can be found on GSDM’s Facebook.
Alyssa Peracchio Illig volunteered with Dentistry for All in Guatemala from February 17 to 29, 2016.
Steven Armbrust volunteered with Dentistry for All in Guatemala from March 2 to 14, 2016. Photos from his externship experience can be found on GSDM’s Facebook.
Ahmad Al Najjar; David Tran; and Syed Irfan Zaidi volunteered with Zion Care International in the Dominican Republic from March 22 to 28, 2016. Photos from their externship experience can be found on GSDM’s Facebook.
Alyssa Mazzoli volunteered with Cape CARES in Honduras from April 23 to 30, 2016
Alejandro Lander will volunteer with Jamaica Awareness Association of California in Jamaica in May, 2016.
Three students participated in the Global APEX Program.
Tien Do and Jeremy Nguyen participated in the APEX program in Vietnam working with East Meets West from May 22 to June 14, 2015. Photos from their global experience can be found on GSDM’s Facebook. To read about Tien Do and Jeremy Nguyen’s experience in Vietnam click here.
Nicholas Capezio participated in the APEX program in Nicaragua working with Superemos from November 21 to November 28, 2015. To read about Capezio’s time in Nicaragua click here. Photos from their externship experience can be found on GSDM’s Facebook. Read about Nicholas Capezio’s experience in Nicaragua here.