Betty Suh DMD 12 and Benjamin Pham DMD 12 Gain and Refine Skills in Honduras
Betty Suh DMD 12 and Benjamin Pham DMD 12 traveled to Azacualpa, Honduras from September 17 to 24, as part of a health mission organized by Medical Eye Dental International Care Organization (MEDICO). This was the first time GSDM students had participated in a MEDICO mission and they were both very impressed with how organized it was and the supplies that the team had available to them. The pair of students were part of a 6-person dental team that worked alongside medical and optometry teams to provide care to the residents of 21 villages surrounding Azacualpa.
The mission group lived and worked at a technical school in Azacualpa treating a mix of 318 adults and children over the course of five days. In total the trip lasted nine days, but travel to the remote agricultural region took a day and a half each way. Organizers of the trip drove trucks to each village to pick up patients in shifts. This made it easy for the residents to access the care available, otherwise many would have to walk far distances or ride horses—the most common forms of transportation in the area.
Both Suh and Pham were excited to be part of the trip and to expand and refine their skills.
Said Suh, “The best part of the trip was doing extractions. So far I have not treated a patient at GSDM who required one, but I had done about 20 while on externship. However after doing close to 100 on this trip I am much more confident in my abilities and definitely faster at suturing.”
Both Suh and Pham also gained a different perspective on treatment planning. One of the dentists on their 6-person team was a native Honduran, Dr. Carolina Santos.
“Dr. Santos helped us understand the patients we were treating and their culture,” said Suh. “A treatment plan that we might have suggested to a patient at home, doesn’t always work in this rural, farming culture.”
Pham also noted, “Many of the patients had cavities, but not as many periodontal issues as I had expected. We also didn’t see any smokers, but flossing is non-existent there and the people eat lots of candy and drink lots of soda.”
The students also went with members of the team to local schools to promote oral health and fluoride treatment. Pham added, “Even in the schools the trash cans were full of candy wrappers, but the students knew how many times to brush and were excited for us to visit and talk about oral health.”
Overall the students learned a lot and had a great time working with and learning from the other members of the dental team. They would both highly recommend this trip to other students.
Said Pham, who had gone on several missions before entering dental school, “This is an excellent first trip for a student interested in getting involved. The trip is well-organized and they really take care of you.”
Photos are available on facebook and flickr.