Externship Program Takes GSDM Students to Honduras

This past fall, two Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) students embarked on an excursion to San Marcos, a remote village in the mountains of Honduras, to provide dental service to poor communities with limited or no access to oral health care. From October 18-25, 2014, Kali Stewart DMD 15 and Hyunji Kim DMD 15 participated in this externship at a clinic operated by Cape CARES, a non-profit humanitarian organization based in East Orleans, Massachusetts, that’s been aiding the Honduran people since 1988. By sending volunteer teams to its sites in San Marcos, Los Encinitos and Bertin Umanzor, the organization is able to keep charts on the visiting patients and provide follow-up dental and medical care.

Upon arrival, after spending an evening getting acquainted with the volunteer group, the students traveled several hours—on dirt paths and off-road terrain—to the rural site. Located at the clinic, the volunteers’ accommodations consisted of canvas cots and limited running water.  Yet, they quickly acclimated to the unfamiliar third-world environment and were impressed by the ingenuity of the Cape CARES president, a seasoned volunteer in Honduras. Using a generator and other portable devices to power essential tools such as a hand drill and suction device, they assembled a makeshift dental office on the clinic’s porch.”

“We treated patients in lawn chairs relying solely on our loupe lights and sterilizing our instruments in the pressure cooker,” said Kim.

From Monday to Thursday, Stewart and Kim were running on adrenaline, as patients poured in from surrounding villages. “Cepillo de dientes!” the children said, excited to get a toothbrush. In total, the students saw 117 men, women and children, and performed numerous extractions, along with cleanings. They also assisted in restorations.

“This experience pushed me to focus on performing dentistry more efficiently and I became more comfortable with a higher volume of patients and workload than I was used to at school. Also, it exposed me to more extraction cases than I could have ever asked for,” said Kim.

One of the most memorable patients Stewart and Kim saw was a six-year-old boy who hiked to the village in the morning with his grandmother. Though the grandmother had to return to her village to care for other children, the young boy patiently waited for hours to have two molars extracted. Like all the other Hondurans, the students noticed how the little boy had a remarkably high pain tolerance. With a swollen lip he promised not to bite, the boy waited around the clinic for the rest of the day until neighbors joined him for the trek home.

On another day, the volunteers visited a local elementary school and provided oral hygiene instructions and fluoride varnish to the children. In turn, the children showed their marching band and dance performances.

It was unforgettable moments like that which made the externship such a rewarding experience for Stewart and Kim who both agree they’d enjoy volunteering for another trip in the future.

“I gained an amazing amount of dental experience as well as friendship with my classmate, other volunteers from across the country, and many Honduran people. It was incredibly rewarding to be able to help these people with little to no access to dental care while being immersed in their culture,” said Stewart.

With valuable oral surgery experience and a heightened confidence, they returned home with a newfound appreciation for everything they have available for patients at the GSDM clinic.

“I’m extremely proud of Kali and Hyunji for bringing their talents to the San Marcos clinic,” said Dean Hutter. “I am gratified that so many of our dedicated students embark on rewarding externships to gain valuable experience and heightened confidence and make a difference to those in need of oral health care.”

Photos are available on Facebook and Flickr.