SPECIAL ORIENTATION EDITION
The Official Newsletter of the UWI Dental Students Association
September 2008
The Fill In
September 2008 FIRST VISIT
The Fill In September 2008
Cover Photo: Kitso Machaa & Devin Jaggernauth Editors: Devin Jaggernauth & Arif Saqui Contributing Writers: Fayyad Khan & Quinta Marchan Comics: Charissa Bandoo
UWI Dental Students Association School of Dentistry, Faculty of Medical Sciences UWI St Augustine Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex Uriah Butler Highway Trinidad, West Indies Email: uwidsa@yahoo.com
Welcome one and all to the first issue of the 2008/2009 academic year! More importantly, to our new batch of students, the Class of 2013; Welcome to the UWI School of Dentistry! As you can see from our cover, this edition of The Fill In, our monthly newsletter, is pretty much dedicated to you. Congratulations on making it this far, and now that you’re here; we want you to feel like part of the family. Even though you’ll be spending most of this year across in Basic Health Sciences, you’re still a dental student and this is your school. This issue is aimed at introducing you to your student body: The Dental Students Association, and also to give you some insight into the field of dentistry. Many of us came in here not knowing the full of extent of the program, so we’ll elucidate for you. Your first year here will also be quite different from what you have been accustomed to in secondary school. Our articles will break it down by semester and even give you some survival tips.
Website: http://www.uwidsa.org
UWI DSA Executive: Devin Jaggernauth - President Arif Saqui – Vice President Sarah Ramsaroop – Treasurer Allana Tang Choon - Secretary
It should be noted that the DSA is a student based organization, and consequently the majority of this newsletter’s content is supplied by our very own student body. Take note: This is the medium for information and communication with your peers, colleagues and professionals in your field exists. As always we encourage and welcome your input and feedback to keep this forum going. With that, we wish you a fun and productive first year and look forward to seeing you at all our future events! TFI
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The Scene •
We’re back out to school (those of us who had taken a break anyway!). Welcome back everyone, and a special welcome to our incoming Class of 2013! We wish you all a productive year.
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Our authentic DSA polos are available for sale! Get yours today from any DSA Executive member!
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The DSA’s been hard at work planning several events for this semester. Planned events include:
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The 1st DSA Community Outreach Program: We plan to visit a nearby primary school and provide some of the younger children with invaluable dental health information.
Cricket Match: This will be a fun event for students and staff alike. Can’t bat? That’s ok (neither can we!).
The 8th Dental Banquet: Need we say more? Probably the most anticipated DSA event in every year, this one looks to be bigger and better than the last. This is definitely an excellent event aimed at fostering relationships with everyone involved in your school, as well as qualified practitioners (see pg 5).
We also plan to roll out our Clinic Needs Survey. The information gathered will provide us (and the administration) with valuable feedback and aid in forming policies and procedures.
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September 2008
YOUR Organization: The UWI Dental Students Association Devin Jaggernauth (2009)
You’ve seen the logo and you’re continuously being bombarded with the term, but who or what is the Dental Students Association (DSA)? I can tell you this: it’s not the four people who were elected several months ago. The DSA is you. Every student enrolled in the UWI DDS program is automatically a member of the association. As a student body, we play a key role in the running of this school. As such, when we stand as a single unit, we hold greater strength and are recognized by the powers that be. Nothing is perfect, and so it is also our responsibility to work with the administration to improve our school, however we may see fit. The organization is headed by an executive as follows: Devin Jaggernauth (president), Arif Saqui (vice president), Sarah Ramsaroop (treasurer) and Allana Tang Choon (secretary). We work to raise and address student issues, among many other activities (this newsletter being one of them).Class representatives from each year are usually required to be present at specified DSA meetings and act as the link between the executive and each class. Many people are under the impression that whatever work needs to be done is handled by the aforementioned persons, but it requires input from us all. As a result, we urge everyone to get involved. Let us forge new and reinforce existing relationships. The dental fraternity begins here. No man is an island and we would continue to gain from the friendships and bonds made throughout our careers. If you think about it, the person who stands to benefit the most is you. Don’t be afraid to approach students from the upper years. Remember, our journeys began exactly where you are now, and more than likely we’ll also be working together at some point in the future. The executive always welcomes your thoughts, and if you don’t see us around, drop us a line at uwidsa@yahoo.com. In keeping with modern times, a Facebook group has also been formed and if that’s not enough, you can always visit our website (www.uwidsa.org) for the latest news. Let us work and play together so that we may all have a better student experience. After all, this is your school and you’ll soon realise that your time here is what you make it. Your feedback and support is always welcome.
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Snapshots: The 7th Dental Banquet
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Drill and fill. Is there anything more to Dentistry? Quinta Marchan (2009) When you meet someone and talk to them, what do you look at the most? It's probably their face and especially their mouth. Because of this, dentists have an important role in society. Everyone wants to be able to eat, talk and smile without being embarrassed or in pain! Dentists not only care for your teeth and mouth, but also play an important part in your general health and well being. Previously, we accepted dental disease as one of the problems of modern life. Now we know that much of it can be prevented - This means that these are exciting times for dentistry! Today, dentistry involves the treatment and prevention of a wide range of diseases of the mouth - ranging from tooth decay to oral cancer. People have many misconceptions about dentistry and personally, I came into the field not knowing the full details of what I was getting myself into. Our colleagues in medicine surely don’t understand why it takes five years to just study teeth! Not to forget the ever eager patient in need of dental treatment but just thinking that we are bout to ‘drill out’ their teeth. Dentistry is the evaluation, diagnosis, prevention and/or treatment (nonsurgical, surgical or related procedures) of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Those in the practice of dentistry are known as dentists. The dentist also plays an important role as an oral physician, by recognizing early signs of general disease that manifest on the oro-facial region. Other people aiding in oral health service include dental assistants, dental hygienists, dental technicians, and dental therapists. The dental educational programme is five years leading to a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree (DDS). The first two years consist of basic medical sciences in anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology and microbiology. In the second semester of the second year students are introduced to Basic laboratory Operative techniques preparing them for the three years of clinical training that follow. In addition to dentistry there are many specialty fields that are all equally important and contribute to the interdisciplinary therapeutic approach to provide ideal treatment and service to the patient. They are as follows: • • •
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Dental public health (study of dental epidemiology and social health policies), Endodontics (root canal therapy and study of diseases of the dental pulp), Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology (study, diagnosis, and sometimes the treatment of oral and maxillofacial related diseases), Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (study and radiologic interpretation of oral and maxillofacial diseases),
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September 2008
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (extractions, implants, and facial surgery), Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics (straightening of teeth and modification of midface and mandibular growth), Periodontics (study and treatment of diseases of the periodontium (non-surgical and surgical), and placement and maintenance of dental implants), Pediatric Dentistry (i.e. dentistry for children, formerly known as "pedodontics"), Prosthodontics (dentures, bridges and the restoration of implants. Some prosthodontists further their training in "oral and maxillofacial prosthodontics"--a discipline concerned with the replacement of missing facial structures--such as ears, eyes, nose, etc.) Other dental fields that are not grouped under a specialty field include cosmetic dentistry, dental implant, temporo-mandibular joint therapy, forensic odontology and geriatric odontology. I believe that dentistry has taken a center stage, in which people view themselves from a cosmetic perspective, whatever their preference. Dentists will always play an important role in society, in helping people maintain their well being.
No matter how difficult the next few years may seem, have no fear, UWI dental school is the right place to help you become well equipped for your professional career.
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Student Perspective Year One DDS: What does this have to do with Dentistry? Fayyad Khan (2012) Your first year in the School of Dentistry can be considered to be the start of a new chapter in your life. However, it is solely up to you to decide whether you want to make this a long and boring journey or a successful and fun experience. Dentistry is a challenging field and it demands a certain level of maturity, patience and determination. The work is a bit tough, more so than anything you’ve done before and sooner or later you will find yourself studying more than you ever have in your life. However tough the work may be, it is not impossible to get through and it does not mean that you have to study all day and night. With careful planning and time management, dentistry could be just one of the many challenges that you would have overcome in life. The first week of your first year is one of the easiest and most stressfree times you will experience at Mt. Hope. Although teaching does not officially start until Friday, it is not recommended that you skip the first few days. During this time you will gain a lot from shared experiences and pep talks from students, both past and present, and lecturers. Members of staff from the different departments are introduced and various instructions are given with respect to lectures, labs and PBL (although this may be the first time you have seen these three letters, I guarantee that it would not be the last!). If you are starting University completely unfamiliar with anyone else (just like I was last year), this week presents an excellent opportunity to get to know some of your fellow classmates. If you are a foreign student or local student who would be renting closer to campus, one of your biggest challenges would be getting accustomed to being away from home and living on your own. Some people will take longer than others to get adjusted to this major change, but sooner or later you will get settled and feel like you are home. PBL (problem based learning) would be a new method of learning for you. At the beginning of each block you will be grouped into groups of about 10 and placed in a small room with a lecturer. You will be given a problem to brainstorm and come up with issues, hypotheses and objectives pertaining to the problem. The following week you would be required to present these objectives and yes, this PBL process is as painstaking and demanding as it sounds! However laborious and boring the process might be, it contributes to your final mark for that particular block and attendance is compulsory. It is important that you manage your time during the course and don’t get carried away with PBL. Try to work together with the fellow members of your group as a team and give everyone an equal chance to make his/her contribution.
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Unlike other faculties at UWI, the courses for the first year in Basic Health Sciences are structured in ‘blocks’. Simply put, this means that you study a particular aspect of the human body at a time and then get examined on this work as one course. The first block, Environment and Health, runs for the first eight weeks and is basically an introduction to the world of medical sciences. Although introductory, it is by no means a walk-in-the-park especially if your only prior knowledge coming into the dental school was from CXC Biology. As will be seen in the other blocks, most of the work may be completely unheard of before. You will probably encounter a significant number of words that you would neither be able to pronounce nor spell and have no idea what they mean. A medical dictionary would be an invaluable tool in these circumstances! Try to attend all your lectures and take as many notes as you can (especially in the anatomy lectures as Professor Edward Uche-Nwachi explains things in ways no one else can). Community Health classes on the other hand may be a bit challenging to comprehend (as you will eventually see for yourself) so it is strongly recommended to have an energy drink or a cup of coffee before attending these lectures. Despite this, this will be one of the easiest blocks in the first year. Basic Para-clinical Sciences follows a slightly different format and runs for five weeks. Most of its components involve serious cramming since you will need to recall the names of various drugs and microorganisms. To be successful, I would recommend the use of past papers. Although the exact questions may not repeat, the format remains the same. Many people view this block as the hardest in year one due to the large volume of work covered in such limited space of time. Nevertheless, it is one of the most interesting courses in the first year. The third block, Digestion and Metabolism, runs for about five weeks during the second semester. Here, the word ‘anatomy’ now has a different meaning from what you knew in the first block. As Dr. Suresh Rao steps into the amphitheatre with nothing but a few colourful markers and some blank transparency slides and begins speaking, one question immediately comes into everyone’s minds: Does he have a computer in his head? If you want to succeed in this block take as many notes as you can during class as most of the anatomy questions can be answered by using just his notes. Biochemistry also takes a different turn in this block; you will be required to learn many cycles and processes and I highly recommend you (properly) learn one at a time to avoid confusion with the rest. All in all this is a relatively straightforward block as many students score their highest marks here. Cardiovascular and Renal is the last block of the year and runs for eight weeks. This is one of the most demanding blocks due to the high work load and and also as it is closest to the phase exams. Despite the volume of work, most of it is straightforward. It is important to use your time wisely during the eight weeks to study both for this block and the other three as phase exams begin about 10 days after this block exam.. Apart from these four blocks you will also have to complete two communication skills courses (one in each semester), a foundation course and most importantly a dentistry course, Oral Biology. The communication skills courses may be frustrating at times due to the number of assignments but you should try to do your best in them in
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order to prepare yourself for the final exams. What could be even more frustrating is that fact that most (if not all) the cases presented pertains to MBBS students and not DDS students and at times you may even think you are in the wrong class. Nevertheless take them seriously as they teach some valuable skills which would eventually be an asset in the clinic. I advise you not spend too much time and effort on the foundation course you had chosen since it has absolutely nothing to do with dentistry and only a passing grade is needed. Pay special attention to the Oral Biology course as it forms the foundation for many of your future dental courses. Also, this is the only time that only all the dental students will be in a class. There is only one exam for this course which usually takes place at the beginning of the second semester. Having said that, I recommend that you spend less time studying this course during the first semester, and concentrate on the other two blocks instead. You may have to sacrifice some of your Christmas vacation to prepare for the exam. The few days leading up to phase exams will be one of the most hectic times for the year. It may seem frustrating at times but keep in mind that you have a three and a half month break at the end of your last exam before your second year begins. To make preparations for phase exams much easier, try studying everything for block exams so when phase comes around, all you’ll have to do is review. Also, during a block, try to organize all your notes, past papers and other study materials so you would not have to scamper about last minute to acquire them. During the course of your first year you may find yourself asking the questions, ‘What does this have to do with dentistry?’ or ‘Why do I have to know this?’ The fact that you would be doing medical courses almost exclusively and only a little of your time would be spent on dental work can be quite frustrating. Although it may not be apparent as to relevance of these courses, with time you would begin to see its importance (or so I have been told!). Although the work may seem never-ending, it is important to take some time out to relax. Remember, ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull dentist’, so it would be a good idea to plan your week so that you can balance studying, liming, praying and most importantly, sleeping. It is also important to monitor your diet because some foods (especially fatty foods), apart from contributing to weight gain also makes you feel sluggish and lazy (which can negatively affect your study routine). Exercise is also important. Many students do not exercise because they think that it takes up time. Time spent exercising is NOT time wasted. Exercise not only helps you physically but from my own experience, it is one of the best ways to reduce stress. Try to get enough sleep as it does not make sense studying all night while retaining little or nothing. If you find yourself drifting away, do yourself a favour and go to sleep since you would just be wasting your time. In short, try to manage your time wisely. It is also very important to work together with your fellow classmates as you will soon realize that you are not in a competition. If you have ideas, notes, past papers or other tools that can benefit your fellow classmates, do not hesitate to share as they too would return the favour some day. Remember that you will be interacting with the same people for the next five years and you might even be working together in the future. Try to maintain a good relationship with your fellow classmates and work together as a team. Remember the Scrubs theme song: ‘I can’t do this all on my own, I’m no superman!’
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Please feel free to submit any questions, articles and comments to the editors at thefillin@gmail.com. We welcome your suggestions and contributions. Tell us what you would like to see in this newsletter!! Please visit our website for the latest updates, as well as every copy of The Fill In
www.uwidsa.org The UWI Dental Students Association can be contacted at
uwidsa@yahoo.com. Lookout for our next issue!
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