School of Dentistry's International Program Enters Fifth Year
The Buchanan Dental Center is located between the San Francisco neighborhood known as Lower Haight and Market Street, one of the city's busiest thoroughfares.
Despite its fast-paced, gritty surroundings, the Buchanan Dental Center houses a dental clinic whose interior can only be described as clean, well-run and organizes - even placid. This lively, urban area has been home to the clinic since 1979, when it was opened on lands owned by the UC Regents.
An offsite extension of the UCSF School of Dentistry, the Buchanan clinic is staffed by fourth-year DDS students who are members of the school's International Dentist Program, which recently entered its fifth year of existence when the class of 2007 matriculated this summer.
Over the last five years, 101 students from 24 nations have been enrolled in the two-year, eight-quarter program; 53 have graduated from the first three classes and two classes of 24 students each are currently enrolled. Entry into the program - created for graduates of dental schools outside of the United States and Canada who wish to practice dentistry in California and other US states, as well as to qualify for enrollment in US postgraduate education programs - is competitive, with 12.6 applicants having vied for each of the 24 spots for the class that entered in the summer of 2005. The number of applications to the program has increased steadily every year.
Although it is difficult to generalize about such a large and diverse group, some common threads unite the classmates of the program. "The program's students are highly motivated, really want to work and are always looking to maximize their clinical experiences," said Mark Kirkland, director of the International Dentist Program and a 1983 graduate of the UCSF dental school. "Anyone who has already gone through a dental curriculum and then signs up for additional training at significant expense has to be very motivated. Many already have a PhD or Masters and a lot of additional education."
But motivation alone doesn't fully explain why these students do such a good job providing patient care at the Buchanan Dental Center.
"The international students are very polite," said Kirkland. "It's just a part of their culture. They have a high level of respect for their professors at home and hold teachers in very high esteem. They also do a great job of treating patients respectfully and courteously."
According to Kirkland, the International Dentist Program students strive to provide the best possible patient care to the local population, many of whom are underserved. With their high level of professionalism, is it any wonder that the Buchanan Dental Center is known for its pleasant environment?
Program History
In 1997, the passage of California State Assembly Bill 1116 mandated the creation of a program to teach dentists trained in other countries, laying groundwork for the formation of the International Dentist Program. The intent of the law, supported by the California Dental Association and the California Dental Board, was to ensure consistent standards of education and training for all dentists who become licensed to practice in California. William F. Bird, the first director of the International Dentist Program and currently interim chair of the Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Services, remembers that the creation of the program made sense for a variety of reasons.
"Various ethnic and cultural groups, and the California Dental Association were asking the legislature to increase access to dental care. The Dental Board of California was planning to discontinue its testing for foreign nationals, so the only way to take the dental board was to become a graduate of an accredited school in the United States or Canada," Bird explained.
Members of the School of Dentistry administration, chiefly Bird and Dean for Administration Julian Ponce, reviewed international programs in other dental schools in California to see how UCSF could develop a competitive, self-supporting program. This analysis led to a proposal for the UCSF program which was approved by the faculty and the Regents. The first class of the International Dentist Program entered UCSF in the summer of 2001. It was comprised of 16 students from eight nations.
Multiple Benefits to the School
Beyond filling a crucial public health need, the program provides much-needed economic balance to the school. "By state mandate, the International Dentist Program must be self-supported, meaning that no funds from the school can go toward the program or diminish the tasks of preparing California students for the profession," said Dean Charles N. Bertolami. "Without a self-sufficient International Dentist Program, the school would not be able to continue to run programs like the externship clinics that students enjoy elsewhere in the community, or provide care to so many underserved patients in the area. The popularity and success of the International Dentist Program helps make those programs and others for the underserved possible," Bertolami added. Students in the International Dentist Program also contribute to the school by nature of their widely differing experiences. "Our international students are another example of the global outreach of a school with a worldwide reputation," Bertolami said. "Inherent in the school's mission is the fostering of international collaborations, enhancing the understanding of different communities and embracing the diversity of our students, faculty and patients. The International Dentist Program helps us reach that goal." Participants in the program speak multiple languages, and hail from numerous cultural, religious and economic backgrounds. This enables them to bring enhanced understanding to patient care environments. Patients appreciate this diversity of experience, according to Jasjit Dillon, who holds both medical and dental degrees from Great Britain, in addition to the DDS she earned upon graduating from the International Dentist Program in the summer of 2005. She is currently an oral and maxillofacial surgery resident at UCSF. "The fact that we, as student-practitioners, are from different countries all over the world helps expand the cultural and language awareness of the patients," Dillon said. "In today's socio-political environment, that is essential." Mirrors Traditional DDS Program
The International Dentist Program is nearly identical to the third and fourth years of the traditional DDS program at UCSF in its design and curriculum. The international program begins each June with a two-week orientation, followed by didactic and laboratory courses that last throughout the first quarter. During this period, the international students are learning contemporary American dentistry and the technical skills they will need in order to work on the clinic floor at 707 Parnassus Avenue. Dillon recalls that for many of her classmates, the opening weeks of the program were a significant culture shock. "The purpose of that first quarter in the lab is to bring you up to speed with the other DDS students who have been together for two years," Dillon said. "They calibrated us and taught us how things are done here versus overseas. Many of us hadn't done general dentistry in 11 years because I went straight into oral surgery specialization. I didn't enjoy it in the beginning. It was hard going back to being a dental student. It's also difficult if you have conflicting ideas about patient treatment, since you are used to making these decisions by yourself. However, I really enjoyed my patients and everybody in the lab was outstanding; the faculty and traditional students were very welcoming and many have become good friends," Dillon said. Kirkland indicated that Dillon's experience was common. "Calibration issues happen from time to time," he said. "Students are very open to feedback and to the way we do things here. Disagreements on technique happen occasionally among the faculty, so there's no reason the students should be any different. It is part of the learning process that we show them the way things are done in this country." Once the new international students complete their quarter in the lab, they join the third-year class of the traditional DDS program, working at the Parnassus Student Dental Clinic under the supervision of faculty members. They provide the same type of care and perform identical procedures to their third-year counterparts. At the conclusion of their first year, the international dentist four-year students then transition to providing care at the Buchanan Dental Center, where they remain for their final year before receiving their DDS degree. At Buchanan, the international students perform comprehensive dental services on patients with limited or no income, or those lacking dental coverage. Postgraduate Plans Wide-Ranging
Similar to their counterparts in the traditional DDS program at the School of Dentistry, graduates of the International Dentist Program engage in a wide variety of careers upon completion of their degree, with more than a third opting to enter into additional postgraduate education or residencies. For many, continuing their education into a postgraduate specialty or entering into an academic career is a logical extension for their career and academic training, according to Bertolami. "Many of the graduates of the international program are open to considering careers in academic dentistry," Bertolami said. "I think that's because, for many of them, an academic position represents the pinnacle of a career in the health sciences, and a great way for them to advance their profession. They are committed to furthering their education, and are great role models for everyone at the school. They bring a high level of maturity that benefits everyone." Several of the students and graduates interviewed for this story echoed Bertolami's sentiment, and were proud of the time they spent at UCSF. Jahnavi Rao graduated from the International Dentist Program's first class in 2003. She is currently in her third and final year of the postgraduate orthodontics program at Ohio State University College of Dentistry. Upon completing her residency, Rao is planning on a career in academia. She is grateful for the way in which the International Dentist Program prepared her for her postgraduate specialty program, as well as an academic future. "I have always enjoyed teaching," Rao said. "I had a lot of wonderful teachers at UCSF who have inspired me to go into academia. Teaching is probably the best way of learning and improving oneself on current techniques. UCSF helped me grow as a person and influenced me positively to explore research opportunities. It allowed me to observe, at close quarters, the academic lifestyle in US dental schools." Ghazala Khan, who graduated from the International Dentist Program in 2003, chose to enter into UCSF's general practice residency program. She is now associate director for that program. "I have always been interested in teaching, as I strongly believe that teaching is what keeps any professional alive," Khan said. "I had some excellent teachers while I was in the [international] program, and the commitment I saw through the faculty inspired me to consider academia myself." No matter what they do after they leave UCSF, they will always be welcomed back to visit or to teach. After all, who would be better suited as a faculty member at the Buchanan Dental Center than a graduate of the program? "We welcome them with open arms," Kirkland said. Source: Cameron Heffernan
In 1997, the passage of California State Assembly Bill 1116 mandated the creation of a program to teach dentists trained in other countries, laying groundwork for the formation of the International Dentist Program. The intent of the law, supported by the California Dental Association and the California Dental Board, was to ensure consistent standards of education and training for all dentists who become licensed to practice in California. William F. Bird, the first director of the International Dentist Program and currently interim chair of the Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Services, remembers that the creation of the program made sense for a variety of reasons.
Beyond filling a crucial public health need, the program provides much-needed economic balance to the school. "By state mandate, the International Dentist Program must be self-supported, meaning that no funds from the school can go toward the program or diminish the tasks of preparing California students for the profession," said Dean Charles N. Bertolami. "Without a self-sufficient International Dentist Program, the school would not be able to continue to run programs like the externship clinics that students enjoy elsewhere in the community, or provide care to so many underserved patients in the area. The popularity and success of the International Dentist Program helps make those programs and others for the underserved possible," Bertolami added. Students in the International Dentist Program also contribute to the school by nature of their widely differing experiences. "Our international students are another example of the global outreach of a school with a worldwide reputation," Bertolami said. "Inherent in the school's mission is the fostering of international collaborations, enhancing the understanding of different communities and embracing the diversity of our students, faculty and patients. The International Dentist Program helps us reach that goal." Participants in the program speak multiple languages, and hail from numerous cultural, religious and economic backgrounds. This enables them to bring enhanced understanding to patient care environments. Patients appreciate this diversity of experience, according to Jasjit Dillon, who holds both medical and dental degrees from Great Britain, in addition to the DDS she earned upon graduating from the International Dentist Program in the summer of 2005. She is currently an oral and maxillofacial surgery resident at UCSF. "The fact that we, as student-practitioners, are from different countries all over the world helps expand the cultural and language awareness of the patients," Dillon said. "In today's socio-political environment, that is essential." Mirrors Traditional DDS Program
The International Dentist Program is nearly identical to the third and fourth years of the traditional DDS program at UCSF in its design and curriculum. The international program begins each June with a two-week orientation, followed by didactic and laboratory courses that last throughout the first quarter. During this period, the international students are learning contemporary American dentistry and the technical skills they will need in order to work on the clinic floor at 707 Parnassus Avenue. Dillon recalls that for many of her classmates, the opening weeks of the program were a significant culture shock. "The purpose of that first quarter in the lab is to bring you up to speed with the other DDS students who have been together for two years," Dillon said. "They calibrated us and taught us how things are done here versus overseas. Many of us hadn't done general dentistry in 11 years because I went straight into oral surgery specialization. I didn't enjoy it in the beginning. It was hard going back to being a dental student. It's also difficult if you have conflicting ideas about patient treatment, since you are used to making these decisions by yourself. However, I really enjoyed my patients and everybody in the lab was outstanding; the faculty and traditional students were very welcoming and many have become good friends," Dillon said. Kirkland indicated that Dillon's experience was common. "Calibration issues happen from time to time," he said. "Students are very open to feedback and to the way we do things here. Disagreements on technique happen occasionally among the faculty, so there's no reason the students should be any different. It is part of the learning process that we show them the way things are done in this country." Once the new international students complete their quarter in the lab, they join the third-year class of the traditional DDS program, working at the Parnassus Student Dental Clinic under the supervision of faculty members. They provide the same type of care and perform identical procedures to their third-year counterparts. At the conclusion of their first year, the international dentist four-year students then transition to providing care at the Buchanan Dental Center, where they remain for their final year before receiving their DDS degree. At Buchanan, the international students perform comprehensive dental services on patients with limited or no income, or those lacking dental coverage. Postgraduate Plans Wide-Ranging
Similar to their counterparts in the traditional DDS program at the School of Dentistry, graduates of the International Dentist Program engage in a wide variety of careers upon completion of their degree, with more than a third opting to enter into additional postgraduate education or residencies. For many, continuing their education into a postgraduate specialty or entering into an academic career is a logical extension for their career and academic training, according to Bertolami. "Many of the graduates of the international program are open to considering careers in academic dentistry," Bertolami said. "I think that's because, for many of them, an academic position represents the pinnacle of a career in the health sciences, and a great way for them to advance their profession. They are committed to furthering their education, and are great role models for everyone at the school. They bring a high level of maturity that benefits everyone." Several of the students and graduates interviewed for this story echoed Bertolami's sentiment, and were proud of the time they spent at UCSF. Jahnavi Rao graduated from the International Dentist Program's first class in 2003. She is currently in her third and final year of the postgraduate orthodontics program at Ohio State University College of Dentistry. Upon completing her residency, Rao is planning on a career in academia. She is grateful for the way in which the International Dentist Program prepared her for her postgraduate specialty program, as well as an academic future. "I have always enjoyed teaching," Rao said. "I had a lot of wonderful teachers at UCSF who have inspired me to go into academia. Teaching is probably the best way of learning and improving oneself on current techniques. UCSF helped me grow as a person and influenced me positively to explore research opportunities. It allowed me to observe, at close quarters, the academic lifestyle in US dental schools." Ghazala Khan, who graduated from the International Dentist Program in 2003, chose to enter into UCSF's general practice residency program. She is now associate director for that program. "I have always been interested in teaching, as I strongly believe that teaching is what keeps any professional alive," Khan said. "I had some excellent teachers while I was in the [international] program, and the commitment I saw through the faculty inspired me to consider academia myself." No matter what they do after they leave UCSF, they will always be welcomed back to visit or to teach. After all, who would be better suited as a faculty member at the Buchanan Dental Center than a graduate of the program? "We welcome them with open arms," Kirkland said. Source: Cameron Heffernan