Last week I had the privilege of meeting some of the dental students from Kings College London.
Together with Kathy Wilson from Newcastle Dental School and Anna Hurst from Henry Schein Minerva we were interviewing candidates for our pilot elective programme in December 2011.
We were all seriously impressed by the knowledge, passion and commitment to oral health issues for communities in developing nations. Each candidate showed a real desire to get involved and be part of the ongoing ‘debate’ which is a real credit to them all.
What was also evident was the key relationships & partnerships that need to exist to make a real difference to the oral health issues not only for developing nations but also the UK. When the academic institution, the Dental Trade and the Charity sector sit together in partnership, there is synergy and commitment in the room and things get done. Our thanks to Kathy and Anna for their amazing contribution to this project.
Getting on the train later that day back home to Leeds… felt good!
The elective programme is an exciting new initiative for Bridge2Aid and the students we met on Saturday, as Ian has said, were certainly very enthusiastic and motivated to get involved and help develop the programme. I am very excited about the prospect of working with the student team in December when we run the elective for the first time. These students are the future generation who will continue the ‘debate’ concerning dental health care and appropriate volunteering in developing countries. And Ian its great to have you home!