who graduated in 2015 they write about their experiences. “The ability to participate in rotations outside of the school was certainly one of the biggest highlights of attending the UIC College of Dentistry,” wrote Dr. Max Montatskiy. “The community-based learning was a unique experience, which helped me grow as a dentist and as a person.” Dr. William Cheng noted how much he enjoyed working with underserved patients. “They seem to treasure the deeds that other people do for them so much,” he wrote. “I believe that if the majority of the world were as gracious as some of these patients, there would be a lot more peace in this world.” Dr. Fatima Saaduddin noted how the experience changed her. “I believe my views on public health dentistry have changed,” she wrote. “After my rotations, I realized just how great the lack of access to care is even just a few hours way from the Chicagoland area. Being a dentist is not just about making money and giving people cosmetic satisfaction; it is about restoring people to health and to be able to bring a balance to the health disparities that are present in our system.” Dr. Katie Serrano was excited to learn about a new culture. “Many of the patients I saw were refugees from Somalia and were seeking work in the Colorado meat packing industry,” she wrote. “These individuals taught me about their culture and informed me about how different dental care in the U.S. is from Africa.” Dr. Noor Nahas gained a unique experience in a faith-based facility, noting “I felt like everyone was connecting including the patients, assistants, and dentists because they had something in common. Everyone was judged on their values rather than their status.”
Dr. Mary Grace Nora, ’15, providing care to a patient on rotation when Dr. Nora was a student. “I have a greater appreciation for the barriers to care that patients face and the many ways that dentists in the community can help to serve the needs of these patients,” concluded Dr. Jaime Chowaniec. Dr. Evans would welcome donations of any amount, because the more student out-of-pocket expenses the College can cover instead, the better. He noted what different gift levels can subsidize: • $265 will pay for a student’s gasoline to extramural rotations in Illinois outside Chicagoland. • 375 will pay for one week’s hotel bill for students on their Rock Falls, IL, rotation. • $600 will pay for a student’s airfare to a Guatemala rotation. • $1,100 will pay for a student’s airfare to a China rotation. • 1,250 will pay for rent for the students’ apartment in Rockford, IL. For information on making a gift, contact Ana Lisa Ogbac, Director of Donor Relations, at (312) 996-0485, or aogbac1@uic.edu.
Enhancements Planned for Group Practice Clinics
College of Dentistry student Andy Luo on a service-learning rotation in China. UIC C o l l e g e o f D e n t i s t r y
In an effort to continuously improve students’ clinical educational experience, the College is planning several enhancements to the Group Practice Clinics. “We are creating an Operatory Monitor System, which will allow students to electronically call faculty over in the Group Practice Clinics to check the oral healthcare the students have performed on their patients,” explained Dr. Susan Rowan, Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs. Continued on page 9
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