2012 AYUDA International Dental Service Trip Doctors, Students, and Volunteers
DAY ONE - Sean Gardner
DAY TWO - Christopher Chan
Day 2 of our clinic in Colombia just finished today! It was especially exciting for me today because I got to be the last 2013 to be a Clinic Director. I had a lot to live up to as my fellow classmate Sean Gardner did a great job yesterday. The kids were all lined up and excited before we even arrived. We tried a different approach today and had some volunteers go into the classrooms and teach kids how to brush and floss. I think it worked out really great cause we were able to teach more kids and they were receptive to us visiting them.
The foundation also really tried to accommodate us after the scorchering heat from yesterday. They set up a big tent so we could screen more patients downstairs in the sun and provided water for us. Radiology was killer since it was in a small room and there was no breeze blowing through. Props to all those taking x-rays that fought through the heat to give us those beautiful radiographs! At one point, chaos ensued as parents came to pick up their children and we lost track of who needed and did not need treatment. But the foundation volunteers were very effective and quickly restored things to normal. Oh I can’t forget…much props also to our wonderful pediatric dentists. They have taught me and my classmates so much in how to properly treat patients and provide the best care for them. I have so much respect for the passion they have for children, their professions, and especially AYUDA. We are so thankful to have them. I’m ready for any pulpotomies or SSCs thrown my way. All in all, a momentous day for AYUDA in Colombia!
DAY THREE - Esther Schara
Today's clinic marked a special moment for the AYUDA class of 2014. Today was our first clinic to get to actually be the operators. I had the luck of being clinic director for the day, and I was very impressed by the work my fellow classmates were able to accomplish. Everything was flowing very smooth.... until one of our air compressors went out... Luckily it happened at lunch time when we had to slow down anyways, so it wasn't very noticeable. We were able to get another air compressor pretty quickly and were right back on track. It was our last full day of clinic in Colombia (tomorrow's clinic is only a half day followed by some performances by the local children!) All the students, doctors and volunteers have been working so hard and this clinic has been a HUGE success so far! It's amazing to see what a small group of people with one common goal can accomplish when everyone is willing to pull together and work so hard.
DAY FOUR - Steven Kirby
Clinic director, the position that no one really wants to do, but somebody has to. Being the director of the clinic is a tough task because there are two groups of people that you have to appease, the student volunteers and the local volunteers that we work with to setup the clinic. Although each group has their own idea of how things should be done, ultimately the goal is the same, to provide the best care to as many patients as possible. That is possible why the Ayuda clinics are always great. It is difficult to juggle 40 students in the 5 different areas; screening, x-ray, anesthesia, operative, and pit. Especially when majority would like to be operating. The most difficult thing for me personally is to not jump in and work when a small problem arises. When one unit wasn't functioning properly, it took all of my strength to not drop everything that I was doing to fix the unit. I am grateful for the opportunity that I had to work as the Clinic Director in Colombia and look forward to giving my classmates the same opportunity throughout this year.
Special Thanks to our daily clinic directors:
DAY TWO - Christopher Chan
Day 2 of our clinic in Colombia just finished today! It was especially exciting for me today because I got to be the last 2013 to be a Clinic Director. I had a lot to live up to as my fellow classmate Sean Gardner did a great job yesterday. The kids were all lined up and excited before we even arrived. We tried a different approach today and had some volunteers go into the classrooms and teach kids how to brush and floss. I think it worked out really great cause we were able to teach more kids and they were receptive to us visiting them.
The foundation also really tried to accommodate us after the scorchering heat from yesterday. They set up a big tent so we could screen more patients downstairs in the sun and provided water for us. Radiology was killer since it was in a small room and there was no breeze blowing through. Props to all those taking x-rays that fought through the heat to give us those beautiful radiographs! At one point, chaos ensued as parents came to pick up their children and we lost track of who needed and did not need treatment. But the foundation volunteers were very effective and quickly restored things to normal. Oh I can’t forget…much props also to our wonderful pediatric dentists. They have taught me and my classmates so much in how to properly treat patients and provide the best care for them. I have so much respect for the passion they have for children, their professions, and especially AYUDA. We are so thankful to have them. I’m ready for any pulpotomies or SSCs thrown my way. All in all, a momentous day for AYUDA in Colombia!
DAY THREE - Esther Schara
Today's clinic marked a special moment for the AYUDA class of 2014. Today was our first clinic to get to actually be the operators. I had the luck of being clinic director for the day, and I was very impressed by the work my fellow classmates were able to accomplish. Everything was flowing very smooth.... until one of our air compressors went out... Luckily it happened at lunch time when we had to slow down anyways, so it wasn't very noticeable. We were able to get another air compressor pretty quickly and were right back on track. It was our last full day of clinic in Colombia (tomorrow's clinic is only a half day followed by some performances by the local children!) All the students, doctors and volunteers have been working so hard and this clinic has been a HUGE success so far! It's amazing to see what a small group of people with one common goal can accomplish when everyone is willing to pull together and work so hard.
DAY FOUR - Steven Kirby
Clinic director, the position that no one really wants to do, but somebody has to. Being the director of the clinic is a tough task because there are two groups of people that you have to appease, the student volunteers and the local volunteers that we work with to setup the clinic. Although each group has their own idea of how things should be done, ultimately the goal is the same, to provide the best care to as many patients as possible. That is possible why the Ayuda clinics are always great. It is difficult to juggle 40 students in the 5 different areas; screening, x-ray, anesthesia, operative, and pit. Especially when majority would like to be operating. The most difficult thing for me personally is to not jump in and work when a small problem arises. When one unit wasn't functioning properly, it took all of my strength to not drop everything that I was doing to fix the unit. I am grateful for the opportunity that I had to work as the Clinic Director in Colombia and look forward to giving my classmates the same opportunity throughout this year.
Special Thanks to our daily clinic directors:
The trip overall was amazing and we were able to accomplish a lot of work!
Doctors & Volunteers
"They make these trips POSSIBLE!"
"They make these trips POSSIBLE!"
Charles Sargent (Digital X-Ray Specialist)
Student Volunteers
"They make these trips HAPPEN!"
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| AYUDA Leadership 2011-2012 |
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