There’s a big world out there, and a new organization at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) is connecting students with educational and enrichment opportunities far beyond our nation’s borders. The Global Dental Organization provides a central forum where dental students, dental hygiene students and residents can learn about international programs.
UMSOD offers an exceptional array of international externships for fourth-year dental students, but few underclassmen are aware of the many opportunities to conduct research or perform service in foreign countries, says group co-founder Michael Chung, DDS ’17. Many programs are offered by the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) campus or university-wide student groups. The Global Dental Organization also works closely with the UMB Center for Global Education Initiatives, which provides grants for faculty members to help fund international projects for students. “We want to be a networking and resource center for students who are interested in pursuing international programs,” says co-founder Emily Chang, DDS ’17.
Chang recently traveled to Israel with an interdisciplinary team of University of Maryland students. The team studied ways to reuse lightly used water in the Middle Eastern nation’s driest regions. It is one example of the kinds of trips the group plans to promote. Not all the projects may be directly related to dentistry, but they will help students develop important skills. “As professionals, we will need to know how to work effectively with others outside of our field,” Chung said.
The group also plans to promote student-led international projects, like a fundraising project for the Faraja School for Children with Physical Disabilities in Tanzania, Africa, spearheaded by Chris Tolmie, DDS ’16, or new information-sharing initiative with the University of Rwanda, College of Medicine and Health Sciences School of Dentistry, launched by Michael Klausner, DDS ’17. Promoting projects like these supports important causes in developing countries while raising awareness among the student body about the importance of giving back, says Chung.
The Global Dental Organization will hold its first meeting on April 9 at noon in room G-205. For more information, email umsodglobaldentalorganization@gmail.com