A World of Opportunities

Good things can happen when cultures come together. The Olympic Games raise the bar in athletics; bring athletes, staff, and fans together both on and off the field; are a source of national pride for participating and winning teams; and allow the host country to showcase their culture and accomplishments, and through that provide an enriching experience for all countries in attendance.

On a smaller but more commonly attainable scale, enrichment also occurs at international conferences, international travel, and multi-center research. For the enrichment to occur, individuals from different cultures and countries must interact.

Schools appreciate this and set up exchange programs accordingly. Like international sporting events, they have various benefits.

Interacting with students from different counties opens our eyes to different educational systems. For much of the world, the undergraduate and dental school curriculum are combined, starting after the equivalent of high school, and spanning six years. It is up for debate whether that system or the United States’ system is superior or simply different, but meeting students from both systems allows for an experiential exchange of ideas that can lead to improvements in those systems.

Sometimes the student exchanges include involvement in research. In preparation, the student must study the past discoveries and current research methods and areas of investigation of the researchers they are visiting. Such preparation trains the student to better understand research articles, which clinicians should be using as reliable sources of information.

A natural part of sending and hosting foreign students is a strong effort to present our best, to put our best foot forward. The student represents the sending professor, the school, and the country and culture. That student is motivated to become fully qualified in knowledge and ability. The motivation is stronger, and more fun and energizing, than preparing for an exam. This is a pleasant way to raise the bar.

At UOP, the first student that went to Japan inspired the host university to send a student to us. Less than a year later, another of our students made the trip. We required our students to prepare heavily for the experience by studying the background research and current research protocols for the areas they would be joining, and subjected them to rigorous oral examinations confirm their preparedness. The privilege’s reputation for high academic standards will inspire future students to similar levels.

This collaboration can also progress research and clinical practice and policies. Different countries and cultures have different healthcare delivery systems, demographics, and diets, and can therefore offer new insights into etiologies, prevention, and treatment. For example, the lists of approved drugs differ by country.

Dentists outside of the school setting can become involved with foreign dentistry as well. International conferences bring dentists from many countries under one roof. Even many national academies have a significant number of non-US-practicing dentists in attendance. At these conferences, interactions between countries can occur formally and informally, and often lead to future collaborations. Taking a leadership role in those academies can take the international collaboration even further.

Participating in research can also create international connections, as much research is done between institutions from different counties. Research is frequently done at schools, but can also be done in hospitals, community clinics, and as part of the Public Research Network, which private practices can join (https://www.nationaldentalpbrn.org/.)

Opportunities await, big and small.