This trip has transformed me in more ways than I
had ever thought possible, not only by improving my skills and knowledge as a
health professional, but I have grown an incredible amount personally, socially,
and spiritually. I learned just how important it is to practice awareness and
mindfulness at all times. As a student, being present allows me to make the
most out of my learning, and as a health professional, being present with my
clients ensures that I am providing the best care possible. I am beyond
grateful to have an instructor who cares so deeply for her students and for the
health of underprivileged communities, so much so to make this experience
possible, especially before our final year. A month in paradise has been an
amazing opportunity to learn more about myself and the wonderful girls in the
program, thank you so much Ada!....................Siarra
Overall, our time
in San Pancho was hard work, but more importantly it was heartwarming, rewarding work.
I can honestly say I have never felt so welcomed into a community and given as
much trust as quickly and easily as the residents that we worked with gave to
us. The language barrier taught me a lot about the importance of effective
communication. While clients were incredibly trusting, it was essential
to remind myself that many of them had never experienced a dental hygiene treatment
before. Explaining (through translation) each step of care along the way was
appreciated by my clients, which you could see on their faces when they
understood their condition and how to improve and maintain it in the future. I
am so grateful for the residents of San Pancho that trusted us with their care,
the connections that I made with my clients, and the invaluable clinical
experience. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I will always
remember and treasure........ Heather
This
opportunity has been one that I will remember for the rest of my life. Before I arrived in Mexico I imagined that the benefits would be an improvement in my clinical skills and a greater appreciation for what I have, but nothing I
imagined compared to the experience I had. Imagining and experiencing are two
completely different things when you are working with individuals and their emotions.
Every day was a new experience that I couldn’t compare to anything I had
encountered in my life. Seeing the difference we can make in people who don’t know that they have infection until we help understand what it is all about is unbelievable.
Seeing children with completely blackened decayed teeth was very sad and the realization that I had one shot to
make a difference in their future and educate them was overwhelming. The people we
worked with has such a positive impact on me, and the kindness of people who we saw every day in the stores and on the beach was so heartwarming. Everyone was so helpful as a community. This trip has tested me in many ways that are difficult to
put into words, but it has made me more grateful, compassionate, empathetic,
confident, and sure of myself that this is what I want to do. I can’t thank Ada
and all those involved enough for this experience, it really was a once in a
lifetime opportunity and I can’t wait to go back to San Pancho one
day........................Maria
It has
been a dream of mine to volunteer in another country for quite a few years now. I
was very grateful and fortunate to be given the opportunity to utilize skills
that I have acquired over the past year as a dental hygiene student at Camosun
College. This field school has given me a whole new appreciation for this
prosperous country that we are lucky enough to reside in. When basic needs is the focus, dental health is obviously not a priority, some of the local residence have
never been to a dentist. This field school allowed us the opportunity to treat and
educate people but hopefully really make an impact on how they view and care
for their oral health. Over the past 4 weeks my skills as a clinician have
greatly improved, as I have been able to experience more difficult cases that
will help prepare me for my senior year at Camosun. …….................................................Rachelle
It's difficult to sum up how amazing of an
experience this trip has been in just a few short sentences. It was a once in a
life time opportunity and I am grateful that I had the chance to be a part of
it and learn as much as I did. This trip has reminded me that we shouldn't take
what we have in Canada for granted. We are beyond fortunate to be from a
country that has dental care available for everyone because whether one has
access to care or not can have a huge impact on ones overall health and well
being. Through this trip I have been able to pinpoint the type of person I am
and who I want to become as a dental hygienist and an individual. I have felt
my skills really come together over this past month, I am confident and excited
for new challenges in the many years of a dental hygienist to come! I
also want to thank Ada again for her amazing coaching and all the hard work she
put in to making this trip a success! We couldn't have done it without
you!!!......Dallas
I am so privileged to have been given the
opportunity to travel to San Pancho and provide dental care for its citizens.
From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with open arms. I
will never forget the graciousness and kindness that was shown to us by the people of
San Pancho. Whether it be the restaurant help on the beach or a patient in our chair,
everyone was genuine and grateful. It was amazing to see how hard working and
dedicated they are, something I see less often in more industrial
countries. I have learned such patience from this field school, the poise and
composure that all our patients demonstrated, (even after being in a chair for 6
hours) is something I admire. I feel that
I was able to share my knowledge of dental hygiene and in turn my skills have
improve greatly. This field school was very humbling, and I hope to one day go
back to San Pancho, or a similar community, and help out those with less
fortunate. I could not have done this trip without the wonderful team of women in the program and the dedicated teacher and mentor we are so fortunate to have
guided us. We were all brought together here as a cohesive team, and for that I am
grateful.
.....................................................Jenna
The long but satisfying clinic days at both Entre
Amigos and at the hospital granted me to improve my clinic skills immensely.
The opportunity to work with the seniors at the community centre provided a mentorship-type arrangement. When we had to take what we've learned from our first year in
the DH program and what we learned from our clinic sessions at Entre Amigos, it helped prepare us for our time in the hospital.
I am so impressed with how all of us performed and how we were able to tackle
very difficult cases on our own. All of our time spent working in our makeshift
clinics has made me extremely grateful for our clinic setting back in Victoria,
where everything is easy to access, ergonomically friendly, and, for the most
part, remains on plan and schedule.
Before departing for Mexico, we were forewarned to
not have any expectations about the trip. Prior to departure, I started thinking about what everything would be like once we arrived, but my
four weeks in San Pancho was nothing like I would have expected. Every single
aspect of my stay was amazing and couldn't have been better thanks to Ada,
Glades, our translators, my classmates, and of course, a big thank you to the
small community of San Pancho. Hasta luego...........................................................................Danika
