the fillin issue 9

September 2008

The Fill In September/October, 2009

2 www.uwidsa.org [email protected]

FIRST VISIT The Fill In

September/October 2009

Cover Photo: Mr. Richard

Spence (Photographer, Faculty of

Medical Sciences)

Editors: Marc Mootoo, Carlen Chandler

Contributing Writers: Lois

Applewhite, Vishaal Ranjitsingh,

Sarah Ramsaroop, Halcyon

Inniss, Marc Mootoo, Qaysir Syne

Photography: Mr. Richard Spence (photographer, FMS),

Sarah Ramsaroop, Lois Applewhite.

UWI Dental Students Association

School of Dentistry,

Faculty of Medical Sciences

UWI St Augustine

Eric Williams Medical Sciences

Complex

Uriah Butler Highway

Trinidad, West Indies

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.uwidsa.org

UWI DSA Executive:

Sarah Ramsaroop - President Lois Applewhite– Vice President Qaysir Syne– Treasurer Arianne Dhanukdharriesingh- Secretary Vishaal Ranjitsingh- Public Relations Officer

Welcome to issue number 9 of the fillin. We are back from an

extended break just in time to usher in the new school year!

To the new year one students: Welcome to the school of dentistry!

We here at the fillin hope that your experience at the school has been

a positive one thus far. Hope you guys enjoyed the Fresher's lime

that was held in the students’ common room a couple weeks ago.

Thanks go out to the DSA for making the event a huge success.

This issue of the fillin has been a while in the making. Here is our

attempt at bringing you up to date with what has been happening at

our dental school. In this issue:

- The UWI Dental School oath taking ceremony was held on

Wednesday 20th May 2009. This year marked the first year

that the ceremony comprised only of dental graduates. Scroll

down to find out more!

- Sarah Ramsaroop, our DSA president writes about the sucess

of the dental outreach to Maracas Presbyterian School.

- Halcyon Inniss, currently in year 3 writes about her

experiences as a year 2 student and provides some advice for

conquering year 2... a must read for you year 2 students.

- Also in this issue, learn more about our dental materials

guru... none other than Dr. Dhuru.



The Scene

So, here are the upcoming events on the DSA's calendar and some other important stuff to keep in

mind:

-The Annual Med Sci football tournament is underway! Please continue to come out in your

numbers and support our side...we're counting on you!

-Continuing from last year's fun-filled day, this year's "Fun Day of Cricket & Football" is fast

approaching. It will be held on Sunday, 1st November, 2009 on the EWMSC football field from

1pm- UNTIL!! Doubles and burgers will be on sale; drinks will be provided. Come on out in your

numbers, support your teams (Staff & Interns, Clinical Students, Non-clinical students) and feel

free to invite your family and friends. We're looking forward to seeing you there!

-The annual dental banquet is on the cards for this semester. The details have not yet been

finalised, but keep your ears close to the ground because The Fill-In will be the first to fill you in!

-The month of November is fast approaching! It's the time when the new Year 3's make their

official debut as clinical students! We wish to extend a warm welcome to you, as you embark upon

this exciting aspect of your dental education.

-Since the last issue of the fillin, a new DSA (Dental Students Association) committee has been elected and is serving actively. The newly elected members include: Sarah Ramsaroop - President Lois Applewhite– Vice President Qaysir Syne– Treasurer Arianne Dhanukdharriesingh- Secretary Vishaal Ranjitsingh- Public Relations Officer Congratulations to our new officers! Check out the next issue for more on the new committee members… -Want a DSA polo shirt? They are available in black and white and sport the DSA logo on the front

side. Talk to any DSA executive member and they will hook you up! Get yours soon because

there’s limited stock!

- Last, but certainly not least, we wish to remind you of the very important phase in the

development of our school which is currently taking place. The accreditation process has been

started, and we implore you to participate fully and volunteer in whatever way you can. Stay

tuned for further information on the CAAM(?) in the next issue of The Fill-In.



FRESHER’S LIME ‘09 IN PICTURES

LOCATION: STUDENT COMMON ROOM



The 2009/2010 Medical Sciences Intra-Faculty Football league has begun. Come out

and support your Dental Football side! Below is a tentative schedule of the games which

would be played on the football field at Old French, Mount Hope. Match 1 begins at

4:00pm and match 2 at 5:00 pm.

Medical Sciences Intra-Faculty Football

League 2009/2010

4:00pm 5:00pm



DENTAL OATH TAKING

CEREMONY 2009

The UWI Dental School oath taking ceremony

was held on Wednesday May 20th 2009 at

Amphitheatre A, Eric Williams Medical

Sciences complex.

2009 marked the 20th anniversary of the oath

taking ceremony. It was a privilege for me to

attend this ceremony as a third year dental

student since 2009 also marked the first year

that the ceremony comprised only dental

graduates. Traditionally the ceremony

comprised dental and medical graduates,

however, previous graduates felt that the

focus was mainly on the experiences and

accomplishments of the medical students.

Also, due to time constraints, our Batswana

colleagues were usually unable to attend the joint dental and medical ceremonies.

For these reasons, the initiative was taken by the DSA (including the then DSA President, Devin

Jaggernauth and the class of 2009 representative, Nalini Mungal) to propose the idea to the

administration.

The Ceremony was funded by the DSA and the Class of 2009 who raised funds among themselves.

Speakers at the ceremony included:

- Professor Clement Sankat (Campus Principal and Pro vice chancellor, UWI)

- Professor Plauri Murti (Director, school of Dentistry)

- Professor Samuel Ramsewak (Dean, Faculty of Medical Sciences)

- Dr. Suren Maharaj (President, Dental Council of Trinidad and Tobago)

- Dr. Devin Jaggernauth (Former President, Dental Students Association)

The Head Table (Left to Right): Dr. H. Al-Bayaty, Professor S.

Ramsewak, Professor C. Sankat, Dr. Maharaj, Professor Murti.

By Marc Mootoo



Dr. H Al-Bayaty was the chairman for the afternoon and introduced the first speaker, Professor Clement

Sankat. The Campus Principal began by congratulating the graduating class of 2009 by saying, “You’ve all

done very well, you’ve worked very hard and you deserve the honour that is being bestowed upon you

this evening”. He then urged the graduates work with good judgement, honesty and with integrity. He

commented on the challenges of the last academic year and was proud of the students for the high level

of respect that was displayed toward University staff. He closed his speech by congratulating the

dedicated staff of the UWI School of Dentistry including the technical and supporting staff.

In all, there were 23 graduates: 10 from Batswana, the remainder from Trinidad, Barbados, Jamaica and

the UK. (See front page for picture for picture of graduates).



After a speech by Dr. Suren Maharaj, President of the Dental council of Trinidad and Tobago and two

musical items, the first by Denelle Furlonge and the second by the Batswana Choir, Professor Murti lead

the graduates in the taking of the Oath. The Dental oath is as follows:

Professor Murti then proceeded to the prize-giving ceremony. The awards and awardees are as follows:

Best performance in Restorative Dentistry – Sunita Deonarine

2nd Highest score in Restorative Dentistry – Rose Phuthego

Best performance in Child Dental Health – Allana Tang Choon

2nd Highest score in Child Dental Health – Rose Phuthego and Sunita Deonarine

Best performance in Oral Diseases – Quinta Marchan and Siddiqa Mohammed

2nd highest performance in Oral Diseases – Allana Tang Choon

Best performance in Clinical Examination for Restorative Dentistry – Shontelle Lorde

Best performance in Clinical Examination for Child Dental Health – Allana Tang Choon

Best performance in Clinical Examination in Oral Disease – Siddiqa Mohammed

Best performance in Preventive Dentistry and Public Health – Sunita Deonarine

Best Performance in Human Disease Examination (Year 3) – Felisa Ramdass

Best Overall Performance - Allana Tang Choon

“I gratefully acknowledge, the distinction to be conferred upon me and I solemly promise that

as a graduate in Dentistry, I will abide steadfast in all due loyalty to the ethics of my profession

and endeavour always to promote the welfare and maintain the reputation of the University

of the West Indies.

Further in the exercise of my profession I will ever have in mind the care of the sick and the

well-being of the healthy.

these ends I will use all my knowledge and judgement. I will keep silence on any matter which I

may see or hear in the course of my professional work and which would be improper to

divulge.

I will not permit considerations of Religion, Nationality, Race, Party Politics or social standing

to influence my duty to my patient.”



Professor Clement Sankat: “You’ve all done well,

you’ve worked very hard and you deserve the

honour that is being bestowed upon you this

evening”

The Batswana Choir in

action

New Dentists

of 2009 taking

their oaths

Denelle Furlonge

and Friend perform

the Foo Fighters’

‘Times like these’



Rose Phuthego

receives an

award in

Restorative

dentistry from

Dr. Rafeek.

Siddiqa

Mohammed

receives the prize

for the best

performance in

clinical exams for

Oral Disease from

Dr. Al

Sunita Deonarine

receives the prize

for the best

performance in

Preventive

Dentistry and

Public Health from

Dr. Ramroop

The bartenders pose for a picture

Felisa Ramdass

receives the prize

for the best

performance in

the year 3 human

disease course

from Prof. Murti

Allana Tang Choon receives the prize for best overall

performance from Professor C. Sankat



Valedictorian Speech – Dental Class of 2009

Devin Jaggernauth

Wednesday 20 May, 2009 Prof Sankat, Principal; Prof Ramsewak, Dean of the faculty; Prof. Murti, Director of the School of Dentistry, Dr. Maharaj, President of the Dental Council, distinguished lecturers and members of staff, Representatives of the DSA, specially invited guests, family, friends and last but not least, the doctors of the graduating class of 2009, it gives me tremendous pleasure to stand before you as class valedictorian at the first ever Dental Oath Taking ceremony.

Some of my classmates know me to be a fan of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, and while there may not have been any elves or dwarves involved (….), the journey we travelled through the past five years was nothing less than epic.

And what a journey it was!

In September of 2004, approximately 30 individuals enrolled in the faculty of Medical Sciences to pursue their studies in the field of Dentistry. Most of them probably thought: dentistry, this shouldn’t be so bad ……but little did they know what adventure the coming years would hold.

And indeed, this was the forging of our fellowship; comprising students from Trinidad, Barbados, Jamaica, the UK and the largest contingent of students from Botswana in the dental school to date. I’m proud to say that this variety added character to our year, and the combination of differences in background and culture truly made us a unique group.

Now I’ll admit that during the first year we were somewhat divided as we shared many courses with our colleagues from the other schools. Even though we struggled through the horrors of PBL apart, we did manage to get a glimpse of the future class as we sat through many of Dr. Al’s tooth carving sessions.

It was only having entered the second semester of year 2 were we each thrown into the spotlight and made to introduce and talk about ourselves in our first lecture with Dr Smith. He was intent on have us socialize and mingle from then, and this was also his logic behind our seating arrangements in the lab. And you know what, it worked! As a class we became more united, and this translated from those early sessions, to the challenges of Gen Med at San Fernando General and even to the last days of our clinical training.. especially those last days. And even though it took some time, at the end of it we were definitely a much tighter unit.

The Dentistry program conducted here at UWI is nothing to be taken lightly, what with treating patients on a daily basis, regular examinations and the occasional presentation, so there were many challenges to be faced. Perhaps one of the biggest that we had to overcome was the time lost last year when the AC’s malfunctioned. With so much time being lost, there was much concern and even fear. Could we still get through this in time?



Once the systems were fully operational, I know for sure we took our work to another level, pushing ourselves to meet deadlines; doubling and even tripling our normal patient load while at the same time studying for the constant barrage of exams that somehow never seemed to end.

I was there on the clinic as we toiled to improve ourselves. And I was there at the Mt Hope library, STARRS, SAC and the seminar rooms when we studied together, where sometimes we’d look at each other, shake our heads and laugh because sometimes it just seemed like madness. But I believe that the quality and quantity of work that was put in, especially over the last 6 months, truly defined the determination and competence of the class of 2009. Our presence here today is proof of that. The fact that one of our external examiners wanted to take a couple students back home to his University is even more proof of that.

_______________________________

So now we know that we were able to complete the quest that started five years ago. But where do we go from here? Last Thursday after receiving my results, Prof Murti said to me as he shook my hand: Don’t for one second think this is over. This is only just the beginning.

And it’s true. We may have completed our exams, but can you really place a limit on how much more there is to learn? Whether you choose to be a general practitioner or engage in some specialty, our education never stops. Even from this point onwards, let us think progressively. What do we expect of ourselves in 1 year, 5 years or even 10 years from now?

This part of the journey may have ended, and the fellowship will be broken as some of us return home. But even as we aim to improve the lives of others through our work, let us never lose that drive to innovate and inspire excellence in ourselves and people around us regardless of our location in the world. Let our work and attitude continuously reflect our passion for providing the highest quality of patient care or dedication to teaching and research.

Of course let us not forget those who helped us reach where we are today. To our parents who worked tirelessly to provide for us physically, mentally and emotionally. To our lecturers and instructors for their commitment to us, and for always pushing us to be better students. To the laboratory, administrative and clinical staff for helping us work towards our goals. We are eternally grateful.

Please remember our colleagues who could not be with us here today. I urge you to be a source of motivation and encouragement to them as they face the challenges of exams once more.

My fellow graduands, the last five years has been an amazing and life-changing journey. Through the good times and the bad; the hot and the cold, I consider myself fortunate to have shared it with you. I know that things will never be as they once were, and I know that I’ll miss you. But even when we part ways, never forget the classes, the clinics and the experiences that bound us together for the past five years. Let us remember this as the point where it all began. And let it be that the last five years here at UWI merely acted as the foundation upon which only greatness was built. To my friends, the doctors of the class of 2009: Congratulations! Here’s to the continued pursuit of excellence and the brightest of futures!

*All photos of the oath taking ceremony were taken by Mr. Richard Spence (Photographer, FMS)



Dental Outreach at Maracas Presbyterian

Primary School 24th

April,2009

Sarah Ramsaroop

The Rotary Club’s Dental Outreach on the 24th of April, 2009 at the Maracas Presbyterian

Primary School turned out to be a complete success. Along with our Dental Instructors from the

Child Dental Health Unit at UWI School of Dentistry, we the students from the class of 2010

embarked on this amazing journey.

We gathered our trusty oral hygiene instruction aids, posters, screening instruments and

courage and piled into the maxi to travel to this far away land. This was our first outreach

experience so we were utterly excited but equally nervous as children can be quite



unpredictable. Our instructors, however, had total faith in us and had no fear that we would

deliver our very best.

We arrived at the little inconspicuous location unaware that it even existed and oblivious to

what was in store for us. Finally after much anticipation we met them, all eager faces staring up

at us and immediately we embraced the task at hand, surprised, as we all instinctively became

teachers.

The visit involved a clinical screening for caries, complete oral hygiene instructions and dietary

advice, of course. The proper brushing and flossing techniques were demonstrated as well as

the action and use of fluoride mouthwash. A run-down of dental friendly foods were given as

well as the detrimental effects of those much loved sugary snacks.

Our instructors screened each child

in record time as we delivered as

much information as possible to our

pint-sized but precocious audience.

Most of the kids were exuberant,

few were shy but all were

refreshingly receptive. They

inspired us with their many

questions, answers, volunteering to

perform tasks and the endless

posing for photographs. The

children were also presented with a

‘party bag’ stocked with dental aids

such as toothbrush, toothpaste and

floss as a follow up to their dental

education experience.



It was a grand affair, undoubtedly fulfilling for everyone involved, with lots of laughing, hugging

and, of course, the learning. It has certainly left us with the desire to make a difference

whenever, wherever and to whoever possible and to encourage our fellow students to jump at

the opportunity to participate in any future dental outreach programs to share in this great

experience.

The outreach participants were Candice Cunningham, Darius Matmungal, Ryan Moosai-

Maharaj, Kgalalelo Nkonyane, Sarah Ramsaroop, Arif Saqui, Sarika Sarpavarapu, Lindwe Siele all

from the Class of 2010 and , of course, our instructors from the Child Dental Health Unit Dr.

Naidu and Dr. Balkaran.



YEAR 2: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND…

THE EXPERIENCE FROM A LOCAL’S VIEW

By: Halcyon Inniss

How would I describe my second year experience? “In a nutshell” wouldn’t be a term I’d use, that’s for

sure. When I think of my second year at UWI I think of a theatrical play, one of the good ones. At first,

all the characters are introduced and you have a pretty good idea of what’s going on. Then, by the time

you get to the second act, there’s so much going on that you become lost and a bit caught up in it all.

But then, at the end of it all, when the curtains come down, everything is tied together and it all makes

sense…well, for the most part anyway. I’d dub this play “The Year Two Experience”.

Act I – Semester One

One would think that after successfully completing year one that year two would be more of the same,

right? Well it was…at first. The start to the year was much like year one, only this time we had

respiration and CNS to deal with. That’s when I realized that this wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. In

addition to that, we had Oral Biology with Dr. Al, which was also picking up speed. It was a back-and-

forth type semester to say the least, kind of like when a child is split between two parents, one being

dent and the other med. Of course, we all secretly had our favourite parent, but we loved them both.

Interlude- Dental Banquet

This was the second one since I’ve been at the school (I think), and it had exceeded all of my

expectations. This is where we see all of our professors and colleagues dress up and let loose. The food

was excellent, the drinks were even better, and I certainly got my money’s worth! Kudos to the DSA for

their hard work which certainly paid off and I’m definitely looking forward to attending the next one.

Act II – Semester Two

Scene I -Operative Dentistry

It felt so good to finally be rid of the medical classes, for now at least, and get down to more of a

dentistry oriented curriculum. This feeling was overshadowed by the intensity of our upcoming

schedule. So many disciplines, so little time. Perio, Cons, Paedo, Prostho…not to mention dental

materials, oral physio and biochem! This one semester felt like a year in itself as it was jam packed with

lectures, practicals, and assessments. Although it was a bit overwhelming, it was a routine that we were

looking forward to getting used to.

Scene II – HEAD AND NECK

Enter Dr. Ovchinnikov, a recurrent character from respiration. We know him well, though at times we

may not understand him. Here was a man who seemed to know everything about everything. Even



trying to learn a micro fraction of what he knew was challenging. For him it was like childsplay and for

us…well, you get my drift. His anecdotes of his life experiences brought cheer to the room, although he

was the only one laughing when blocks came along! All in all, it was a lifetime’s worth of information

jammed into a few weeks in an anatomy lab.

Act III – Phase exams

This was it. This was what the entire year had boiled down to. After endless classes and assessments,

this was the be all and end all. It was do-or-die time. The pressure was enormous and the exam schedule

was strenuous. Weeks and weeks of red bull, coffee, and sleepless nights led up to this. All of the

subjects that were crammed into one year were now being crammed into about a month of final exams.

Written, practical, viva, it’s all there. It’s hectic but it ends with a sigh of relief…soothing but short lived

as a cloud of panic quickly takes over. This was because we had to await the release of the provisional

results. The bottom line was that it was over, and we all moved on to enjoy the last real vacation that

we had as year two students, because from next year onwards, there’s no such thing!

-------------------------------------------------------------

Ok, all of that was just a lead up to the real story. The take home message for you up and coming year

twos is this: stay focused, and pay attention. Sounds simple enough right? It’s simple but I think it’s very

helpful if you’re a character in this play. Stay focused, because it’s not that it’s hard work, it’s just that

it’s a lot of work. Let’s face it, we’re all here because we’re used to hard work and we know how to deal

with it. It only gets hard when you don’t focus like you should. Pay attention because if you don’t, mark

my words you will miss something and you will fall behind before you even know what’s going on. The

bottom line is that no one is going to wait on you anymore so you can throw that notion out the

window. Of course, the professors are here to help us and they’re very accommodating and nurturing

people, but you could forget about spoon feeding. All in all, year two was a very important element to

the entire DDS process as it really gives us an idea of what we got ourselves into and opened our eyes to

the wonderful world of dentistry.



DENTAL JOKES

Bible verse hanging in a dental

office:

Psalms 81:10:" . . . open thy mouth

wide, and I will fill it."

http://www.dentalindia.com/jokes.html

A woman and her husband interrupted their

vacation to go to the dentist. "I want a tooth pulled,

and I don't want Novacaine because I'm in a big

hurry," the woman said. "Just extract the tooth as

quickly as possible, and we'll be on our way." The

dentist was quite impressed. "You're certainly a

courageous woman," he said. "Which tooth is it?"

The woman turned to her husband and said, "Show

him your tooth, dear."

http://www.dentalaffairs.com/includes/jokes.htm

Patient: Doctor, I

am very nervous.

You know, this is

my first extraction.

Young dentist:

Don’t worry, it's

my first extraction

too.

http://www.dentalaffa

irs.com/includes/jokes.

htm



Meet the Staff Professor Dhuru

A wise man once said- “None are so old as those who

have outlived enthusiasm”. Another, in the personage of Mark

Twain, said- “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t

mind, it doesn’t matter.”

Our featured lecturer for this issue most definitely does

not mind; his age surely does not matter! Moreover, he

certainly has not outlived his enthusiasm, as it just keeps

growing. His love and passion for his chosen profession are as

clear as crystal.

Dr. Virendra Dhuru, at the respectable age of 73, continues to grace the halls of this

institution, year after year, to share the wealth of knowledge he has gained over many years.

Born and raised in Mumbai, India, and currently married with 2 children and 2 grand-daughters,

Dr. Dhuru embodies the definition of dedication and industry.

His interest and concern for the education of students is obvious. Ever the traditionalist,

he has no qualms in sending a student out of his class for talking and disturbing other eager

students- and rightfully so! However, his door is always open to anyone. With his welcoming

smile, he is quick to offer a seat and encourage conversation, and he is a great help to many in

distress (as most of us who have sat under him can attest).

Dr. Dhuru first embarked upon his chosen path in 1956, when he received his BSc in

Microbiology/Chemistry from Bombay University, Bombay, India. Upon return to his alma

mater, he then graduated with his B.D.S in 1964, later followed by an MSc in Dental Materials,

University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada in 1972.

After completion of his studies, Dr. Dhuru held numerous positions at various

universities across the world, including Director of Graduate Studies at Marquette University

School of Dentistry in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in USA from 1989-1996 and Director of its Dental

Biomaterials Graduate Program from 1989-2000 (when he then retired after 27 years of

service) . He also served as a visiting faculty member at King Saud University College of

Dentistry, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (1998-1999 and 2000-2001), School of Dentistry, University of

Lagos, Nigeria (January-March 1983) and School of Dentistry, University of Dundee, Scotland



(April-May 1983). He is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor at Marquette University School

of Dentistry in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in USA, as well as a visiting faculty member to our very

own school from 2005.

Among his other accomplishments, he is the editor and co-author of the textbook-

Contemporary Dental Materials (2004) Oxford University Press-which we have become quite

affiliated with. There are another 29 publications added to his name, not forgetting the 100-

plus abstracts he has written for the American/International Association for Dental Research

Meetings.

Additionally, Dr. Dhuru has provided thesis direction and guidance to his colleagues and

predoctoral students for research design, data collection, data analysis and presentation. He is

currently a member of the American and International Association for Dental Research and

the Academy of Dental Materials.

It is therefore with pride and great pleasure that we present such an accomplished and

successful gentleman who considers it “a privilege to remain meaningfully productive and

gainfully employed at this stage of my life”, in 24 Questions with Dr. V. Dhuru.

-Lois Applewhite



24 Questions with Professor Dhuru

1. Biggest pet peeve? Inconsiderate behaviour

2. Favourite movie? (1) 2001 – Space Odyssey (2) Bullit

3. What do you do to unwind? Take a slow walk through the woods (and hills when they are available)

4. What's your favourite food? Daal and paraatha or pasta, perhaps with boneless chicken

5. Favourite drinks? (alcoholic/non alcoholic) Coffee, Sorrel shandy

6. What is your greatest joy? My extended family

7. What is your secret fear? Being penniless

8. What is the best advice you have ever received, and from whom? Accept the infinite differences in human nature and behaviour – my mother

9. The best book you have ever read? Spirit of St. Louis by Charles Lindberg (without the religious part)

10. Most embarrassing moment? When the Dean of the Dental School in Mumbai, India gave me a talking to after a Periodontics

faculty member asked me to leave her class for not taking notes during her lecture (in which she

quite literally and boringly read from a textbook and her notebook).

11. What is the happiest moment you can remember? Witnessing the births of my children and the first grand daughter

12. What do you consider your greatest achievement? Keeping the Dental Materials Graduate program at Marquette University School of Dentistry

viable (although at a reduced level of rigor) for 10 years with very little help. Some of the

individuals graduating from that program have gone on to receive doctorate degrees and currently

hold faculty positions at different universities. Others are in successful private practice.

13. What is something people don't know about you?

I have survived numerous potential accidents and yet, I do not believe in miracles. They were

instances of purely statistical probabilities

14. What influenced your decision to enter the field of dentistry?



Listening to the advice of one of my elder brothers and not listening to the advice of my other

elder brother to pursue math and physics (which, I sort of regret)

15. What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you in your days as a clinical student?

It was when I could not remove an impression from the mouth of my classmate who was also a

friend. Before the instructor could come over and help me, the “patient” made threatening

gestures and inaudibly mouthed all kinds of obscenities at me. That was an occasion of great

hilarity for my other classmates (and me). We remained friends, nevertheless.

16. What is the worst thing that has ever happened to you in your days as a clinical student?

I extracted a badly carious deciduous tooth but that was not the one eliciting pain

17. As a lecturer, what is the one thing you hate to see a student doing?

(1) Not showing any interest in trying to find out the scientific reasons for what they do in

the preclinical lab or the clinic, and more or less “blindly” doing the “technique”.

(2) Incessantly talking with a fellow student, obviously not about the subject of the lecture

18. Any interests/hobbies other than dentistry?

Photography, listening and collecting international music, going for walks

19. If you could do something other than dentistry, what would it be?

Photo and video journalism

20. People you admire and why?

Humanitarians, Scientists, Writers and Astronauts for their insights and positive contribution to

human condition

21. Where is the one place you would like to visit?

Antarctica

22. If you win the lottery tomorrow, what would you do with the money?

After distributing it among my family and my friends, and making donations to worthy charities,

pay for a space flight on the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station

23. What is the one thing in your life you would like to accomplish in the future?

Write a book of short stories based on my personal experiences

24. Is there anything in your life you would like to do over, if you could?

Tell my parents and other members of my family, friends and teachers including those who are

departed, how grateful I am for the unquestionable and uncritical support they have given me

throughout my life



WHAT TO EXPECT IN ISSUE 10

- The CAAM accreditation process - What to expect.

- Intern salary update

- The Year 2 experience from a Jamaican’s perspective

- Dental Banquet update

- Cricket and football fun day pictures

- Intra-faculty football tournament update

- Staff profile

- Learn more about your DSA executive members.

- And much much MORE!

Please feel free to submit any questions, articles and comments to the editors at

[email protected]. We welcome your suggestions and contributions. Tell us

what you would like to see in this newsletter!!

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The Fill In

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The UWI Dental Students Association can be contacted at

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Lookout for our next issue!

mailto:[email protected]

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the fillin issue 9

Documents

new school year

new year

conquering year

uwi dental school oath

dental outreach

dental graduates

nonclinical students

annual dental banquet