Fourth-year dental students Kim Pierre, Gisselle Perez and Gabe Crocker traveled to the Dominican Republic during the summer to provide dental care to underserved communities through the Somos Amigos program, which operates a free medical and dental clinic in the rural area of El Naranjito.
Over the course of a week, Pierre treated around 60 patients for various procedures, including fillings and extractions.
“The patient population was very diverse,” Pierre said. “Many were Haitian immigrants, and as a Haitian myself, it felt like treating my own family, which was a beautiful experience.”
The students worked alongside other volunteers, including dentists and hygienists from the Dominican Republic and Richard Williamson, DDS, an associate professor at the UNMC College of Dentistry.
Crocker valued the supportive and collaborative team environment.
“We worked long days that were full of patients,” Crocker said. “Our team showed great camaraderie as we worked to complete everything in a timely manner. All the volunteers shared the same goal of figuring out how we could best help the team take care of the patients.”
Perez experienced a boost in her self-confidence.
“Treating patients outside of the classroom, in a setting that I’m not familiar with, helped me realize that UNMC does a really good job at preparing us for what we do,” Perez said, “and I came back a lot more confident in my work.”
The students said the lessons they learned will stay with them forever.
Said Pierre, “Everyone has their own story that makes them unique, and it’s important as a health care provider to take your patients’ stories into account when you’re treating them.”
Crocker spoke about the benefits of stepping outside your comfort zone.
“Being able to step into that position where it’s different and being in an uncomfortable scenario is great for anyone and helps you realize the importance of what you’re able to accomplish through helping the underserved,” Crocker said.
Working alongside of my students in an unfamiliar environment was a most rewarding experience to see how they treated the local population, interacted with the care team and problem solved situations they would never experience in a academic environment. I was so very proud of them. The Executive Director of Somos Amigos complimented the students multiple times and confirmed that UNMC College of Dentistry faculty are serving the students well. The growth the students experienced was directly related to their Global Experience.