D3 Michael Morris organized a group of student volunteers for a Remote Area Medical (RAM) deployment in Indio, CA, in early April. UCSF Dentistry faculty member Dr. Gordon Lee provided faculty support.
UCSF dental students included D3s Michael Morris, Heather Dinh, Sisley Bao, Sarah Forbes, and Jennifer Negelerio; D4s Bob Foroogi, Tracy Sunga, and Annie Lay. D1 Jean Calvo volunteered as a dental assistant. Dr. Lee's wife Carolyn (UCSF RN, NP) volunteered as a medical volunteer.
"Some of the students drove in Friday at 1 AM to start working on Saturday at 7 AM" says Lee. "It was a wonderful group, well representing the spirit and commitment of UCSF."
Adds Lee:
"RAM Indio was a great teaching and learning experience for our students. We served alongside with an equally impressive student group from Loma Linda. The restorative work was extensive, as was oral surgery, and patient management. A good test of our students' thinking was deciphering and modifying the treatment plan from the triage dentists, and to understand mysteries of printed X-rays!"
"A few notable moments include Sarah and Jennifer rebuilding a young woman's anterior smile with huge layered composites, followed by hugs and her mother crying from gratitude. Michael and Bob worked on a partial bony impaction with a great oral surgeon. Annie, Tracy, Heather, Sisiley all doing multiple restorations, multiple quadrants. We worked on Saturday from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM, and Sunday from 7:00 AM to 2:00 or 3:30 PM, depending on travel arrangements."
"The RAM people - volunteers - were great. The patients were appreciative. It was a blast!"
Pictured
UCSF Dentistry students and faculty at RAM in Indio, CA
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