VIDA Triple Tooth Extraction

Check out this video that shows some of the most difficult cases we face!

VIDA Coral Reef Snorkeling

Some of the fun we like to have on our VIDA Adventures!

Last month, a dedicated volunteer and future dentist, Caleb Johnson, participated on a VIDA Adventure during Spring Break.  While he was on his trip, he kept a journal about his experience, and was so happy after the trip, that he decided to share some of his entries with us.  We thought more people should read this because Caleb describes the volunteer experience so well, from the work aspect and the cultural aspect.  Enjoy!

Upon our arrival we were greeted by our Team Leader, Dr. Sandra Fernandez. Dr. Sandra proved to be a great mentor, and friend to each and every one of us. Through her experience and love for teaching, she enabled our team to help over 150 native people from Costa Rica, get the care they needed. She is truly a wonderful person and an excellent example to us all.

Dr. Sandra Fernandez, DDS working with volunteers like Caleb

The first day of our trip was “arrival day”, in which, several of us arrived early. This gave us the opportunity to tour the city of San Jose , and learn about some of the Costa Rican history. In my opinion, they are an amazing people. Each person I came in contact with during my journey was eager to greet and help guide me in the right direction. I guess you could say that it was fairly obvious I was a tourist. Speaking hardly any Spanish, it could have been easy for some to take advantage. Instead it was exactly the opposite. Looking back, each encounter was both an inspiring and humbling experience.

Orientation day came next, and the words “crash course” comes to mind. We learned that day that we would be performing actual procedures involving extractions, fillings, and cleanings. I can still remember the “butterflies in my stomach” feeling I got at that moment.

Day 1 of Clinic: excerpt from my journal…

Everyone is unloading equipment and trying to get organized. Getting ready for the first time, it is unclear to us how to set up, where things go, and what certain pieces actually do. However, it’s great because you can see that nervous yet excited look on everyone’s face.

As we began clinic, the Doctors in charge were guiding us through the steps involved, beginning with diagnosis, to setting up the right equipment, to performing the necessary procedure. We all watched closely, eager to engage in treatment of our first patient. Throughout the day we gradually progressed in our knowledge of the steps required to perform the complex procedures. For the first day, the doctor in charge would get the tooth to a good point where we could use an instrument to extract. They explained that this was usually not done in previous groups until the second or third day, but I think that that Dr. Sandra could recognize the confidence in certain people’s abilities, and allowed them to begin practicing the procedure under strict supervision. I believe this was because each one of us had extensive shadowing hours logged, and during orientation, we flowed right along with her regarding the material. Even during her constant quizzing we continued to retain the information. We went the whole day with no serious complications and saw over 50 patients.

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Because of the tremendous and positive response to the programs we offer, VIDA is publishing a bi-monthly newsletter with current information about available trips and activities, program updates, and features about the learning experiences and adventures of our globally-minded volunteers.

VIDA is entering its second year of coordinating volunteer trips across Central America!  Last year, 100 volunteers participated in veterinary, medical, and dental programs in three countries (Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama).  VIDA is also excited to announce that this year more than 117 volunteers have already attended trips in Nicaragua and Costa Rica this year alone. For more information on current and future VIDA Adventures, visit http://vidavolunteertravel.org/schedules.php

To subscribe to Pura VIDA Times, send an email to: newsletter@vidavolunteertravel.org with the Subject title:
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VIDA recently sat down with the Ghaznia Khan, the Campus Coordinator for McMaster University in Canada, to ask her a few questions about herself and her work as a campus coordinator.

VIDA:  How did you originally hear about VIDA and then go on to be a campus coordinator at McMaster?

Ghaznia Khan:  I heard about VIDA through Facebook actually. I decided to message Sondra to get more information and she was so welcoming and informative! After that, I decided that I really wanted to be a part of the VIDA network, so I decided to start an official McMaster University club for VIDA with Sondra’s help and this meant that VIDA trips would be a regular occurrence here at McMaster!

VIDA:  Had you been on a VIDA adventure before your work as a campus coordinator started?

GK:  Actually, I had not. Most people attend VIDA adventures and then decide to coordinate a trip themselves, but I simply fell in love with the organization.

VIDA:  How did the trip you did attend going to affect how you coordinate other trips in the future?

GK:  I would put great emphasis on preventative treatment. During the clinic days, I noticed that a lot of the conditions were preventable. For example, in order to prevent parasites, people needed to learn the importance of boiling water. That is why I suggested that students, along with their translators, stress the importance of issues such as hygiene, nutrition and protected sexual activity.

VIDA:  How does being a campus coordinator affect your daily life and schooling?

GK:  To be honest, the life of a coordinator takes great commitment, dedication and effort.  However, the job of a coordinator allows a person to effectively demonstrate their abilities as a leader. To be able to recruit executive members, work as a team, promote the club and then lead a volunteering trip across seas is great way to demonstrate leadership skills.  I was able to manage these tasks with the great effort of my entire executive team. I had six dedicated individuals, Young-In, Sandy, Mary Ellen, Debbie, and Boka (most of which had attended previous VIDA trips).

VIDA:  What do you personally get out of being a campus coordinator?

GK:  Great friends, awesome executives, being able to work with VIDA’s amazing founders:  Sondra and Curtis, personally becoming the founder of the VIDA McMaster Chapter, awesome leadership skills, and forming strong ties with some of the most hardworking and dedicated students that went on the VIDA McMaster trip!

VIDA:  How long do you see yourself being a campus coordinator and why?

GK: I see myself coordinating for most, if not all, of my university life. Most pre-med students can, at times, volunteer in hospitals or medical clinics, but usually end up working at gift-shops or filing paperwork. In my opinion, to get a real perspective on health care fields, one would have to experience the profession by being in the profession. To be able to provide a life-affirming experience for students is very rewarding and they come out of a VIDA adventure feeling that it has changed their lives.

VIDA:  Why do you think others should get involved at their schools through VIDA and become campus coordinators themselves?

GK:  Simply, because it’s a great cause!  VIDA is entirely a non-profit organization and is affiliated with Ministry of Health and various hospitals in almost all of the countries that students visit.

Tags: Central America, Costa Rica, dental volunteers, Latin America, McMaster University, medical volunteers, Spanish, travel, Volunteer, volunteer organizations, volunteering, volunteers