Derek Leung DMD 15 with a patient in Bertin Umanzor, Honduras
When Derek Leung DMD 15 took an externship to Bertin Umanzor, Honduras, with Cape CARES June 19-26, 2014, he didn’t realize the profound impact the service work would have. Leung’s weeklong trip changed the way he viewed his life as a dentist.
Leung first learned about the Cape CARES trip at the International Elective Externship Presentation on April 11, 2014, where students talked about their service experiences. Cape CARES, based in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, aims to improve the lives of people in need in Honduras via primary, medical, and dental treatment, as well as training and education. Leung signed up as soon as he could, and was the first student in the GSDM 2015 class to apply to the Cape CARES program.
Leung was the only student from the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) on the Bertin Umanzor, Hondruas trip. However, Leung considered that a positive, stating “I didn’t know anyone, but I was happy I went by myself. It pushed me to open up to the rest of the team.” Leung met the team—comprised of nurses, physician assistants, a physician and a dentist—for the first time at the airport. “We got along very well,” Leung remembered, “we were like family right away.”
The time in Honduras was demanding. Leung remembered waking up between 5:30 and 6:00 a.m. each day and heading down for a staff breakfast. After breakfast the team would be out of the house by 7:00 a.m. and take a half hour to 45 minute drive to the clinic. When they arrived, Leung saw a sprawling line of people waiting for treatment.
The goal for each day was to see as many people as possible. “These people would travel from so far away to get treatment, and this was the only care they would get for several months, until the next group came through,” Leung said. In addition to countless patients, there were other challenges. There was very little equipment available, and the equipment had to be sterilized by getting wrapped in cloth and put in a steam pressure cooker. Leung performed extractions, dealt with rotting teeth, and treated large abscesses, mostly on children. “It was entirely different doing these things on a real patient rather than a simulated patient,” Leung explained. “You don’t see these problems as much in the United States, so this was something totally different.”
Though days were only supposed to last until 4 p.m., Leung said that sometimes they would work up until 6 p.m. to help as many patients as possible. Afterwards, the team would return back home to have dinner and debrief on the day. “We talked a lot about what we could do better,” Leung remembered.
Leung had the chance to do more than work at a clinic. At one point, Leung and the rest of the team travelled to an orphanage and gave toys away to kids.
Leung also was able to visit a village in Honduras, which he described as “shocking.” “The houses were made of mud,” Leung recollected. “And they lived in a flood plain, so every time there was a flood they’d have to evacuate, only to come home and rebuild. The houses didn’t have much inside them: hammocks, and water wells. There was a playground made out of logs and rope for the kids to play on.” What amazed Leung most, however, were the people. “They were all so happy and grateful.”
Upon returning home, Leung was so moved by the experience, he decided to change his course of study. He had originally planned to study either endodontics or prosthodontics, but after working with so many kids he decided pediatric dentistry was the best fit for him. The trip gave Leung a better appreciation for the tools and resources available back home. If given the opportunity, Leung said he would go back and help again. “I commend Derek’s enthusiasm and willingness to volunteer for this elective externship to Honduras,” Said Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter. He continued, “I am very proud of Derek and all of our students who commit to serving those in need.”