Final year students get their teeth into double event opportunity
Students on GCU’s BSc Oral Health Science programme have been given the chance to gain professional insight throughout the closing months of their degree.
Third year students, who are based at Glasgow Dental Hospital, capped off their time at GCU with a visit from the General Dental Council’s (GDC) Head of Scottish Affairs. Students were also invited to attend an online symposium focusing on oral cancer with UCLL, a university in Belgium which, similarly to GCU, prepares students for a future career in a variety of allied healthcare professions.
Nicola Hurst was one of the students involved and was delighted to get the opportunity after a challenging introduction to life at GCU.
She explained: “We obviously began university in 2020, so at the start we were coming into clinic one day a week for clinical skills and then the pandemic kicked off again. The impact of that was massive and meant that all our lectures were online for the remainder of first year.
“Thankfully, the lecturers all made sure that we were kept engaged and motivated, which is something that has continued throughout our degree.”
Nicola added: “There have obviously been different challenges, but the course has been so exciting overall. We’ve had loads of opportunities, like going to outreach clinics all over Scotland which gives us a new environment to learn in.
“Outreach clinics are basically Oral Health’s version of placement, and it has allowed me to spend time at the likes of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and with NHS Cleft Teams - it’s definitely been one of the best parts of the course.”
As well as getting the opportunity to learn away from Glasgow Dental Hospital, Nicola and the rest of the final year cohort had the chance to develop their knowledge of the profession’s governing body through a visit from Gordon Matheson, Head of Scottish Affairs for the GDC.
“I was previously a dental nurse before doing this course and had developed a perception of the GDC. I thought they would be a bit intimidating because they are basically making sure you’re doing everything properly as a dental professional,” explained Nicola.
“However, Gordon was so lovely and welcoming – it was nice to put a friendly face to something that you think of as being quite scary.
“He was really interested in everyone’s own personal journey into the profession – he didn’t let anyone sit in silence. He also asked us about our course and basically gave us a quiz to check what we knew about the GDC and help clarify everything about them as an organisation.”
Just three days after the visit, which took place on the 21st of March, Nicola and her fellow students were also given the chance to gain an international insight into their profession.
“Our lecturers had been trying to arrange some sort of learning experience with UCLL for a while.”
“We met up on Zoom and basically focused on how we manage and support patients. There was also a student from the University of Portsmouth who came on and discussed his research project, which related to oral cancer. It was just really exciting for us to get involved with other universities and other professionals from different countries.”
Nicola added: “The most interesting part was actually with a Belgian Dental Hygienist who previously had tonsil cancer and gave us an insight into her experience. It was really emotional hearing about her journey, but also very educational.
“She spoke about Xerostomia (dry mouth), a side effect of chemo and radiotherapy, and how it left her unable to eat or drink. It was eye-opening to hear because it’s something patients have spoken to us about before without us really appreciating what they’re going through.”
With graduation just a matter of months away, Nicola is preparing to return to the world of work and feels the recent opportunities provided will be of benefit in future.
She explained: “As a final year student, it’s easy to feel unsure about your level of knowledge, but these two experiences have helped us all realise that we’re actually in a good position and know more than we probably gave ourselves credit for.”
Nicola added: “I’m really excited to graduate, but it’s a bit scary to think I’m going to be on the other side of the chair.
“When I was a dental nurse I was more there to provide support, but I got to a stage where I was just thinking I wanted to get involved further. This course has given me the chance to do that and I’m now looking forward to that next stage in my career.”
By Ross Clark
Got an SHLS or GSBS story? Email me at Ross.Clark@gcu.ac.uk or message me on Twitter