Dental News - Interview: “I will probably surpass some personal limits”

Dental Tribune International

Tue. 10. October 2017

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LEIPZIG, Germany: Volunteering can be a very rewarding experience. For Vicky Ubrich, a young dentist living in Leipzig, it was a goal she had as a child. Now halfway through her final year as an assistant dentist, Ubrich is taking some time out to head to South America as a volunteer to put her skills to use in a very different setting. Dental Tribune Online met with her a few days before her departure, to find out about her motivation, studies and work.

Why did you decide to dedicate some of your time to volunteering and where exactly in South America are you going to and for how long?
I always wanted to help people, even as a small child, and I always knew I wanted to work in some poorer parts of the world where people could really benefit from what I have learnt. It was always clear to me that when I had finished studying I would do something like this. In total I will be away for a month, working in a small village called Urubamba close to Cuzco in the Andes in Peru. The village is about 4,000 m above sea level, so it is going to be quite an adventure. I actually wanted to do something like this as a student and it would have been possible—but it made more sense to go when I had finished studying so that my skills would be of more use and I would really be able to help people.

Do you know much about the level of dental health, the equipment you will have at your disposal and where you will be working?
Regarding the working situation, I have seen some photographs and there is a chair and some basic supplies for doing fillings and extracting teeth and stuff like that, but the exact level of oral health is more or less unknown. Twice a week, we will be travelling to a small village with a team to treat people in remote areas, and on the other days, we will be working in a specific location next to a school where patients can come directly to us.

Why did you decide to study dentistry and in what field are you working?
I like the mix of medicine and helping people; however, I also like working with my hands. It’s very precise work, which is something I really enjoy. My passion is working with children, and after studying, I got a job working in a practice that specialises in exactly that. When we were studying, we didn’t have a lot of time to gain experience in the field—but I knew what I didn’t want and that was to work with adults mainly. In my practice, we work with a range of children, from babies to 18-year-olds. I have a connection with children and get along with most kids really well. It’s great, they see their older siblings getting treatment and are really excited to sit in the chair. I try and help them not to be afraid of the dentist, but to see the fun in brushing their teeth and enjoying good oral health.

Were there any particular courses or extra training you had to complete to be able to volunteer in the programme, and how much has the organisation helped with your preparations?
As long as one is a dentist, then one is able to work in the programme. It is a smaller private organisation run by a German dentist and I simply e-mailed him asking if he needed someone who works with children. He was really interested to speak with me and we chatted on the phone a couple of times. He gave me a basic overview about what to expect and what is happening over there and how things work. The organisation arranges as much as one needs really, accommodation, transport and so on. It was really good. For me, it was fine because I have travelled a lot, but if one needed more help, I am sure that they would be able to give it.

How have you prepared in regard to accepting what might be some difficult situations?
I haven’t thought about it too much; honestly, I’m not exactly sure how I will be. I am prepared to extract teeth. I guess I am most nervous about not being able to do my best work because of the situation—so I will probably surpass some personal limits. But more than anything I am just really excited and very happy to be going there; it was always a goal of mine to do something like this.

What are you looking forward to most, apart from working with the children?
I will be volunteering for two weeks and travelling for two weeks. The volunteer camp is about an hour away from Machu Picchu and I will definitely be walking one of the treks. I think Salkantay Trek. It’s a five-day hike, so I will be doing it after my volunteering stint.

Look out for our follow-up interview with Vicky on her experience volunteering in Peru.