Abstract
Dentistry is an art and science which mainly depends on the subject knowledge, instruments, materials, technology, and skills of the operator. Sharing the knowledge and available infrastructure and technology are the best solutions to enhance the skills and improve the work pattern of the present dentist. This could be easily achieved through the introduction of learner exchange program for students as well as faculty. The exchange program has multiple advantages being beneficial for the budding dentist and the faculty, which ultimately improves the interstate relationship and help the community in health care sectors.
Introduction
Knowledge has different faces and facets which have spread in every field including the world of dentistry. One of the latest and helpful is the knowledge gaining and sharing the experience through learners exchange program (LEP). Students and faculty exchange programs have become the common norm for the fields like engineering, management, and information technology. In today’s modern era, exchange programs are gaining popularity in dental specialty also due to evolution in technology, health awareness, and desire to learn new things.
The knowledge acquired through these programs will not only build the capable and good individual but it will also help to improve the patient care and the treatment. Previously, only student exchange programs were recommended, but in this modern era of dentistry, faculty exchange programs have also been proved to be helpful for building up the extraordinary mentors.
In the exchange program, the majority of the learners stay with the local residents or with the local families during their course. They have to communicate with local residents and colleagues on daily basis. Young learners usually grasp a foreign country’s culture, tradition, and laws better than elderly people. These learners have to face the unexpected challenge that they may not have faced previously in their lives with all their mental strength. They have to handle such situations with all their senses and courage. Thus, students exchange program is encouraged globally for developing an overall good personality. Conversely, international LEP has also been identified with some mental, physical, and financial burden to the learner.
Merits of Learners Exchange Program
Cultural Learning
Cultural variation is the biggest challenge to the member of the exchange program. The exchange program provides the student with an opportunity to learn in a different country and environment experiencing the history and culture of that country. 1 Interacting with different people and visiting new places encourages the learner to acquire more and more knowledge and information not only related to dentistry but also in general. In a study carried out in Saudi, dental students showed the majority of the students (89.8%) thought that international student exchange programs could enhance their cultural competence. 2
Language Learning
Learning a different language would be the major benefit of the exchanged program for students as well as faculty. Their local language would be improved by spending more hours with their other fellow colleagues, with the practice and trying to communicate and express in the local language. Communicating in the local country language improves the rapport and gives confidence to the learner. In dentistry, understanding the basic concepts of new machine or technology in the language understood by the learner gives him confidence and an insight into the advances in dentistry. 3
Financial Gain
LEP is usually sponsored by the university or national funding. It also provides accommodation, travelling, and other expenses during the course. Some programs have the provision of special leave, stipend, and other monetary benefits. Overall, financial security is provided for such programs, which relieves the mental and financial burden from the minds of the learner.
Better Clinical and Management Skills
Completing the given task in a time frame with their own ideas becomes the part of the management. An exchange program develops thoughts, interaction, and support between the student and the faculty as they accomplish the challenge in a better way in given time. These programs help to develop clinical skills of participants through extensive orientation lectures, training, and hands-on clinical experience. Similarly, the exchange programs also provide facility to students and faculty members to be abreast with the modern infrastructure, techniques, and methodologies.
Better Decision-Making
Clinical dentistry allows the learner to arrive at the correct diagnosis. It also makes the learner capable of decision-making and treatment planning. Evidence-based dentistry and adoption of standardized treatment protocol make the learner more confident and better in the patient management.3,4
New Contacts for Personal and Professional Growth
To widen the scope of knowledge and practical skills, the LEP is very beneficial. It not only creates contact with mentors and other students who have various ideas and thoughts on the same subject topic but also builds confidence and encourages the teamwork. 5
Better Leadership and Mentorship Qualities
Interacting with other students and mentors helps to develop leadership and decision-making qualities in the students. Faculty on other hand develops better interaction methods, mentorship techniques, and innovative ideas for student’s career making pathways. It also creates the opportunity for better employment as it adds value and weightage to the learner’s profile.6,7
Development of Morality and Participation in Social Health Care Services
Though dental graduates learn morality and ethics in their curriculum, the exchange program further improves their moral views and encourages the learners to volun-tarily participate in social or charitable health care programs.8–10
Simulators and Live Patients Hands-On
Learners of developing or underdeveloped country may lack financial backing and may not have sufficient simulators or facility for training. LEP offers them an opportunity to work in the simulated environment well before working directly on the patients. On the contrary, the developed countries though have simulators and state-of-art facilities, they do not have much clinical hands-on on the patients during their undergraduation years. Thus, while in the LEP they get a wide hands-on experience on patients and improve their overall clinical skills.11–13
Tourism
LEP not only offers the knowledge and imparts the education but also gives an opportunity to the learners to explore new state or country as a tourist.
Demerits of Learners Exchange Program
Security Issue
Visiting a different place in own country or abroad raises security issues. Personal, luggage, and financial insecurity always rise up in the tender minds of the learner.
Cultural Differences
Cultural differences make the learning member sometimes retroward or exception to the fellow colleagues. It causes inferiority complex and induces depression even in the bright learner.
Environmental Differences
Sudden change in the climate, such as from summer to rain or snow, different geographical areas, mountain or untouched areas would pose a challenge to physical as well as the mental capability of the learner. Accommodating the present residence in the exchange program is also a challenging task.
Homesickness and Loneliness
Difficulty in learning or understanding new local language creates the feeling of awkwardness and low confidence.
No Opportunity to an Average Student
Only academically brilliant and skilled students, as well as faculty, get an opportunity to be the part of the exchange program. Average learners are usually excluded from the selection process as the learners are going to represent their state or country. There would be a possibility that the learner may influence the selector and grab the opportunity of being selected for the exchange program.
Preventive Health Measures for Developed Countries to Undeveloped or Developing Countries and Vice-Versa
People when travelling for the LEP to the country where certain diseases are endemic, they need some special precautions or preventive measure such as vaccination, etc., before landing to foreign country especially underdeveloped countries. All health-related guidelines have to be followed during travelling in LEP.
Hygiene and Health Safety
Working in the area known for endemic or epidemic disease requires special health care measures, especially in the health sector where there is direct contact of the operator with the diseased patient. In dentistry, there is an oral environment full of microbes and at times with infectious and communicable microorganisms. Thus, the learner is always at a risk of acquiring such an infection.
Travel Insurance
Travelling abroad requires travelling insurance as well as health insurance. Certain countries made it compulsion and it requires a lot of money. Ultimately, the overall cost of learning the program or individual learner increases, causing a financial burden on the delegate learner. 12
Scope for the Betterment of Learner Exchange Program
Expansion of the program to allow more number of participants for better chances of almost all members to be a part of the LEP.
Improving the facility will provide stronger financial support for the learners as well as provide ample amount of dental materials and other armamentarium for the benefit of patients.
Improving the mentorship for the faculty and preparation of the learner in advance for the program, so that they can cope up with new environment easily.
Conclusion
The LEP has its own advantages and disadvantages. Learners learn new things in due course of time and develop their skills and talent that could greatly benefit students, patients, and society at large in many aspects. The program offers the opportunity to the students to learn not only the dental subject but also the different culture and language while improving their independence. For the reasons, the advantages of such programs outweigh their disadvantages and must be encouraged in our country
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.