Fourth-year dental students Amirali Paknahad (left) and Quinn Boyko spent a week working in Dauphin, Man., as part of the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry’s rural rotation.
Rotation opens students’ eyes to rural dentistry
“Awesome” is how two Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry students described their recent experience working in rural Manitoba, the first rural rotation offered at the dental college in many years.
Fourth-year dental students Quinn Boyko and Amirali Paknahad spent a week working in Dauphin, Man., as part of the dental college’s rural rotation experiential learning initiative. They worked at the dental office of Drs. Daron Baxter, Glen Haugen and Darrin Schramke.
“It was a really good opportunity, and I am thankful I got to go,” said Paknahad, who is from Toronto and took part in the rural rotation to experience what life would be like as a rural dentist.
“They did an amazing job of showing us the lifestyle, the hours and the scheduling. The experience was all-encompassing, so I got a good idea of what it would be like if I were to go there and work.”
Boyko, a Winnipegger, said he has always been interested in rural dentistry, but making connections and driving out to shadow a rural dentist for a day can be challenging.
“That’s why the rural rotation was the perfect opportunity,” Boyko said. “It wasn’t just one day – it was a full week that I got to immerse myself. I really liked the small-town aspect.”
The students appreciated that rural dentists get to do it all.
“In the city, you have all these resources, so it’s easy just to refer someone to a specialist, but up there, they’re almost super dentists. They have to do some of those trickier cases,” Boyko said.
And the future dentists had the opportunity to experience this firsthand.
“In the city, you might see a dentist who doesn’t do extractions or doesn’t do pediatrics, but everyone did everything in Dauphin, including us. We got to do pediatrics, some surgeries, restorative and explore creative treatment options to meet the patients’ needs,” Paknahad said. “It was awesome to be part of it.”
Dr. Trenna Reeve, associate dean (clinical) and assistant professor of restorative dentistry at the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, said that four students in total will participate in the rural rotation this year. She expects the rotation to expand to more communities like the remote northern rotation initiative, which was relaunched in 2021 after not running for several years.
“It’s important that our students gain a broad perspective as to where they may be employed. They need to see that dentistry doesn’t just exist in the city and that there are potential access to care issues. It is crucial for them to get that experience,” Reeve said.
Because of his experience on the rotation, Boyko is thinking about practicing in a rural community.
“The rural rotation would probably be the highlight of my year. It has definitely increased the likelihood that I’ll want to work in a rural area,” Boyko said.
Paknahad said he is also considering pursuing rural dentistry thanks to the rotation.
“It brought to light many of the positives for me and what I could offer a community,” Paknahad said. “I’m way closer to seeing that as a possibility now than before the rotation – 100 per cent.”