Unlike in the United States, dental students in Japan do not see their first patients until after graduation. Japanese dental patients rarely question their dentists' recommendations. And Japanese patients are less likely than Americans to complain about pain while in the dental chair.
For Karen's thoughts on the value of experiencing another culture, roll over the image above.
These are just a few observations made by students participating in a unique educational and cultural exchange program between the UCLA School of Dentistry and the dental schools at Meikai and Asahi Universities in Japan. Sponsored for the past 13 years by Japanese educational entrepreneur and philanthropist Dr. Susumu Miyata, the exchange gives 10 Japanese students and 10 UCLA students each year the opportunity to visit each others' universities, learn about a different culture, and examine differing approaches to health care and dental education.
For Melissa's observations about Japanese patients, roll over the image above.
This past year, the UCLA School of Dentistry received a gift of $1 million from Dr. Miyata to create the Dr. Susumu Miyata Endowment for Educational and Cultural Exchange.
Karen Potter '07 and Melissa Chin '07, fourth-year UCLA dental students, returned from the most recent exchange in Japan last spring. Both found the experience to be eye-opening and enriching.
"My visit to Japan expanded my cultural awareness and reaffirmed my desire to respect the diverse cultural backgrounds of the patients I treat here in Los Angeles," says Potter.
For Chin, the program also pointed her to ways of expanding her knowledge of dentistry. "Before participating in the exchange, I was largely unaware of what other countries have to offer in terms of dentistry. Being more attuned to research and practices outside the United States is sure to benefit me both in practice and in teaching."
Potter and Chin agree that new friendships were the most rewarding outcome of the exchange. Says Chin, "I feel I can always call on these new friends in the future, not only personally, but also professionally as we share knowledge gained through research and clinical expertise."
Japanese and American students in the Miyata Exchange.
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"The exchange program not only allowed us to see Japanese dentistry in action, it also provided an opportunity to explore a new culture. From sharing in Japan's religious practices by visiting Buddhist temples and copying Buddhist prayers in calligraphy, to experiencing cuisines such as raw horse called basashi, raw eggs, and shrimp that were still twitching on a plate, my visit to Japan has given me a profound respect for a culture far different from my Orange County upbringing, and will forever inform my approach to patients from other cultures."
"The Miyata exchange exposed us not only to differences in American and Japanese dentistry, but also to differences in how patients receive care. During one procedure, we witnessed a female patient receiving injections in her palate, which can be very painful. Incredibly, even though she was receiving multiple injections in rapid succession, she remained completely still and didn't make a sound. The other UCLA students and I were amazed. We asked each other, 'How is she doing that?' In my impression, Japanese patients tend to be very cooperative and highly respectful of their doctors."
