The Fill In

IIInnn ttthhhiiisss iiissssssuuueee

RRReeepppooorrrttt ooonnn ttthhheee

888ttthhh AAAnnnnnnuuuaaalll DDDeeennntttaaalll BBBaaannnqqquuueeettt

IIInnnttteeerrrvvviiieeewww wwwiiittthhh

DDDrrr RRReeeiiissshhhaaa RRRaaafffeeeeeekkk

WWWooorrrdddsss fffrrrooommm VVVaaallleeedddiiiccctttooorrriiiaaannn 222000000888

NNNiiikkkiiissshhhaaa AAAllleeexxxaaannndddeeerrr

The Fill In December, 2008

1 www.uwidsa.org [email protected]

FIRST VISIT The Fill In

December 2008

Cover Photo: Denelle Furlonge,

Marc Mootoo

Editors: Cindy Beckles, Devin Jaggernauth, Denelle Furlonge, Carlen Chandler, Lois Applewhite, Contributing Writers: Dr. Smith, Nikisha Alexander, Sarah Ramsaroop Photography: Lawrence Moy

Hing

UWI Dental Students Association

School of Dentistry,

Faculty of Medical Sciences

UWI St Augustine

Eric Williams Medical Sciences

Complex

Uriah Butler Highway

Trinidad, West Indies

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.uwidsa.org

UWI DSA Executive:

Devin Jaggernauth - President

Arif Saqui – Vice President

Sarah Ramsaroop – Treasurer

Allana Tang Choon - Secretary

It’s December, and we all know what that means. Yes, the Fill In has been

going strong for one full semester! Good job Fill In Team and thanks to the

readers for supporting us thus far.

Exams are finally over and the Christmas Vacation begins, but what are going

to do with all your newly acquired free time? We at the Fill In got you

covered with a December issue for your vacation reading pleasure.

In this issue, we have the words of our DSA President, our Valedictorian and

one of our favourite lecturers, Dr Smith.

Also, we feature an interview with the head of Conservative Dentistry

Department, Dr. Rafeek.

We love to hear feedback from our readers and in ‘Student Perspective’ we

listen to your thoughts on the recent Dental Banquet.

So while you wait for the sounds of Santa’s reindeer on your roof, relax next

to the Christmas tree with a glass of sorrel in hand and enjoy the 7th Issue of

the Fill In.

TFI

September 2008



The Scene

The 8th Annual Dental Banquet was a tremendous success and was highly

praised by all who attended. The DSA wishes to thank all those who got

involved and supported the venture! Some of us were left wondering if we

really had to wait an entire year to do it again!

The air conditioning units have been installed and are fully operational in

the Polyclinic and Paediatric Unit. Clinical students and interns have

returned to full day work since December 8.

One new X-ray unit has been installed on the polyclinic and work on a

second is almost complete. Both units are capable of both plain film and digital radiography, however the

use of the digital facilities are slowly being phased in for the interns and final year students for now.

The DSA wishes to thank everyone involved for a most

successful first semester. Season’s greetings to all, and we

wish you all a prosperous and productive 2009!



Banquet Report

Denelle Furlonge

The eighth annual dental banquet was held on November 14th at the Centre of Excellence to great success. It

promised a night of elegance and fine dining and it was all of that and much more. It brought old friends

together and forged new friendships, it was entertaining and lively. It was an occasion to highlight the success

of the graduating class of 2008, to honour and show appreciation to students and staff. It was a night to

remember for all who attended and a hot topic for the weeks that followed.

The banquet started off at seven in the evening, at which time everyone had a chance to mingle over

scrumptious appetizers. The formal part of the event began with the national anthem followed by a welcoming

speech the DSA vice president and banquet coordinator, Mr. Arif Saqui. Professor Murti then welcomed

everyone to have an enjoyable night.

Dr. William Smith was then asked to speak on behalf of

the staff, where he commented that the dental students

inspired hope that the university can shine the way it is

intended to. He advised students to study hard, even

harder than before and to enjoy themselves while doing

it. He went on to say that the behaviour of the dental

students in light of the past strike in October, showed that

they exemplified unity, leadership and change.

Devin Jaggernauth, President of the Dental Student

Association, highlighted that the goal for the DSA was to

strive for excellence. He outlined that this involved bringing dental students together and this was

accomplished through the start of the newsletter, the staff-student cricket match and the recent

demonstrations in October to better the student environment. He urged the students to get involved and in

any way that they can to give back to the dental institution.

Dr. Keisha Broomes, the valedictorian of the graduating class of 2008 then spoke to us about not just being a

student who passes exams but to be students and then future practitioners who care and give back to our

patients. The graduating class of 2008 were then awarded gift sets on behalf of the DSA.

Special awards distributed

Lecturer Awards

Lecturer of the Year (Challenge Shield)- Dr. Tricia Percival .

Most Inspiring DDS Clinical Instructor (Challenge Shield)- Dr. Larry Coldero .

Most Devoted DDS Professional and Mentor- Dr. Al-Bayaty.



Intern Awards

Best Oral Surgery Intern 07’- Dr. J Marchack

Best Arima & Adult Polclinic Intern 07’- Dr. R. Powdhar

Best Paediatric Intern 07’- Dr. V. Bhatt

Best Emergency & Oral Medicine Intern- Dr. S. Rhamsubhag

The votes for the lecturers were compiled from the class of 2008 while the votes for the interns were made by

the Heads of the Departments.

The DSA also distributed hampers to the Administrative

Staff, Polyclinic Reception, Paediatric Reception, the

Dental Surgery Assistants and Lab personnel. Trophies

were awarded to the stars of the cricket match where

Dr. Paryag received the trophy on behalf of the winning

team, the Academic Staff. Dr. K. Maharaj was

recognized as being the Best Batsman, Dr. Paryag- Best

Bowler and the MVP went to David McKillican of Year 3.

Sarah Ramsaroop, the DSA treasurer then gave the Vote

of Thanks and appreciation for the various companies

that kindly donated their services.

The Campus Principal, Professor Sankat, then gave an impromptu speech commenting that he was impressed

with the Dental Student Association for coming together as a student body, taking action and making

proposals. He also added that he was quite impressed with the DSA for organizing the banquet. The Dean of

Medical Sciences, Professor Ramsewak, also gave an impromptu speech, also commending the DSA and the

dental students.

Dinner was served, or rather, we served ourselves to an enticing assortment of main course items and then to

heavenly slices of dessert! We then had a medley of songs played on the steelpan by our own Carey Rawlins

from the dental polyclinic staff, this was then followed by Redemption Song played on the guitar by me,

Denelle Furlonge, which led the way to the karaoke that followed. Dancing shoes filled the floor which went on

past two in the morning.

The dental banquet was a great success, plain to see for everyone attended. A student told me a few days after

that he wished they would have these gatherings every month. To the students who gave up their time in

planning and putting together the dental banquet, you did great! It was definitely a night to remember.



DSA President’s Banquet Address Devin Jaggernauth

Professor Ramsewak, Dean of the Faculty of Medical

Sciences; Professor Murti, Director of the School of

Dentistry; distinguished lecturers and clinical

instructors, support staff, former and recent

graduates, fellow students, other specially invited

guests: Good evening and welcome to the 8th Annual

Dental Banquet.

The theme for this evening’s function is a one of

elegance, fine dining (don’t fill up on appetizers, dinner will be served shortly) and lastly a celebration

of excellence. As students of the UWI School of Dentistry, we’re always being encourage to aim for

excellence, be it academic or in clinical practice. My colleagues will agree that this can often be

frustrating, but then again the best approach is seldom ever the easiest.

In keeping with this idea, I can assure you that this DSA has strived for nothing less than excellence

since being elected in April. What you see before you here tonight is testament to this.

As many of you know, the DSA was dormant for some time, and I wish to recognize the work of our

previous president, Dr. Ryszardo Jennings and his executive for giving the association that much

needed push to get going again. The last dental banquet was a monumental step in bringing the

school together once more. That was actually a first for me, seeing students and staff interacting on a

new level, with the understanding that we were all connected by the same institution. That night, it

was obvious that there was potential for much more!

At our first executive meeting we put forward our plans for the year. The ideas were fairly

straightforward: we wanted to bring the student body closer together, promote the building of

relationships within the classes and among the years. We’re all students sharing a common goal and

we’d be working together at some point in time. Establishing these bonds among the students would

easily benefit everyone involved. The plan was to do this through a series of activities with the basic

aim of getting the students involved.



I always felt there was need for better communication within the faculty

and especially within the dental school. A former DSA president (who

wishes to be known as many faces behind one mask) felt the same way,

and was in fact a few steps ahead of us. With a collection of articles, the

idea of a monthly magazine was presented to us. After some small

tweaking and formatting, the first issue of our monthly newsletter, The

Fill In, was released. It was decided that it should be kept electronic

because trees would be saved, it would cost us nothing and it would be

extremely easy to distribute. Little did we realize that we created a

monster: The Fill In snowballed and its high standards were praised by

students, staff and alumni among others.

It was decided that in order to students involved,

we should make them feel like part of the school

from day one. The ideas behind this were

formulated by asking: What would we have liked

as freshmen? And as the older students, how

could we improve their experience as they’re just

starting dental school? We presented them with

welcome tokens (flash drives with the DSA logo)

and threw a small party for them to meet fellow

students and staff, which turned into a big party. I

believe we managed to pull off one of the best

orientation and icebreaker functions for our year ones, and I say this because so many students in the

higher years actually came forward saying “I wish I was in year one for this!”

The next major event was the Student Staff cricket match. Thanks to much help and advice from Dr.

Naidu and others, we were able to revive an old DSA tradition. Despite inclement weather, a water-

logged field and absent food vendors, we were able to find ways to still get the match going. The

support from students and staff was amazing, and a true sense of unity could truly be felt. I’ll admit I

was surprised that the academic staff was victorious, and I was particularly surprised at the skill of the

players. Maybe we underestimated them; however the Big Burs are requesting a rematch next

semester.



Our recent demonstration was a perfect example of how strong we can be when we stand together as

a student body. Despite being put together in such a short space of time, this was probably the first

time that I saw so many of us in agreement that

something more had to be done, even after the DSA

had gone through all the proper channels. By no

means can the DSA or any single student be credited

for the progress seen since, but I will say that our

action in unison definitely served to catalyze

processes that were in the pipelines for months. To

the younger years, take note. This is just another

reason why we should stick close together as a

student body.

With that said, I’ll admit the sailing hasn’t always been smooth and realistically, I don’t expect it to be.

Among us, I’ve realized that there are elements that will always oppose and provide resistance and

seek to divide us. To my fellow students, I urge you to discourage this wherever you see it. As I said

before, we’re all here working towards a common goal. There is no race or competition, so there is no

benefit to be gained by pulling one another down or splitting yourselves apart. This is not the place for

a high-school mentality; that should have been left behind long ago. Let us not be selfish, but try to

work with each other despite our differences. To the younger years, your classes comprise people

from all over the world, but do not let this get in the way of establishing camaraderie. So the languages

and cultural practices may be different. So what? Dental school is hardly ever easy, I can say that

after being here for more than four years, but what truly makes it enjoyable and worth it in the end are

the people you work with daily. As I was told in first year, reach past all that and smash those barriers,

better sooner than later.

To say that the past few weeks were hectic is a gross

understatement, as planning for the banquet still

continued (though at some point we were very close

to postponing). I can say I had good reason for going

around and personally convincing people to attend

this function: student dedication. The last banquet

was planned by four people and this time around I

was certain that it could be that much easier if more

people were involved. It was true to some extent,



except I had anticipated more people helping out. Nevertheless, we pulled it off, and with this in mind,

I want to thank everyone involved in putting this together, in particular our vice president, Mr Arif

Saqui. Arif has been excited about this banquet since May, and having worked with him since then, I

sometimes wonder if he’s human. He’s easily the most energetic person I know and my executive will

agree he’s a tremendous driving force in the DSA. I’ve seen so much hard work being put in from

people like Sarika, Sarah and Nandita, Ryan, Gren and Qaysir who make themselves available

whenever needed. The word “clique” has been thrown around when in reference to some of them, and

it may appear as one since these are the people we know we can count on whenever needed; these

are the people who continue to work hard and give of their time, so naturally we tend towards them

and frequently associate with them. One person who particularly caught my attention was Arianne

Dhanukdarriesingh (first year student). She came to all our meetings, and went about her own

fundraising ventures by selling chow and cakes. It’s been very inspiring to see that level of dedication,

and I know the future of the DSA is safe as long we have people like her around. First years, take

note!

On the same point, I wish to recognize all the

members of staff present here tonight. It says

something about their dedication to us as students

when our own lecturers can come out and be here

with us outside the school environment. These are

the same people who support our ventures, and 99%

of the time, these are the same people who are

always willing to help us in school, who make

themselves available and are always willing to go the

extra mile to provide us with the standard of education that we need. It’s easy to see that your interest

is genuine. On behalf of the student body, I thank you profusely for working with us and not giving up.

Before leaving, I’ll repeat what I’ve been saying all semester. Students: get involved. Our school isn’t

perfect, and it won’t fix itself. There’s always some way you can give back to the institution. Everyone

can study and pass exams, but at the end of your five years here, can you say that you did any more

than that? I’m not saying go all out and build a new school, but find ways to improve the system and

your experience here. So be proactive, get involved

We have an elegant and fun evening planned. Dinner will be served after the presentation of awards.

So sit back and relax. Once again, welcome to the 8th annual dental banquet. Good evening!



Dr. Smith’s Banquet Address

Dr. Smith

Note From The Editor Those who were present at the 8th Annual Dental Banquet were not only treated to a true

“Trini” party, but were also had the benefit of listening to some truly inspiring speeches on that night including

those by the Staff – represented by Dr. William Smith – and the Principal of UWI St. Augustine. The Principal’s

speech was brilliant, off the cuff and lifted the spirits of all present. Unfortunately since it was spontaneous we

were unable to obtain a copy for our readers. We did however get Dr. Smith’s speech in its entirety.

While some may feel that there are areas of the speech which are very frank, I believe that the speech was very

meaningful in all that was said and implied. As such I have opted to exercise my discretion and print it all. I ask

the readers to reflect on all that is said herein for it represents a balanced view, is inspiring and holds true to the

spirit of the Dental School and indeed the Fill In.

Dr.Smith’s Speech

I have been asked, in 7 minutes, to bring greetings to all of you on behalf

of the staff of the School of Dentistry and say a few words to you on their

behalf. I am here at the request of students – not the staff - but we all

know based on the events of the last three weeks that students have

unusually high powers of persuasion.

I am embarrassed to have to admit failure. For 5 months, the University

failed to provide the environment conducive to learning - not to mention

providing oral health care to patients. This is not to say that attempts

were not being made. Our Director and Dean have been and still are

spending an enormous amount of time trying to resolve these problems

but to no avail. However, from a performance standpoint, we failed to

deliver.



And what is worse, the higher powers of the University seem to be blind to this failure and they do not seem to

recognize the need to change our strategy. Instead we push on and on with a strategy that has not worked for

the last 15 years.

But still we use it.

But this is not just UWI. It’s the country as a whole. It seems that roads do not get fixed, schools do not get

repaired unless there is a news story on television with some tyres burning and infants holding placards. It is a

sad reflection on our society.

But there is hope. And that hope was manifested 4½ weeks ago when you, the students conducted an effective

programme of activities to make your voices heard and you got the job done.

I was so impressed with the events of that week. And that’s

unusual for a pessimist like myself. Usually a protest like that

would make me feel sad about my school and my country.

But somehow, I managed to look beyond that and thought to

myself..These students are changing the strategy... they are

doing perhaps what we should have been doing years now...

I felt inspired! I felt that there is Hope!

Two weeks ago, the US elected a president who inspired

Americans to look beyond race, beyond age and beyond

experience, beyond traditional boundaries. He reignited

hope within them and a desire to embrace change.

And it is with that spirit tonight that I see the action of the

students. They inspired hope that UWI can really shine like it is intended to. They showed such strength, such

leadership, and such exemplary behaviour of students owning the responsibility for their education.

And unlike in my time, They didn’t just make noise and get attention, but they tabled proposals on how to

utilize the down time on clinics, data was provided to the staff on the amount of hours lost. This was not the

run of the mill protest... but a controlled, well thought out plan of action. It was wonderful.

I think they deserve a round of applause.

They didn’t just make noise and

get attention, but they tabled

proposals on how to utilize the

down time on clinics, data was

provided to the staff on the

amount of hours lost. This was

not the run of the mill protest...

but a controlled, well thought

out plan of action. It was

wonderful.



But now that is done, what I want to say tonight is what you should expect from us and what we as staff should

expect from you.

I think that you ought to continue to be firm in your resolve to ensure that you are provided with the very best

education in your undergraduate years and provide feedback to us as to how best we can facilitate your

learning.

And as students, learn about yourselves. Know what makes you tick, what motivates you and how best you

learn and share that with your teachers - Get close to us and tell us these important things. Study hard – even

harder than before - and enjoy yourselves while doing it.

What you can expect from us as staff is that we would do everything in our power to ensure that your learning

is facilitated and to make up for the time that was spent out of clinics. You can forget about the fear that we

will graduate you just to get rid of you.

Even though sometimes we want to get rid of you

But our assessment of competency will remain the same, our examinations will be the same and you will not

be allowed to write your final exams until we are sure that you are ready to do so.

You can be reassured that we would not award you a degree – just for so.

And I would like to invite everyone tonight to be inspired by the students’ action on Oct 21st.

On October 21st, the students exemplified Unity – let us be unified in our efforts in our jobs as staff and

students alike. As Obama led Americans to see beyond their differences, let us see beyond our own differences

in the knowledge that we are working toward the same goal. Let us put aside our disagreements and act as the

students did- United in the delivery of a world class dental education programme .

On October 21st, the students exemplified Leadership. Let us be leaders in our own circles of influence and

instead of saying “I cant do this, I don’t feel like doing this,” let us say instead; “How can I do this, or How can I

make myself want to do this?” Let us use all our talents to accomplish the common goal of providing world

class education in Dentistry. Let us demonstrate leadership and scholarship in our research and continue to

educate the world about oral heath in the Caribbean



On October 21st, the students exemplified Change. Let us look at change as a good thing and not become

slaves to bureaucracy, rules and regulations and not see ourselves being limited by traditional boundaries of

the University. May it remind us that if something isn’t working, we need to change our strategy.

Finally, let us work with a unified vision of the Dental School: To be the most competitive and envied centre

for Dental Education and Oral Health Research in the Caribbean and I dare say- in the world.

Unity, Leadership, Strength, Vision.

Let us channel our collective efforts toward that vision and remind ourselves of it – before we teach, before we

plan our research, before we treat patients, before we sit at meetings. Let us recite it at the beginning of the

day -before we do our jobs.

Ladies and Gentlemen – let us eat, drink, dance and be merry tonight and enjoy this event that we are

privileged to be a part of through the continued hard work of the dental students association.

Thank you.



Nikisha Alexander’s Valedictorian Address

Note from the Editor: Congratulations go out to Nikisha Alexander, the first dental student in the

history of the University to be chosen as the valedictorian.

“This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. It is perhaps the

end of the beginning.”

Salutations

The words quoted at the outset are none other than those of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, after

the first significant victory against Hitler. While we are not at war, his words apply to us since we have

encountered many a struggles to arrive at the point that we are at today.

It is with great pleasure, yet a sense of hesitancy, that I represent the graduating class of 2008 today. I will

attempt to relive our past experiences, establish our station at present and urge us on for the future.

Regardless of the faculty within which we were enrolled or the programme in that faculty to which we

belonged, we all rose above challenges while embracing opportunities. Reflect for a moment on the friendships

forged, with those perhaps of different nationalities and ethnicities. Yes, you may have given support and

assistance at the right time to one in dire straits or you yourself may have been on the receiving end of such.

Do you recall the joy you felt when you attended the Joyce Gibson-Inniss Hall concerts or the Dental Banquet?

Or, perhaps you were active in a particular club or group and looked forward to your outings, field trips or

hikes. Some of us sought refuge in the pool as we swam our stress away, while others kicked away their

frustrations on the football field. And let us not forget, in true ‘Trini’ style the many games of All Fours we

played! Those were the good times!

However, these sweet times were flanked by some bitter experiences. There were times, dare I say that I was

not alone, that some of us lamented, “I should have done a three year degree!” Ironically, there were some

who lamented, “These three years are too long!” My fellow graduates, we endured long nights sometimes with

energy drinks, hoping ‘to get wings.’ For those of us at STARRS and SAC, a beef, chicken or cheese pie was the

delectable meal of choice at 2 am. These experiences made us question why we were here, voluntarily

subjecting ourselves to such anxiety.



It is unthinkable on my part, though, if I failed to mention one of our classmates at the School of Dentistry, who

we lost in death, just on the brink of our final year. We recall the jovial disposition of this lad who hailed from

Botswana. It is not that I want to move you to tears but rather to reflect on something precious that we have

today - life! We have survived the past and let us always thank and praise our Creator for the gift of life and

continue to supplicate Him to spare us to see further days to come.

________

My fellow graduates, as we have just reflected on the past, let us contemplate our present status. I look upon

you today and I see beauty! –Not just because of the makeup, manicures or well-trimmed beard. Rather, we

are a unique collection of bio-chemists and dentists, agriculturists and pharmacists, statisticians and doctors,

veterinarians and scientists each with our own talents, strengths and weaknesses. Yes, there has never been

and will never be a year like ours!

Our experiences at this noble institution have refined us as if by fire, bringing to the fore fine qualities while

honing our skills, for them to be offered to society at large. We have learnt how to work together, how to

compromise, how to function effectively despite internal and external pressures – beautiful attributes indeed!

However, I would like to share with you the words of one lecturer. He said to me, “Do not let your results make

you become complacent. You still have a lot to learn.” Yes, my fellow graduands, as much as we have

progressed to this point, let us not forget that in the school of life we only graduate at death.

___________________

As we look to the future, what do we expect from ourselves? From among our brilliant minds, there may arise

great scientists, inventing new and innovative technology. We anticipate Nobel Laureates, clinicians with

successful private practices, even specialists and consultants. Yet let us never lose our sense of compassion. Let

us retain that desire to help those in need and grant them their dignity as fellow humans, for we are no better

than they are. From among us there will arise husbands and wives, fathers and mothers. Let us know and

understand our individual roles so that we can attain to a happy and successful family life.

Above all, from this moment on, let us never neglect the more important thing – our spirituality. An ancient

guidebook of divine inspiration recorded this proverb, “A name is to be chosen rather than abundant riches,

favour than even silver and gold.” Let us build a good name or reputation with our Creator, the One knowing

why we are here and how we came to be, lest we miss the purpose of our very existence.



__________________

There is no better time to thank those whose tireless sacrifices throughout our lifetime have brought us to this

place. Our parents and guardians slaved to provide for us mentally, physically, emotionally and materially. We

benefited from the support of our entire families as well as close friends and we appreciate having them with

us to share this moment. Our lecturers were a great source of encouragement during times of mediocrity as

they urged us on to excellence, confident of our potential. We also thank our laboratory technicians,

administrative assistants, dental surgery assistants and others whose vital roles improved our lives at this

honourable institution.

My fellow graduands, we reflected on the past, contemplated the present and dreamt

of the future this evening. Let us with divine support, become exemplary, mature

adults of value, having a meek and humble spirit, allowing ourselves to be molded for

greater tests ahead as this is truly only the end of our beginning!



Meet the Staff Lois Applewhite

Dr. Rafeek

When in the presence of Dr. Reisha Rafeek, the head

of the Conservative Dentistry department at the

University of the West Indies Dental School, one may

feel bashful and intimidated, but truth be told, Dr.

Rafeek is one the most approachable and down to

earth persons here at our school. A youthful lady, with

hair always flowing freely and a permanent smile fixed

on her face; she is ever-eager to encourage her

students. Her free-spirited personality and witty jokes

will put any distressed student at ease; don’t believe

me? ... Just ask any fourth year student who recently

sat the Crown and Bridge exam. Such mellowness

extends beyond the walls of this fine institution, as

evidenced at the recent DSA Family Fun Day and

Cricket Lime. Dr. Rafeek destroyed the opposing teams, showing no mercy in her bowling. Who would have

guessed that such skills and talent could emanate from a woman so diminutively built?

Dr. Rafeek is a mother, and wife of our featured lecturer from the last issue, Dr. Rahul Naidu. As outlined in the

aforementioned issue, the couple met while pursuing their BDS degrees at Guy’s Hospital University of London.

It was upon her graduation from the University in December 1990 that Dr. Rafeek’s long and successful journey

in the field of dentistry began, and is continuing presently. She is very experienced in her chosen career path,

having worked at various dental offices in England, and gained a number of post-graduate qualifications

including MSc (Dist) in Conservative Dentistry and FDS RCS (Fellowship in Dental Surgery from The Royal

College of Dental Surgeons), England. As a matter of fact, Dr. Rafeek’s achievements began much earlier in her

academic career, in 1986, when she was awarded the Geddes-Grant Huggins National Achievement Award for

all-round excellence in Education and Sport and the Gold Medal for Academic Excellence for A Levels

(SAGHS).



Teaching-wise, Dr. Rafeek’s duties as lecturer stemmed back in 1994 and continue presently as co-ordinator for

courses DD102 Dental Materials, DD103 Operative Dentistry and DD203/304 Conservative Dentistry

including Endodontics and Crown & Bridge for Year 3, 4 and 5 dental students. She also serves as a Clinical

Supervisor, a first examiner for Final DDS examinations and is a member of numerous committees at the

school.

As if her plate is not full enough and her qualifications sufficient, Dr. Rafeek has co-authored and presented

over twenty articles, abstracts and presentations, with others currently in the process of development. Also,

she has attended over twenty workshops and courses in recent times, and is actively engaged in a few research

activities at present.

It is a great privilege and fortune to have such an accomplished and well-respected lady as a part of our dental

school family, and to present her in this month’s....

24 Questions with Dr. Rafeek

1. Biggest pet peeve?

Dishonesty

2. Favourite movie?

“The Sound of Music” (I know, I know…I can’t help it), “An Officer and a Gentleman” “The Lord of the

Rings” trilogy.

3. What do you do to unwind?

Read, listen to music, dance, drink… (if it’s really bad, reverse the order)

4. What's your favorite food?

Since 1986 it’s been Chicken madras (ideally from a particular Indian restaurant in London) pr ior to

that Crab and callaloo

5. Favorite drinks? (Alcoholic/non alcoholic).



Vodka/orange usually mixed together

6. What do you rank as your greatest accomplishment? Academic or otherwise.

Academically it has been gaining my fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons or England in

1999. I have been through lots of exams but that was definitely the toughest by far.

7. What is your secret fear?

It wouldn’t be secret if I told you!

8. What is the best advice you have ever received, and from whom?

Never be afraid of anyone or anything in life (my dad) and always aim to do the best that you can do in

whatever job you end up in (my mom).

9. Most embarrassing moment?

Gosh, so many of those, usually involving slipping and sliding somewhere!

10. What is the happiest moment you can remember?

I have been lucky in my life with so many happy moments like getting married but there was

something so special about seeing my newborn babies smile at me for the first time, that’s hard to

beat.

11. If you could have dinner with one person from history, who would it be?

Nostradamus

12. What is something people don't know about you?

That I’m really shy.

13. If you could be one animal, what would it be?

Hmm… I have so many dreams of me flying that I feel I could be a bird.



14. What influenced your decision to enter the field of dentistry, and furthermore

Conservative Dentistry?

I had a misspent youth drinking litres of coke and ended up at the dentist at age 12 requiring lots of

fillings. After many, pleasant, pain free hours in the chair being looked after by a handsome dentist I

think I was in love…..that and I thought that I was being really rebellious by not doing medicine like

everyone was expecting!

15. What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you in your days as a student,

especially on the clinic?

I was doing my first amalgam filling and spent what I thought was ages drilling, then I called the

instructor over to check and he said in that very English way “Right… call me when you’re into

dentine, will you“. I find it funny now, it wasn’t funny then.

16.What is the worst thing that has ever happened to you in your days as a student, especially

on the clinic?

I had now started oral surgery LA clinic first week doing extractions under local and I had an upper

premolar, first tooth to extract and I broke the root. So my first extraction turned out to be a

surgical…nightmare! I still couldn’t get it out and the instructor, who was an ancient woman called

“dragon lady” had to do it. She was not impressed.

17. As a lecturer, what is the one thing you hate to see a student doing?

Not fulfilling their true potential.

18. Any interests/hobbies ?

Reading, listening to music, looking at football (I’ve been a fan of Tottenham Hotspur since 1981),

talking about exercising but not actually doing it.

19. If you could do something other than dentistry, what would it be?

Archaeology



20. People you admire and why?

My dad and mum. My dad because he was a quiet man of honesty and integrity, incredibly hard

working and humble. He helped so many people on a daily basis and was a great example of how one

individual can make a huge difference.

My mum (who is not quiet!) but really exemplifies what dedication to family means.

21. Where is the one place you would like to visit?

Afghanistan- my great grandparents on my mother’s side came from Afghanistan and I would love to

see it for myself not through the eyes of war.

22. If you win the lottery tomorrow, what would you do with the money?

I’d give half to charity and spend the other half on family and friends

23. What is the one thing in your life you would like to accomplish in the future?

This is a big question and I don’t really know what the big answer is but helping to establish

Restorative Dentistry as a specialty in the Caribbean is something I would like to do.

24. Is there anything in your life you would like to do over, if you could?

I try to live life as it comes so as not to have too many regrets but if I could do it over I would have

spent much less time working and much more time with my kids when they were younger!

The Fill In November, 2008


Student Perspective

What are your thoughts on the Dental Banquet?

“Really good.............lets do it again.....soon.”

Sherry-Ann Narace

“Hi all, this was the best Dental Banquet ever. I really

enjoyed myself. Everything was planed

beautifully, and I hope you will organise the same

thing next year!”Kgomotso Dikole

“The banquet was really fun. A job well done, from

the decorations, to the food. Great opportunity to

mingle and get closer to the rest of the dental family & karaoke was "BESS" (as they say in Trinidad,

lol)!!!” Sarah Inniss

“This was my 1st dental banquet and it definitely won’t be my last. I was really impressed with how

amazing the place looked. The decorations were great and the orange and

gold theme was a great choice. I was there

earlier this year for the pharmacy banquet & if

you had to compare that with dentistry’s, it

would be in two different leagues...even my

girlfriend who is in pharmacy said it was really

well put together. Down to the bar tenders were

great. Good service all round. Keep up the good

work DSA. Christopher Seedial



“It was really good.”

Priya B.

“This year's dental banquet

was unforgettable. Everything

was well organized. The food

was great. The programme

was entertaining. It was nice to

see everyone outside of dental

school. Can't wait for next

year's banquet”

Marc Mootoo

“Dental Students- you have led the way for others to follow. It was a well executed

programme and the organizers ought to be commended. Teamwork was evident and this

augers well for your future, as a group of professionals.”

Professor Ramsewak, Dean, Faculty of Medical Sciences



Please feel free to submit any questions, articles and comments to the editors at

[email protected]. We welcome your suggestions and contributions. Tell us

what you would like to see in this newsletter!!

Please visit our website for the latest updates, as well as every copy of

The Fill In

www.uwidsa.org

The UWI Dental Students Association can be contacted at

[email protected].

Lookout for our next issue!

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

The Fill In