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Volume2 Issue8
I
ssues and
P
eople
Is iteasy to foster collaboration?
It’s achallengeasoral health isnot apriority formany. I have to invest
timeandeffort tocreateacommon language inorder toget stake-
holders interested. It’sdifficult tobringcommunityagenciesonboard,
especially thoseworkingwithvulnerablepopulations, as their clientele
hasmany immediateneeds toaddress. Other issuesoften takepriority
over oral health.
Another bigchallenge is to linkeverything together. I think there’s
still is agapbetween researchandpractice; sometimeswe just don’t
understandoneanother.
Howcanwe reachabettermutual understanding?
Weneed toacknowledge theuniquebarriers that eachvulnerable
group faces.Weneed to listen to them, becomeawareofwhat
they
want (insteadof us telling themwhat theyneed toor shouldwant), and
doaneeds assessment basedon
their
perception. Thebeautyof this
approach is that by involving them from thebeginning, they feel own-
ershipof the initiative—which leads toamuch stronger engagement.
Wealsoneed to identifyand recognize the strengthsof those
populations—we keep focusingon theirweaknesses!Wemust learn
how touse their social capital.Wehaven’t paidmuchattention to the
resources theyhaveavailable to improve their oral health.
Howcanwe reduce thegapbetweenknowledgeandaction?
Asdental services aremainlydelivered through theprivate sector,we
have limitedaccess toat-riskpopulations. Howdoweclose thegap
between their needs and the services available? I believebymaking
the servicesmoreaffordable, accessible, andacceptable topatients.
Wecannot expect theprivate sector to treat patients freeof charge;
it’sunrealistic.
By fosteringcollaborationswecanaccessharder-to-reachpopulations
likenewcomersor FirstNations, Inuit andMetis. Aunitedapproach
enhances theefficacyof our interventions and improves knowledge
adoptionbycommunitymembers andpolicymakers. Having themon
boardalso facilitates the implementationandcontinuationof preven-
tionandpromotionprograms.
Doesyour collaborativeapproach in research influenceyour
teaching?
Absolutely. Thenatureofmycourse,which ispediatricdentistry, is very
close towhat I do in termsof communityoutreachandcommunity
service learning. But I think this concept needs tobe incorporated ina
more structuredway, not just in lectureshereand there. That is some-
thing thatUBC isdoing reallywell; theconcept of community service
learning ispart of the faculty’s curriculum.
Doyoubringyour students tooff-campusclinics?
Wedo. Our SHINEclinics, initiatedand runby students, focuson the
underservicedareasof Edmonton.Wealsohave satelliteclinicsoutside
thecity. Some students interested in researchparticipate inour projects
in the summer. There’s actuallyan increase in thenumber of students
approachingus todocommunity-based researchandevenpursuinga
career in that field,which is veryencouraging.
a
ONTHE
SPOT
withDr.MaryamAmin
Whydidyoubecomeadentist?
Originallybecause I hadakeen interest
inpatient care. I alsowantedcontrol over
myworking lifeandagoodwork-life
balance, as compared tootherhealth
disciplines.When I starteddoing research
inmypost-graduate training, I realized
thevarious careeropportunities the
professionhas tooffer. It’smuchbroader
than I first thought!Nowasaneducator
I think it’smy responsibility todefineour
profession inabroadermanner, andnot
to focus solelyondrillingandfilling.
Astrangerasksyouwhatyoudo fora living,what
doyouanswer?
That I’madentist; I still feel thatdentistry
ismyhomeprofession.
Lookingbackonyour career so far,whatareyou
themostproudof?
I think thehighlightofmyprofessional
life ishow I integrated research, teaching
andmeaningful community services
intoapractice-orientedprofession. I love
everyaspectofwhat I’mdoing.
Whatwouldyou like tobe remembered for?
I don’t expect to solve thewholeECC
issue, butwhat Iwish toaccomplish
andbe remembered for is forhaving
raisedawarenessamong futureclinicians
anddental andnon-dental health
professionalsalike. I’ll bepleased ifmy
researchcontributes, even ina small
way, to thedevelopmentof a theoretical
model thatwill informbothpolicyand
practice.
Whatadvicewouldyougive toanewdentist
embarkingonacareer?
Asaneducator and researcher, Iwould
say tobea lifelong learner andnourish
your curiosity.When Imoved toCanada, I
didn’t expect to study for another 7years.
I thought I couldn’tdo it! But I did it, and
I’m sohappy I did. And I’m still learning
withmy students. Beinga learner isa
blessing.
