As countries around the globe begin to relax their safety protocols on COVID-19, educators are exercising their new-found liberties in reconnecting with affiliations across geographies, as well as establishing new linkages with international alliances.
The College of Dentistry (COD) of Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU) did not disappoint in its very first overseas outing since the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in March 2020. OLFU fielded four delegates to the 33rd South East Asian Association of Dental Educators (SEAADE) Annual Scientific Conference last November 24 to 26, 2022 at Siem Reap, Cambodia.
There were two coups during the said event. First, OLFU-COD’s faculty member and Research Coordinator, Dr. Sharon Alvarez, garnered First Place in Oral Presentation- Performance Assessment Category for her research piece “Reliability of Rubrics in the Assessment of Class 1 Tooth Preparation Exercises on Typodont”. And second, OLFU-COD Dean, Dr. Arturo De Leon, was elected as SEAADE Councilor for 2022-2024. Such opens the chance for Dr. De Leon to possibly ascend to the SEAADE Presidency once again for it will be remembered that he had already served as SEAADE President for two terms back in 2012 and 2013. To this day, Dr. De Leon remains to be the first and only Filipino who has assumed leadership of the prestigious SEAADE which is renowned as a premier institution on dental education within Southeast Asia as well as neighboring countries like Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and Australia.
Headlined as “Getting Dental Education Back On Track”, the SEAADE Conference was a great opportunity for dental educators to come together for sharing and learning post the COVID-19 pandemic. While the said crisis presented many challenges, it also uncovered a profusion of opportunities for dental education.
Also, active contributors to the convention and likewise present as OLFU delegates were two more faculty members who had previously submitted their research works and were then invited for oral presentation at the conference. Dr. Cynthia Dacayo, OLFU-COD faculty member and College Secretary, showcased her piece on “Factors that Influence First Year Filipino Dentistry Students in Choosing Dentistry as a professional Career During the COVID-19 Pandemic Period”. On the other hand, Dr. Liel Ma. Theresa Plantig showcased her study on “Comparison of Individual and Peer group Study for Online Class in a Dental College in Metro Manila”.
