UK College of Dentistry Partners with Chilean University for Exchange Program

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 17, 2015) – Two exceptional dental students from Universidad de los Andes in Santiago, Chile, recently discovered that dental education in the United States and Chile is pretty much the same even though techniques may vary somewhat.

Daniela Arrano Scharager, 23, and Alberto Del Real Valdes, 24, were in their final semester as dental students when they arrived on the University of Kentucky campus last fall as the inaugural team of students to take part in the newly formed student exchange program at the UK College of Dentistry.

Scharager and Valdes gained valuable clinical experience working with patients alongside UK dental faculty and classmates but their cultural experience outside the clinic also grew exponentially as they discovered what it means to be a UK football fan and lover of horse racing in Kentucky.

"We don't have football in Chile and we got to go to several games and tailgate with faculty and students while we were here," Scharager said. "We got to visit Keeneland too. Everyone has been so nice and hospitable to us."

Scharager and Valdes began their six-year dental education immediately following high school as is customary in Chile. Faculty members at their university arranged for them to participate in the student exchange program before graduating in December from the Universidad de los Andes. Scharager plans to pursue a career in periodontics while Valdes plans to go into orthodontics. The Chilean students said they found the courses at UK to be practical and very useful in the diagnosis and treatment of patients. They also appreciated the amount of clinical contact they experienced with hard to treat patients that they feel will help them in their careers.

The idea for a student exchange program came to fruition through a series of faculty visits between the two institutions. Several years ago, Dr. Jeff Okeson, professor of Orofacial Pain, and Don Falace, professor emeritus at the UK College of Dentistry, were initially invited guest lecturers' when they and Dr. Christian Bravo Palma, vice dean of the School of Dentistry at Universidad de los Andes, forged a relationship and the beginnings of an exchange program.

The dean of the dental school in Chile extended an invitation to UK's College of Dentistry Dean Sharon Turner to visit in May 2013 and a delegation from Chile visited UK the following October. Each delegation learned about the other university and immersed themselves in the culture and the community. A memorandum of agreement for exchanges of faculty and students, as well as participation in collaborative research, was established.

Santiago is the largest and the capital city of Chile. The Universidad de los Andes (UDLA) is a 26-year-old private research university located on the northeast side of Santiago and nestled in the Andes Mountains. UDLA is comprised of 22 undergraduate and 82 graduate programs which emphasize research, innovation, and development. The dental program is 13 years old.

"Culturally, we have a common vision and share the same values as you do here at UK," Bravo Palma said. "The people here are very hospitable and there is a strong sense of community and family. This is a place where our students can be protected and nurtured."

The agreement was signed at UK in October 2013 after satisfying all of the requirements of UK and the Office of International Programs.

"Setting up an agreement of this nature takes a lot of time and mutual onsite visits to the facilities with meetings with key administrators and faculty," Turner said. “We are very careful to make certain that institutions with whom we make such agreements are same environments which provide an enriching experience for our students. In this case, it was clear to me from my initial meetings with Dean Jose Antonio Giménez that his philosophy and desires for his students was in complete harmony with ours at UK. This is truly a ‘win-win’ situation for both institutions.”

Scharager and Valdes say they enjoyed their time at UK and highly recommend interested students to study in Santiago for an externship experience.

"It's going to be an awesome experience," Scharager said. "You are going to travel and learn new ways to do the same treatments."

Media contact: Ann Blackford at 859-323-6442 or ann.blackford@uky.edu