Internship report | Cambodia 2023

We, Sophia Jasmin and Noemi, did our long-awaited internship abroad in Cambodia in March 2023. First of all: we had originally planned a different internship, but it was canceled due to political unrest in the country. Therefore, we looked for an alternative at very short notice and luckily received an acceptance from the aid organization "Cambodia World Family" in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. We got in touch with the founder of the organization. Dr. Oegle is a Canadian dentist who now lives in Australia and is easily reachable by email. We had a Zoom meeting before our assignment to clarify the last questions. Since our trip was about to begin, we had to take care of all the important preparations in a very short time (we had almost exactly a month left). First of all, we threw ourselves into the vaccination marathon in order to get all the vaccinations that were necessary for the trip in time. Vaccinations against hepatitis A and B, rabies, typhus, meningococcus ACWY and B, Japanese encephalitis and cholera are recommended.

We booked our flights through the airline EvaAir. We left Munich and were on the road for around 17 hours with a stopover in Taipei (Taiwan). Our outbound flight cost €580 including luggage. The cheapest fare with EvaAir included two pieces of checked luggage, which meant we could transport the donations in our second piece of luggage. We had previously inquired with the Foreign Office, the airline and Cambodian customs because we were unsure whether we could transport anesthesia and cannulas, but unfortunately our research didn't get us very far. Fortunately, transporting the donations was not a problem at all and we were able to bring all the material with us. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the various companies and depots for their generous donations and support in our relief effort (Cardex Dental, Dentaurum, HuFriedyGroup, Dentocare, DMG-Dental, GERL.Dental, Ivoclar, Zahnimarkt and Kuraray).

There are various ways to get a visa. We opted for the visa on arrival, which worked without any problems and took less than 15 minutes. The visitor visa costs 30 dollars and is valid for 30 days. An extension is also possible. Further information is available on the Cambodian embassy's website. During our phone call, Dr. Oegle recommended that we book accommodation near the Russian Market, about 10 minutes by tuk-tuk from the "Cambodia World Family". Previous interns had been very happy with their stay in a hotel (Queen Mansion), which also had a pool. Highly recommended given the temperatures. However, we opted for the cheaper option and rented an apartment through Airbnb.

After all the preparations had been made, we finally set off on our trip to Cambodia. When we arrived at the airport in Phnom Penh, we ordered a car to our accommodation using the Grab app. Using the Grab app or the Pass app, you can easily, quickly and spontaneously order tuc tucs or cabs to take you to your desired destination. You can get from A to B very cheaply and you don't have to spend a long time discussing the cost of the journey with the driver, as these are calculated by the app. We also called a tuc tuc for our daily trips to the "Cambodia World Family".

After arriving at the accommodation, we first got an impression of the area and were impressed by the variety of restaurants, cafés and small shops. Over time, we tried the various delicacies of Khmer cuisine. Lok Lak, Fish Amok and summer rolls soon became our favorite dishes, which we already miss in our home kitchen.

On the first day of the internship, we brought our donation material to the “Cambodia World Family” and met the treatment team. This was Dr. Boran,

a Cambodian dentist, and some Cambodian dental assistants and students who supported us with the treatments. They were delighted with the donations we had brought with us and immediately stored them in the material room. This was also the changing room. Here we found a colorful selection of robes and gowns that we were allowed to wear during the treatment. The treatment room was a large room with a waiting bench and four treatment units that worked well. We quickly got used to one or two of the units' quirks, such as a button that didn't work or the water cooling system not working. With a few tricks and the help of our colleagues, we were able to treat patients under good conditions. Of course, we had to make some compromises in terms of hygiene and weren't able to fully live up to the hygiene concept that we had learned at university. But of course we tried our best and there was also a small sterilizer that our Cambodian colleagues turned on every day after the treatment.

But what exactly did a treatment day at the "Cambodia World Family" look like? We started every day (Monday to Friday) at 8 a.m. and got ready for the kids. The Cambodia World Family employees had already prepared the treatment chairs and now we had to wait for the little patients to arrive. As the children and young people (6 - 19 years) came with their school classes, they arrived between 8 and 9 a.m. together with a teacher and then waited patiently until it was their turn. They either sat quietly on the waiting bench in the treatment room or waited outside the door. We treated the children one by one: everyone brought a piece of paper showing what had already been done to the child and we then also noted down the treatment we had carried out. Most of the time the children were not completely treated, but we weighed up what needed to be treated most urgently so that everyone had a turn. We either carried out tooth cleanings, fillings or extractions. If necessary, the children could come back a few days or weeks later and receive further treatment if it was possible for them. Patients were sent to the clinic for endodontic treatments because there was no X-ray machine available. There were also some children and young people who urgently needed orthodontic treatment, but unfortunately this was rarely possible for financial reasons. In rare cases, the teeth were caries-free. Then we practiced brushing their teeth again or showed our patients how to use dental floss. But unfortunately this was a rarity. Most of the time we found teeth that had been deeply damaged by caries, and unfortunately also permanent molars and front teeth. In Cambodia, teas and fruit juices are heavily sweetened and highly sought after. For example, you can choose between 50% or 100% sugar in a cold soft drink. When we asked whether it was possible to have it without sugar, we were met with a vigorous shaking of the head. We experienced this when we wanted to order a chilled matcha tea in a café. The young people in particular loved to carry their drinks around in plastic bags or hang them on their scooter handlebars while they were riding. They consumed sweet drinks in the morning, at lunchtime and in the evening after brushing their teeth. Hence the many carious teeth, which we tried to save with various fillings. We mostly carried out extractions on milk teeth and root remnants. But permanent teeth also fell victim to the forceps if they could no longer be saved. The children and young people waited very patiently until it was their turn and were extremely brave during the treatments. We had previously only treated adult patients in the clinic and were very excited to see how it would work with the kids. We were all the more amazed at how polite and grateful the children were and how willing they were to let us treat them. Most of them sat down on the treatment chair and opened their mouths without us saying anything. Most of them could already speak good English at primary school age, which made communication easy. We still learned the most important words, such as "open your mouth" or "shut your mouth". Our assistants translated everything so that the children knew exactly what was happening in their own language. This meant that we were able to treat them without any major communication problems and were usually able to send the children away with a proud smile that they had done well and bravely. It was heartbreaking to see them waving happily on the school buses at the end of the treatment day.

drove away. During the treatment, loud music played. It distracted the children from the noise of the drills as well as from the treatment itself and also spread good cheer. Highly recommended! :)
We only ever treated in the mornings. It was usually 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. by the time all the children had been treated. So each of us had an average of 4 to 7 patients a day, depending on what needed to be done. The treatments were a lot of fun and enriched us personally as well as helped us improve our practical skills. Dr. Boran was often on site and was always on hand to help us with questions and problems and helped us with the treatments when we needed his support. That was really great! Our assistants also always knew what was to be done next and gave us the necessary materials. On the days when Dr. Boran could not be on site, we were able to treat ourselves because we were already qualified dentists at the time of the internship. In principle, however, it is not a problem for students to support the Cambodia World Family by doing an internship, although in this case a dentist should also be on site.

After the treatment, we usually went back to our accommodation to rest for a bit, as the hustle and bustle of the city and the heat were admittedly more stressful than we expected. Because the treatments only took place in the morning, we were able to use the rest of the day to explore Phnom Penh. A big city naturally has a lot of sights to offer. For example, we visited the National Museum, the Royal Palace, Wat Phnom and the Genocide Museum, or went on a sunset tour on the Mekong one evening. There was also a lot to discover at the various markets such as the Russian Market or the Night Market, and you could buy great souvenirs for family and friends. At the weekends, we always went on trips to explore Cambodia a little more. There are very good bus connections to other cities, but the journeys are quite time-consuming, even for short distances. One weekend we went to Kampot and took a tour of the national park, where we fed monkeys bananas and visited various temples, pepper plantations and salt fields. On another weekend we went to the Cambodian island of Koh Rong Samloem, which was breathtakingly beautiful. We also visited the small town of Kep near the Vietnamese border and spent one night in a bungalow on the island of Koh Tonsay right by the sea. Finally, we ended our Cambodia trip with a visit to the city of Siem Reap and a three-day temple tour. Visiting Angkor Wat at sunrise was breathtakingly beautiful and one of the best experiences of our trip. Siem Reap has a lot to offer and, as the city is smaller than Phnom Penh, it is easy to get around on foot.

Finally, one more thing needs to be said: it is a wonderful experience and feeling to see how open-hearted and friendly the people in Cambodia are when they welcome you. They always have a smile on their faces and are so positive that it warms your heart. We are very grateful and happy that we were able to put a smile on the children's faces and at the same time get to know a wonderful country, its diverse sides, the culture, language and great people. We can only warmly recommend doing an internship.