15/08/2026
Today marked the third and final day of our NovaCare Pre-Med Summer Camp, and what a wonderful way to bring these three days to a close. 🩺💙
We had the distinct pleasure of welcoming Dr. Rochard Santo, Dental Pathologist, Dental Surgeon and Senior Lecturer at EWMSC, who gave our students an absolutely fascinating presentation on the world of dentistry.
His session went far beyond teeth! He introduced them to the basics of dentistry, dental pathology and surgery, while also showing them just how closely dentistry and medicine are connected.
The students learned why dental assessment can be an important part of a patient's medical care — for example, the importance of dental checks before certain chemotherapy treatments and before some medications used in osteoporosis management. They also learnt that changes in the mouth can sometimes provide clues to underlying systemic illnesses, including autoimmune and other medical disorders.
One of the most important lessons was that being a good healthcare professional means learning to look at the whole patient, recognising when something may extend beyond your own specialty and knowing when collaboration with another healthcare professional is necessary.
Dr. Santo ended his session by showing the students actual pathology specimens, which was certainly an eye-opening experience and something they thoroughly enjoyed.
Dr. Santo, thank you so much for giving us your time, knowledge and expertise. It was truly a pleasure having you with us, and we are incredibly grateful for the experience you gave our students. 🦷🩺
We then continued our day with introductions to the ophthalmoscope and otoscope, followed by some basic ECG teaching, bringing together several of the clinical skills and concepts the students have been exposed to during the camp.
And then came one of my favourite moments — presenting certificates to our newest Pre-Med Graduates! 🎓🩺Mr. Danny Lochan was present to award the kids certificates from his established institute .
We also took a little time to celebrate the birthday of Aiden, one of our dedicated camp assistants and an incoming medical student. 🎂🥳 We wish him every success as he begins this exciting new chapter.
And, of course, we couldn't finish without some fun! We ended our camp with a very competitive round of Medical Jeopardy, giving everyone a chance to laugh, compete and see just how much they had actually learnt over the last three days.
As I reflect on this camp, my greatest hope is that these students leave with much more than information about blood pressure, phlebotomy, CPR, suturing, spirometry, dentistry, ophthalmoscopy, otoscopy or ECGs.
I hope these three days have given them a real glimpse into the world of healthcare and, more importantly, into the kind of healthcare professionals I hope they will one day become.
Medicine and healthcare are not simply about knowledge, examinations, diagnoses and treatments.
They are about people.
They are about treating patients with honesty, compassion, empathy, patience and respect.
They are about remembering that behind every diagnosis is a human being who may be frightened, worried, vulnerable or simply looking to you for help.
I also hope they leave understanding something that I believe very strongly:
Healthcare should never be about competition between professionals.
No doctor, dentist, nurse, pharmacist, therapist, laboratory professional, radiographer, technician or healthcare discipline works in isolation.
Every field has value.
Every member of the healthcare team has something important to contribute.
The very best patient care happens when we communicate, collaborate, respect one another's expertise and genuinely work together for the benefit of the person who matters most — the patient.
So to my Pre-Med Graduates: wherever your future takes you, whether into medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, research or another completely different path, I hope you remember some of the lessons you learnt here.
Be curious.
Keep learning.
Ask questions.
Help each other.
Stay humble.
Be kind.
And if you do eventually choose a career in healthcare, never lose sight of why you chose it in the first place — to help people. ❤️
Congratulations to each and every one of you on completing the NovaCare Pre-Med Summer Camp. 🎓🩺
I sincerely hope these last three days opened your eyes, sparked your curiosity and gave you an experience that you will carry with you as you take the next steps toward your future.
It has been an absolute pleasure having you.
Wishing all of you every success in whatever comes next. The future of healthcare may very well be sitting right here amongst you. 💙
