UP VOICE VOL.13 – 31ST MARCH 2019

The Official Newsletter of the University of Puthisastra (UP)-Vol.13 for 31st March 2019 Download

Huge congratulations to UP’s very first batch of 43 dental students who achieved 100% success in the exam. This is a great achievement for UP and our students and reflects the quality standards of UP’s dental program. Students now just need to complete their thesis to obtain their Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree. Several groups have completed already and are waiting for their thesis defense.

This first batch of DDS students have developed excellent clinical skills to prepare for work in the government service, private clinics or prepare for postgraduate study. Many of the graduating class have had the opportunity to do advanced dentistry such as implants, rotary endodontics, surgery and advanced prosthodontic treatment during their 4 years in the UP Dental Clinic.

UP students have excellent clinical experience using class-leading equipment compared to other students in Cambodia and around the region. In addition, more than half of the class have travelled overseas to attend a conference or take part in exchange programs at other dental schools. UP is particularly proud of the community service that UP dental students have provided particularly in the Prison Dental Service and the Healthy Kids Cambodia project in primary schools. Our UP students are already making a huge difference to Cambodia’s dental health.

99% SUCCESS FOR UP PHARMACY STUDENTS IN NATIONAL EXIT EXAM

 

Excellent news too for UP’s Faculty of Pharmacy!!! Our graduates scored the highest passing rates in the whole of Cambodia with 98.79% (the average passing rate was 95.56%).

This excellent result is an indicator of the rigor of UPs curriculum, teaching standards and importantly where future employers will be inclined to hire their graduates. Pharmacy graduates now officially become registered pharmacist. “We are very proud of our graduates and our dedicated staff who are committed to ensuring that UP pharmaceutical students have the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors to exceed in their first professional benchmark—being successful on NEE” said Dr. Chea Sin, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy. “This high passing rate is a reflection of our students’ commitment to becoming compassionate and professional pharmacists committed to excellence in pharmacy practice leading to optimal patient care. We challenge students to care, lead, and serve in a supportive learning environment that is grounded in caring science.’’ That’s the UP advantage.

99% STUDENT PASS RATE

WHAT’S UP ON CAMPUS

  • 02 Apr
UP Culture Day
  • 14-17 Apr
Khmer New Year Day
  • 03 May
Graduation Day

International experience is very important for students not only to learn about modern healthcare and education methods but also to make friends and possible job opportunities. The Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery actively supports nursing and midwifery students to take up the opportunity of an international study tour. Recently a group of 10 Bachelor of Nursing students participated in the Preparation Program for Khon Kaen Univerity (KKU) in Thailand.

The program includes cultural awareness activities and a focus on representing the Nursing profession and UP in an international arena. Student left on Saturday 23rd March and arrived to a huge warm welcome by Faculty staff as well as members from the KKU Cambodian Students Association.

Students were given a comprehensive orientation outlining clinical objectives focusing on areas of adult nursing and primary health care/community nursing. Students took notes reflecting on their daily learnings which will form their end of study tour report. To emphasize the sharing of the cultures, all students have packed a Cambodian traditional costume to participate in a cultural event.

Five UP Medical students visit Khon Kaen University, Thailand

Five UP medical students are attending the 4th Khon Kaen’s International Challenge on Emergency Medicine and Related Basic Science (the 4th KKU ICEM) in Thailand from March 29, 2019 to April 2, 2019.

Students were given preparation talks by Prof Findlay (President of UP) and Prof Chhem Rethy (UP Board of Trustees) to help maximize success.

The “KKU ICEM” is an Emergency Medicine competition where medical students from around the globe compete to become “the best of Emergency Medicine”. Not only will students represent UP, but importantly they will create unforgettable memories together and experience beautiful culture from different countries. The 4th KKU ICEM gathers medical students and advisors from different countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, Japan, China, Indonesia, Spain, South Africa, Vietnam and many other countries. We hope they do well.

The Human body requires an adequate amount of fluids to function properly. Fluids regulate body temperature, aids digestion, flushes out toxins, relieves fatigue and works as a good lubricator of joints, tissues and organs. This is even more important in hot weather as the body loses fluid through sweat. Exercising or other strenuous activity makes you sweat even more so even more fluid is needed.

1. Motivate Yourself
The best way to motivate yourself to drink more water is to be convinced of its benefits. Drink regularly even if you are not thirsty.

2.​​​​ Identify Your Thirst
The signals for hunger and thirst are controlled by the same area of the brain, the hypothalamus. It sends the same signals for both and as a result we tend to confuse thirst for hunger. So instead of grabbing a snack, grab a drink. If its water – zero calories too!

3. Keep it Handy
Carrying a reusable water bottle with you in your car, purse or gym bag can be a great way to help you drink more water as it will be easily
accessible. Its cheaper than buying drinks too!

4. Explore More Options
Fluid doesn’t just have to be water – you can also increase your fluid intake by drinking herbal teas like chamomile tea, ginger tea, peppermint tea and others. Other delicious options include Fresh fruit and vegetable juices, Soups, Broths, Coconut water, Low-fat milk, Soy milk and other soy drinks, Yogurt, Natural smoothies, Frozen fruit pops, Flavored ices. And of course, beer!

5. Add Natural Flavorings
perk up the taste of plain water with a little something extra by infusing it with a subtle flavor. You can use orange slices, pineapple chunks, lemon wedges, cucumber slices, watermelon chunks, berries, grapes and other citrus fruits, whether fresh or frozen.

6. Water-Rich Fruits and Veggies
Include more fruits and vegetables in your diet that have high water content. Such foods include are cucumbers, pineapple, watermelon, celery, lettuce, grapes, cherries, strawberries and papaya.


UP talks cyber crime and social media abuse with James McCabe

A group discussion with James McCabe (Child Protection Unit) and UP’s 2nd Year Diploma in Professional Health Counselling students explored the growing impact of cybercrime and social media abuse. This strengthened UPs commitment as the need for counsellors in relation to frontline trauma is immense.

UP Joined launching of Khmer Pathology guide

Dr. AN SRIM, Acting Dean of Faculty of Medicine and UP students represented UP at the official launching of Pathology guide part I by Health Time Corporation. The Pathology guide is a special book for Medical Doctors and students and contains over 100 disease and clinical case.

A huge advantage is that it is in the Khmer language which makes it easy to understand throughout Cambodia.

student testimonials – Mak Sangdor

I was born in Stung Treng Province but my family moved to Phnom Penh when I was about seven years old as my parents want us to get a better education. I found University of Puthisastra from social media in 2018 and decided to follow my dentistry dream there. I am a dental student year 2 and chose dentistry because I was inspired by my uncle who is currently working as a dentist. My goal is to set up high standard dental clinic in Cambodia.

I am very interested in improving education, not just for my career but also to help Cambodia. I was recently elected as Leader of UP’s Student Senate and am working closely with UP President to make UP even better for students and their life.

I’d like to say Thank to UP for giving me so many wonderful experiences throughout my one-year-and-a-half years at UP. UP is not only providing me with the hard and soft-skills needed for my career but at the same time is exposing me to the real world which will make me a better dentist and better person.

What skills do pharmacists need?

Little is known about whether the current Cambodian Core Competencies in Pharmacy actually meets the current needs of the national healthcare system. In addition, as the professional roles of pharmacists grow and health systems change, the relevant skills and competencies must be reviewed, revised, and updated to effectively address new developments and to match international standards.

Therefore, the Consultative Workshop on Core Competencies for Pharmacists in Cambodia (CWCCP) was hosted on 23rd March 2019 by the Faculty of Pharmacy, UP.

To maximise industry involvement and knowledge sharing, participants were invited from 6 important pharmacy practice settings: (1) community, clinical and hospital pharmacy; (2) medical laboratory; (3) pharmaceutical industry and company; (4) Academia and Research; (5) Pharmacognosy and Alternative and Complementary Treatments; and (6) Government sectors including the Central Medical Stores (CMS), Department of Drug & Food (DDF), and Provincial Health Department (PHD). During this workshop, participants brainstormed two questions: (1) In your institution, what are pharmacists working on now and in the future? (2) What competencies will pharmacists need to perform those tasks well? Results from this workshop will be very useful to improve UPs “Revised Core Competency Framework for pharmacy graduates at UP”; revise UPs Competency-based Curriculum and for the revision of the national pharmacy curriculum.

This is just one great example of UP’s move from content-based curricula to outcome-based curricula – to make sure that graduates have the knowledge, skills and attitudes to make them leaders in the 21st Century.

Implants at UP Dental Clinic

UP’s senior dental students in year 7 provide simple implants for patients once they have completed two semesters of training under our specialist Dr Tak Ranuch. The training involves an on-line course from University of Hong Kong (the top dental school in the world), additional theory teaching from our UP specialists, and preclinical exercises in the laboratory conducted by Professor Pattawi and his team from the University of Chiang Mai.

The year 7 students, who already have more than 3 years of clinical experience, work closely with Dr Ranuch to plan each case and insert a high-quality implant. Later a crown or bridge made to restore the patient’s function and aesthetics. Implants can be as good as natural teeth, and are becoming very popular around the world for replacing missing teeth.

UP is very fortunate in being one of very few dental schools in South east Asia which provides the training and opportunities for dental students to do implants. Patients benefit greatly from the service, – not just in quality but also in cost. They pay only about $400 per tooth (including the crown) – compared with about $2000 in some private clinics.

The UP Dental Clinic welcomes patients who have missing teeth to visit and discuss whether an implant is a good option for them.