Motivation Monday Student Spotlight - Austyn Grissom

Austyn Grissom - Class of 2018

Hi Austyn! We heard that you went on a mission trip this summer! Where did you go and for how long?
I went to Trujillo, Honduras for 10 days at the beginning of our summer break.  

Who did you go on the trip with?
There were 95 people on the mission with us.  The group was made up of surgeons, nurses, optometrists, speech pathologists, pharmacists, and many others who were willing to serve.  

What type of procedures did you do? How many patients were treated?
Our dental team was administering fluoride treatments and extracting teeth.  We treated a different village each day; we were able to see over 300 patients and extracted 490 teeth.  

Could you tell us about the conditions you worked in?
Our clinic was set up in a building that a church from Ohio built about 10 years ago.  The church actually had medical & dental missionaries working in that facility full time for several years so the setup was pretty nice and similar to what we have in the States, minus the central air-conditioning and running water.  

What was your favorite part?
The people.  They were so happy to have us there and grateful for the care that we were able to provide to them.  No matter how hot it was or how long they had to wait, there was always going to be a hug, handshake, or “gracias” at the end of the procedure.  

What was your least favorite part?
The communication barrier.  Even though we had a couple of awesome translators, it still takes an aspect of patient care away when you’re communicating through a third party.  

What is your advice for anyone who is looking to go on a mission trip while in dental school?

• Go with an established group.  Groups like CMMA and the church I went with have been going to the same areas for many years.  These people have it figured out- you want to be able to go in and treat patients for your entire trip and not worry too much about the logistics.
• Don’t set goals for how much you want to get done while you’re there.  If you help one person out, the trip was worth it.
• Be patient.  This is something that I have wanted to do since I started dental school and it never worked out financially until now (ICYMI: medical mission trips are expensive).  Even if you don’t get to go on a trip until after you graduate, don’t miss the opportunity to go- I can promise that you will not regret it.

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