8 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, June 17, 2002 Dental students help migrant workers seti 2r By Jemnier Mistha Daily Staff Reporter Giving dental check-ups to children in a classroom with Disney movies playing in the background before engaging in a game of soccer with his patients was a rewarding summer experience for dental school alum Ryan Van Haren. Van Haren spent part of last summer working at the Dental School's summer migrant dental program, pro- viding oral health care to migrant workers and their children. The program will run again from June 24 through Aug. 2. Dental Prof. Robert Bagramian, director of the sum- mer clinic program, said Dental students have worked with migrant workers in various locations around Michigan in an effort to improve their oral health for the last 29 years. "Eight students are on site for two weeks," Bagrami- an said. "Basically there is one faculty member to four dental students." He added this ratio allows students to be the princi- ple care-giver with supervision from a practicing den- tist. During their rotation, the dental students work at three different elementary schools, seeing children dur- ing the day and their parents after work. The program has come a long way since it was first started in Ann Arbor in the early 1970s, Bagramian said, but the services have maintained popularity among migrant workers, and the program has remained unique among many states. The program grew even more when phone calls from migrant workers prompted dental students to travel daily to places around Ann Arbor and eventual- ly moved all over Michigan to the point where "peo- ple in Traverse City contacted me and asked if we would come up there," Bagramian said. Arrangements for student housing, vehicles and portable equipment enabled the summer pro- gram to move to the northwest section of the state where there is a greater migrant worker population. The idea of working with an underrepresented popu- lation appealed to Dental student Julie Ann Fattore in her first year, when she leamed about the program from Bagramian and upperclassmen. Fattore applied to the program because she feels the ability to help others is a huge responsibility. "In Traverse City, the migrant farm workers are thought of as the invisible population as they intermin- gle with the vacationing tourists," Fattore said. "This is an opportunity to help treat and educate these children and families." Van Haren said the children enjoy their experience at the clinic. He added that in the few hours of interaction each day, dental students have the opportunity to "sit "There ends up being a great level of comfort." - Ryan Van Haren Dental alum down with kids" and "hang out." "There ends up being a great level of comfort," Van Haren said. "The level of care given to kids is equivalent to what they'd get in private practice." But, there are some problems with the program. Follow-up care is difficult to provide, and Van Haren said no specialists are on-site and he avoids giving referrals. "Referring out doesn't do much good," Van Haren said. "(The migrant workers) can't afford the desired specialized treatment." Despite language barriers, Fattore said she expects her time in Traverse City to be a memo- rable learning experience. "As students we will learn to work quickly and work with what we have in less than ideal conditions," she said. "I will learn to speak some Spanish, but I am not con- cerned about communication. I know that the best communication starts with a nice warm smile and that's what dentistry is all about." Tear work a :- *.I U W Sept. to Sept. 02/03 Leases Still Available...Call Soon! 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Particular appeal, be smid, is in the fart thaspeople can "drop by" for a movie, to hear the live music playing or just go for a stroll without having to pay for a thing because evenings are sponsored by vari- ous area organizations and businesses. For college students the event gives them a taste of what Ann Arbor is all about, Guttman said. "It gives them a real local feel to the town they're going to be a resident of for four years ... and a chance to see that there's a town here as well;" he said. Washtenaw Community College freshman and Ann Arbor native Naomi Fauman remembers watching "Singing In the Rain" at Top of the Park when she was six years old. Now, Fauanan works at the event, a job she said she cannot believe she gets paid to do. "Every- body's so nice and friendly because of the Ann Arbor atmosphere, and it's laid back.You can have fun," she said. She said she likes that the event is free and open to everyone and said itis one of the activities everyone should take advantage of while in Ann Arbor. "The music is good and the atmos- phere is great. It's a good place to hang out during the summer," Fau- man said. "You really can't get things like Top of the Park ... from other cities. That's one of the great things about Ann Arbor." But the majority of the people attend- ing Top of the Park so far this year, like Ann Arbor residents Adam and Jennifer Cohen, have not been college studenfs. The Cohens bring their two children to Top of the Park at least twice a sum- mer. "It's Ann Arbor summer fun - Why not come to Top of the Park," Jen- nifer said. She added that she enjoys the way the event brings the community together. "I always see people here that I don't run into other places," she said. After attend- ing Top of the Park for eight years, she said she still "wouldn't change a thing." 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