Surprise visit by Dr James Mchenga to Glasgow

Dr James Mchenga, Head of the BDS degree programme at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, was recently in Manchester visiting relatives and contacted me to see whether we could arrange a two day visit to the University of Glasgow and the Dental School. In collaboration with Andrew Paterson, Senior Lecturer / Honorary Consultant in Restorative Dentistry, we compiled a programme, and James duly arrived at Glasgow Central Station on the morning of Tuesday 23rd April.

James and I took a taxi to the University of Glasgow main campus at Gilmorehill. Our first stop was the James McCune Smith Learning Hub, where we had coffee and some breakfast. I personally spend many hours working in this fantastic building and it was a privilege to be able to show James all the facilities it offers – not least the amazing view across the campus from the top floor.

We wandered around the whole campus, taking in both the new buildings on the former site of the Western Infirmary and the original ‘Hogwarts’ buildings. It was a bright, sunny day which showed off the campus to best advantage.

We spent an enjoyable hour in the Hunterian Museum. Before training as a dentist, James had been a science teacher in Malawi and he found much in the museum that was of great interest.

After leaving the museum we had some lunch on campus and then headed into the city centre. James checked into his hotel before we made our way to the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Glasgow (RCPSG).

It was the RCPSG that paid for my first visit to Malawi in September 2017, which marked the start of The MalDent Project – an ongoing and very exciting journey. Outside the Livingstone Room, James saw images of clinicians known to him in Malawi:

Another important link to The MalDent Project is the HOPE Foundation. This charitable arm of RCPSG has already funded transportation of a container of dental equipment to Malawi and has recently approved funding of a four week elective visit by two of James’ BDS students from Kamuzu University of Health Sciences to Glasgow this coming Summer.

Following our tour of the RCPSG, James and I took a walk down to George Square then headed to Glasgow Dental School. I had to attend a meeting of the Scotland Malawi Partnership Board in Edinburgh that evening and I left James with Andrew Paterson. After work, Andrew, Niall Rogerson and Abisola Asuni (members of the recent Flying Faculty team), together with Frank Bonner the Dental School Manager, took James for dinner.

The next morning I had breakfast with James at his hotel and then we headed off for a very full day of activities at Glasgow Dental School.

Our first meeting was with Professor Shauna Culshaw, Professor of Periodontology & Immunology and Deputy Head of the Dental School. Shauna had provided a recorded lecture about research in dentistry which had been used during the recent Flying Faculty teaching week in February. There was a useful discussion about potential research collaborations between Glasgow Dental School and the Department of Oral Health Sciences at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences.

During the course of the morning, James was given a tour of the Dental Hospital & School, providing opportunities for multiple conversations.

Time was made for a meeting with Professor David Conway, Professor of Dental Public Health, which resulted in an extended discussion about the epidemiology of head and neck cancers. David will be making his first visit to Malawi in mid-May for a workshop on child oral health improvement in the country – look out for a future post!

We spent a considerable amount of time in the pre-clinical skills facility, where students are taught operative techniques before they start clinical work with patients.

James also had the opportunity to experiment with one of the operating microscopes used for endodontics teaching:

After lunch, James joined Andrew to participate in the standard setting for the BDS 5 OSCE, which he found a very interesting exercise. We rounded off the day with a walk through a sunny Glasgow to Central Station, where James caught his train back to Manchester.

It had been very much a flying visit, but one that we all enjoyed and which hopefully provided James with some ideas as the BDS course in Malawi develops.

James will be attending a workshop we are running with the Ministry of Health on 15th and 16th May at Mponela, focused on developing a child oral health improvement programme for Malawi, so it won’t be long before we meet again, but this time on his turf!