Alumni — Faculty Mentorship Programme 2011-12 launched
 For the second year running, a dentist-student mentorship scheme has been organised by the HKU Faculty of Dentistry in collaboration with the HKU Dental Alumni Association (HKUDAA). The mentorship programme for 2011-12 was formally kicked off at an inauguration ceremony on 27 February 2012.
The HKUDAA — Faculty Mentorship Programme 2011-2012 is based on the annual HKU mentorship scheme, but with the whole second-year student cohort taking part and with local practising dentists volunteering as the mentors. Mentees are organised as pairs to facilitate observation visits at their mentor’s clinical practice, at a time in the BDS curriculum when students embark on their clinical training and start receiving public patients at the Faculty.
“Our mentorship scheme lets BDS II students get to know local dentists, develop professionally, and see what life may be like after graduation as a dentist,” said Dean Lakshman Samanarayake at the inauguration ceremony. “We thank the HKUDAA for their cooperation, since we view this new tradition as a very important part of our students’ holistic education and development at the Faculty.” In turn, HKUDAA President Dr Michael Mui shared his positive experience as a mentor last year and thanked the Faculty’s Knowledge Transfer Unit for helping again with the organisation and administration of the programme.
In addition, several participants in last year’s scheme were invited to share their experiences of the mentorship programmme. Dr Daniel Fang (MDS 1998, AdvDip 2000) told the audience that as a mentor, he eventually realised that he should be “like a tube of rainbow Mentos”, adding “flavour and colour to a mentee’s professional life”. Past mentee Ms Judith T Lui (BDS III) said the mentorship was “rewarding and unforgettable”, and past mentee Ms Jellian TY Li (BDS III) told the incoming mentees that mentorship is “an invaluable opportunity” to broaden their horizons and learn from their seniors.
Following the welcome addresses, mentors and mentees paired up, exchanged contact details, and competed in an ice-breaker quiz about the Faculty, which can be downloaded here. The inauguration ceremony was supported by the HKU Knowledge Exchange Fund 2011-12, granted by the Hong Kong SAR University Grants Committee to HKU. Quiz prizes and souvenirs were donated by Oral B (Procter and Gamble).
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