• HIGHLIGHT
• May 2024
• Bulletin

Students’ Wellbeing Project

Awarded “Distinguished Service to the Community” in HKU Recognition Ceremony

From left: Professor Michael Botelho, Charlotte Chan, Elise Fok, Ophelia Ng and Rosealeen Lo work on a project to improve the wellbeing of dental students.

Our dental students are committed not only to academic and clinical excellence, but also to the wellbeing of their fellow peers. Recognising their outstanding efforts, a student-led project focusing on the wellbeing of undergraduate dental students received the prestigious “Distinguished Service to the Community” award during the HKU Recognition Ceremony held on April 27, 2024.

The project “Holistic Wellbeing of Undergraduate Dental Students: Findings and Future Directions”, is part of the HKU’s “Students-as-Partners” initiatives. Guided by Professor Michael Botelho, Clinical Professor in Prosthodontics, the project team consisting of BDS 6 students: Charlotte Chan, Elise Fok, Rosealeen Lo and Ophelia Ng - conducted a survey to dental students from Years 1 to 6.

The survey results revealed concerning levels of overall wellbeing among undergraduate dental students, which further deteriorated as they progressed through their clinical studies. The study identified examinations, long schedules, and the physical burden of dental work as their key sources of stress. Despite this, the findings also unveiled that a majority of students enjoyed positive relationships with both peers and tutors.

Based on student’s feedback, the team explored various strategies to enhance wellbeing, including the publication of orientation booklets and setting up a peer mentoring “buddy system” pairing senior and junior students.

The students have gained valuable insights from the project. Charlotte Chan remarked, “This is a chance to contribute to the student community and ensure that their voices are heard."

Ophelia Ng reflected, “Through the survey and interviews, we were able to put ourselves into others’ shoes, and practice multi-perspective thinking.”

Rosealeen Lo highlighted the importance of teamwork, “Recognising everyone's strengths and weaknesses is crucial to fully harness our skills."

Elise Fok noted, "Research is merely the initial step. There are many challenges ahead to promote wellbeing within the BDS learning environment."

The findings have been published in the European Journal of Dental Education. The students have also presented their findings at local and international events, such as South East Asia Association for Dental Education (SEAADE), Association for Dental Education in Europe (ADEE), and Universitas 21 (U21).