Dean’s briefing
John Lowry Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery
Several months ago I was very pleased to meet with two senior Russian colleagu es, Professo r Nicolay Beljacov, rector (dean) of the Medical Academy of Postgraduate Studies (MAPS) in St Petersburg and vice-rector Professor Olga Kuznetsova, who has responsibility for residency and international training. Although at that stage they were on a factfinding visit exploring issues mainly related to family medicine, it emerged that they both had an intense interest in postgraduate training for dentistry and, in particular, specialisation and the development of technical skills. As a result I was privileged to be invited to St Petersburg to pursue this further. Indeed, as I begin to write this article I am sitting in the airport departure lounge having just run the gauntlet of the Russian emigration authorities. The staff of the St Petersburg MAPS are justifiably proud of the achievements of the institute during its interesting history, since it was founded in 1885 by the Grand Duchess Elena Romanova with Professor Eduard Eichwald as the first director. However, there is no doubt that the political changes over more recent years from perestroika (rebuilding) and glasnost (openness) in the Mikhail Gorbachev era through to the turbulent times as Boris Yeltsin came to power, have taken a heavy toll. Although the situation is now more stable under Vladimir Putin I was reminded of the severe economic repurcussions as the rouble tumbled relative to the US dollar by 300% virtually overnight. Next door to the 248 RCS Bulletin
From St Petersburg to Cambridge
Ann R Coll Surg Engl (Suppl) 2002; 84:248 -250
MAPS hostel where I stayed several miles from the main academy lies a half built, but sadly derelict new block, and construction and reconstruction work continues under difficult conditions on the main campus. Also a network of clinics in and around the city form functional
but are then required to proceed to specialist training for at least a further two years. During this period, however, they are permitted to work in private practice, typically for around two sessions per week on a flexible basis under the umbrella of the institute.
We have now developed firm educational links and it is planned that the first Russian dental graduates will come to the UK later this year with the aim of developing technical skills within a strictly supervised training environment in a number of specialist fields.
components of the academy. These include a brand new eight-chair dental clinic attached to a modern centre for family medicine and women’s healthcare. In addition to the structural developments there is no doubt that the dean and his senior colleagues have made great strides in education, actively going out to observe healthcare systems at first hand in a number of western nations. It is interesting to note that young dental graduates, after five years’ training, undertake not only a period of compulsory internship analagous to vocational training as we understand it in the UK, We have now developed firm educational links and it is planned that the first Russian dental graduates will come to the UK later this year with the aim of developing technical skills within a strictly supervised training environment in a number of specialist fields. It is planned that on their return to Russia they will share these with their colleagues as part of a programme of cascade training. It is anticipated that adjustments to the scheme will be required in the light of experience for subsequent groups with the next stage being the development of an exchange programme. This should certainly be of interest to
a trainee who has completed general professional training and who is keen to develop professional experience in the broadest possible way. I was also pleased to meet with Professor Vladimir Kozlov, head of the maxillofacial unit at MAPS. It was evident at the outset that he shares with us the ethos of dual dental and medical education with core surgical training as a solid foundation for training in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS). Nevertheless, in Russia the duration of specialist
minister of public health. This was held in a pavilion in the beautiful LenEKSPO complex overlooking the harbour at Basil Island. The programme covered a wide range with subjects ranging from the prevention and management of emergencies and preparation for anaesthesia through periodontology and oral implantology as well as topics in contemporary maxillofacial surgery. The conference was very well attended and it was pleasing to see a significant proportion of younger trainees who also took
roadshows in the series. It was most encouraging that this stimulated a wide-ranging discussion about the work of the Faculty as a result of which, my colleagues Peter Leopard, Iain Hathorn and I, were able to take away a number of constructive ideas for future work. At the end of the afternoon I was really pleased to be asked to present prizes to the winners in the specialist registrar, senior house officer and general professional training groups of papers. So as we move into mid-
Generally a Russian specialist’s level of operative experience on completion of the programme needs topping up before independent practice in the wider range of OMFS could be considered.
training is significantly shorter than that in the UK, and he accepted that generally a Russian specialist’s level of operative experience on completion of the programme needs topping up before independent practice in the wider range of OMFS could be considered. The spectrum of disease includes a high level of sepsis related to oral neglect and, in parallel with this, infective complications after maxillofacial trauma are relatively frequent. While I was there I was delighted to take the opportunity of attending the Seventh International Conference of Maxillofacial Surgeons and Stomatologists and was honoured to be invited to participate in the opening ceremony attended by the avid interest in the large trade exhibition. They pointed out that this provided a unique opportunity for them to see a range of textbooks and journals as well as other information which otherwise would not have been easy to obtain.
Meanwhile on the home front in Cambridge…
We were grateful to Mr David Tewson who, as faculty adviser, recently organised a most interesting regional study day. The programme included a number of carefully prepared presentations by trainees and, in addition, we were pleased to have the opportunity of presenting a Faculty Roadshow. This was in a revised format in the light of feedback from earlier
summer could I remind you that I am always interested to hear your views on how the Faculty can assist you in your day-to-day professional work. Please do not hesitate to contact me either electronically (jlowry@rcseng.ac.uk), by letter or by phone. Could I also remind you that the Faculty website www.rcseng.ac.uk/fds/ is being progressively updated and that all fellows and members have access to a wide range of additional services. If you have not yet received your Athens user name and password to enter the members’ area, or if you encounter any problems, please contact Wendy Paine or Tom Bishop in the library and information services department at library@rcseng.ac.uk.
Dean’s briefing
RCS Bulletin 249
Sir William Kelsey Fry (1899-1963)
The Faculty of Dental Surgery has recently been privileged to receive the gift of a portrait of Sir William Kelsey Fry, who served the Faculty with great distinction as its second dean between 1950 and 1953.
Working with Sir Harold Gillies at Sidcup, Sir William was formative in pioneering the development of maxillofacial surgery. After the First World War he was appointed to the staff at Guy’s Hospital where he became well recognised as an outstanding clinician and teacher. During the Second World War he worked at East Grinstead where he established a foremost postgraduate teaching centre. He was also largely responsible for the establishment of the postgraduate dental school at the Eastman Dental Hospital where he lectured in oral surgery. The Dental Treatment of Maxillofacial Injuries became one of the
foremost textbooks in the field and the second edition was written in conjunction with Sir Terence Ward who was in turn dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery between 1965 and 1968. Dr Ian Kelsey Fry and Mrs Kelsey Fry have generously donated the portrait of Sir
William and we were delighted to welcome them to the College for a short presentation ceremony with Mrs Stella Mason, keeper of the College collections, in April 2002. John Lowry Dean, Faculty of Dental Surgery
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250 RCS Bulletin