Bristol dental student crowned heat winner

Michelle Cham, final-year dental student and heat winner of the Dental Clinical Skills Competition

Press release issued: 11 December 2018

A final-year University of Bristol dental student has been crowned Bristol’s heat winner after competing in the nationwide Dental Clinical Skills Competition.

Michelle Cham was announced as the heat winner of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd)’s Faculty of Dental Surgery Dental Clinical Skills Competition following a contest hosted at the Bristol Dental School last month [28 November].

Michelle, showcasing her dental skills, fought off stiff competition from her peers, with Jack Dowling taking the runner-up spot.

Michelle Chan, on her win, said: "I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would honestly do it all over again. It was challenging but was definitely a good experience being put under 'healthy pressure' of knowing that everyone else participating in this Regional Heat are already performing clinical work to a high standard on a daily basis, so I had to push myself to strive to do even better.

"Winning the heat has boosted my confidence and I was able to remind myself that I am more capable than what I think!"

Aiming to discover the UK and Ireland's best undergraduate dentist, the competition heats will take place in 18 UK and Irish dental schools until December 2018. During these heats, final year dental students will have the opportunity to pitch their clinical dental skills against their peers, with the best student from each heat winning a travel and accommodation package to compete in the Grand Final of the competition, taking place at The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh on 28 February 2019. The Grand Final prizes include all expense-paid trips to Chicago and Switzerland, a digital SLR camera and more.

RCSEd hopes the competition, sponsored by Dentsply Sirona, will complement the basic dental skills delivered at the undergraduate level in the UK and Ireland, and help develop self-improvement in post-graduation dentistry.

Professor Fraser McDonald, Dean of RCSEd’s Faculty of Dental Surgery, explaining more about the competition, said: "The Dental Clinical Skills Competition is a unique competition for aspiring young dentists to attempt practical evaluations in areas not often assessed in their normal environment. It allows access to the ambiance of the Royal College and its distinctive backdrop and buildings. Friendships forged in this arena are lifelong."

The Grand Final of the competition will be followed by a dinner in the 500-year-old Edinburgh College at which presentations will be made to the winner and two runners-up. All participants in the competition will receive a certificate of participation and two years' affiliation with The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

Further information

About The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
The RCSEd is one of the oldest surgical corporations in the world and is dedicated to improving safety and outcomes in the delivery of surgical treatment and patient care. Established as the Barber Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1505, and with a membership approaching 25,000 in over 100 countries worldwide, it is home to the UK’s only Faculty of Surgical Trainers, open to all those with an interest in surgical training regardless of College affiliation. Other faculties include the Faculty of Dental Surgery, Faculty of Dental Trainers, Faculty of Perioperative Care, Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care and Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine.

As the professional home of surgery and dentistry, the College leads and supports the highest standards of clinical practice through education, training and examinations, partnerships with external medical bodies, and representation of the modern surgical and dental workforce. With 80 per cent of the College's UK membership based in England and Wales, a new UK office opened in Birmingham in 2014, followed by a third in Malaysia in 2018 to enhance its international activities.