Penn Dental Medicine Builds on Global Initiatives in Taiwan, China, Thailand

Dr. Syngcuk Kim, Professor, Department of Endodontics, and Associate Dean for Global Affairs and Continuing Education, at the Beijing symposium.

Philadelphia – Building on its global initiatives, in June, Penn Dental Medicine presented continuing education symposia in both Taiwan and Beijing and signed a new memorandum of understanding with a dental school in Thailand.

The School’s Department of Endodontics faculty and alumni presented two Global Penn Endodontic Symposia, focusing on the leading-edge science and practice of modern endodontics with topics ranging from endodontic pathology to endodontic microsurgical techniques. The first one, drawing approximately 250 attendees, took place in Taipei, Taiwan, June 1-2, organized by Penn Dental Medicine alumnae Dr. Theresa Hsu.

The second symposium was held June 7-9 in conjunction with Arrail Dental in Beijing, China, drawing more than 600 attendees. The speakers in Beijing included Penn Dental Medicine’s Morton Amsterdam Dean Denis Kinane; Dr. William Cheung of Hong Kong; and Drs. Syngcuk Kim, Frank Sezter, Meetu Kohli, Bekir Karabucak, and Yu Kai Hsu of Penn Dental Medicine’s Department of Endodontics. Carl Zeiss Meditec of Germany and B&L Biotech of Korea were instrumental in running the hands-on course that was part of the program; 30 microscopes were shipped from Germany for the course of 60 dentists. The hands-on course was taught by Dr. Kim and other members of the School’s endodontic faculty along with Chinese professors, who trained within Penn Dental Medicine’s Department of Endodontics, including Prof. Wang Zuhua and Pan Jie of Peking, Wang Hanguo of the Fourth Military Hospital, Xi’an, China, and Prof. Yang Jian. A highlight of the symposium was a live demonstration of mandibular molar surgery under the microscope, which was telecast in 3D.

“The course received an enthusiastic response, further strengthening the global position of our Department of Endodontics,” says Dr. Syngcuk Kim, Professor, Department of Endodontics, and Associate Dean for Global Affairs and Continuing Education, at Penn Dental Medicine. “The high-tech, live surgery demonstration was the first such event in China.”

Between the two symposia, Dr. Kim and Dean Kinane went to Thailand, visiting the Faculty of Dentistry Mahidol University, where on June 3, Dean Kinane signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to facilitate student and faculty exchange and collaborative research. As part of the trip, Dr. Kim also gave an endodontic microsurgery course to faculty at Mahidol, while Dean Kinane gave a research seminar to faculty and students in Chulalongkorn University Faculty of Dentistry, also in Bangkok.