Since February, the university has entered a whole new realm of online learning. But while we are still navigating our way through Zoom, dentistry students at HKU have to return to campus for practical lessons despite the global panic surrounding the coronavirus. 

 

With more than 30% of international students in the Dentistry Class of 2024, the Faculty’s decision to insist on conducting face-to-face lessons has caused much controversy. Many students have already packed their bags and flown back to their home country in view of the escalating pandemic situation around the globe. How does this relate to a new name student’s have given the Faculty: the Prince Philip Dental University?

 

What do dentistry lessons look like?

In normal cases, dentistry students have lab sessions and problem-based learning courses (similar to tutorials). For these practical lab sessions, they would have to go to the Prince Philip Dental Hospital in Sai Ying Pun. These lessons are conducted daily. 

 

What is the controversy?

M, a student from the dentistry class of 2024, who wishes to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, said that they received an email from the Faculty, announcing that they will be resuming lab sessions on April 20 and onwards – face-to-face. This email left her classmates and herself in disbelief. 

 

The Faculty claimed that they would take measures to ensure the health of students when attending these sessions. Personal Protective Equipment such as masks, gloves, and their temperature would have to be taken beforehand. Although these sessions now only house half of the class, there is still an obvious risk of cross-infection when having such a large group inside a room.

 

Prince Philip Dental University

“I simply do not understand why the Faculty is not following guidelines given by the University on suspension of all face-to-face classes,” said M. “I thought that there was coordination and consensus among all Faculties and the University management was overseeing all these, but apparently our Faculty decided that we were special.” 

 

“The emails were sent very last minute, a lot of my classmates had flown back to their country and thought it was alright,” M said, and expressed concerns over what her classmates should do now. “The class representatives told us in the group WhatsApp chat that the Faculty is still discussing among themselves on the details, maybe that is why we are receiving such vague messages.”

 

Though there was a forum held with the staff of the Faculty of Dentistry on the arrangement of lessons, M thought that the forum was ineffective in addressing the concerns of the students. 

 

“I think the Faculty is trying too hard in shaping its image of being ‘different and prestigious’ in the University. Maybe the University management gave them too much autonomy in formulating their own policies, that the Faculty somehow forgot that they belong in HKU,” M said. 

 

“It’s like I’m studying in the Prince Philip Dental University rather than in HKU. I almost forgot I’m part of HKU.” She added with a laugh.