Portrait of the month: Inès, dentist student (March 2019)

The city of Iași counts numerous universities. One of them is the university of dental medicine, attended by both Romanian and foreign students who are able to provide dental care beginning with the third year of studies. Since many years we are in touch with students from the third, the fourth and the fifth years who are taking care of our companions and homeless people. We met with Inès, a student in the fourth year.

Hello, can you introduce yourself?

My name is Inès Dode, I am 26, almost 27! After graduationg high school, I tried twice to pass the exam to enter med school. I was into medicine and dentistry, but I got admitted in the pharmaceutical and midwifery faculty. Before coming in Romania, I studied for two years midwifery. I discovered the medical community in France, the faculty, but I didn’t like it, so I dropped out to move to Romania and start studiyng what I really liked.
I have been living in Romania for about four years now, and studiyng at the dentistry faculty of Iași.

How did you discover Emmaüs, in France then in Iași?

I know Emmaüs since I was young and I was going there on Sunday with my mother to buy clothes, toys, because in my family we didn’t have that much money. Later on, I kep donating to and buying from Emmaüs. When I moved to Iasi, I immediatly thought of Emmaüs when it came to buy my furnitures and everything I needed. In addition to that, it’s right next to my place!

How many companions did you treat with Léo?

About tens with my colleague Léo (the students work by pair when treating patients, ed.), including the volunteers, but without counting those I will receive and treat starting from tomorrow.

Is it your first experience in a association?

No. In France I was doing a lot of charity run, like for the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It’s a very famous event in med school, especially in midwifery. But also other events like “Move your stethoscope” or “the Teddy Bear hospital”. I also wrapped Christmas gifts to raise money for the UNICEF, and I give blood.

Tell us about a nice moment you shared with the companions while treating them?

There are quite a lot, but one I like a lot is when a companion told me “I trust you, we can do this”. It’s so rewarding to realize you’re actually helping someone, relieving them from their pain and healing them.

Once you graduate, do you plan to keep be involved in those kind of initiative?

Of course. I would love, as an example, to work in prisons. I know they look for a lot of doctors and dentists, as you don’t make a lot of profit there. But it’s nice to take care of people that have no other choices, that are locked away. There is also an association in my hometown, Besançon, that is working with homeless people and which contacted me. I told them I didn’t graduated yet, but I would give them some help once I am a dentist.