The Australian, one of Australia’s leading newspapers, published an article about Somos Amigos.
 
Click here to read the article.
 
An excerpt from the article:
 
“By 6am, the inky darkness of the Dominican sky has paled and my roommates and I decide to finally stir from underneath our cobwebby mosquito nets and yield to the roosters’ calls. I get first dibs on the shower, a tin enclosure outside the main house where a large bucket and dipper await. There is no hot water, but to get me through the teeth-chattering shock of pouring the first dipperful over my head, there is a million-dollar view of hibiscus bushes and mist rising over the valley.”

Somos Amigos volunteer dentist Andrew Cobb’s reflections on his work with Somos Amigos appear in Dawson Quicknotes
 
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An excerpt from the article:

“Over the past few years we have noticed a significant improvement in the overall dental health of our patients since the early missions. It is clear to us that the little we have been able to do has made a significant improvement in the overall dental health of our patients in El Naranjito. We continue to improve and expand upon what we are able to provide our friends in Naranjito and surrounding communities. People who have not smiled for years leave the dental clinic with a new smile and perspective on life.”

Somos Amigos Director Frank Brightwell delivers Commencement Address to Columbia University School of Dental Medicine Class of 2010
 
Click here to see the address.
 
An excerpt from the address:
“In addition to encouraging you to always live your life with a conscience, there are a few other life lessons I want to share with you: go about your life and especially your work with a sense of humility. Make yourself vulnerable sometimes so that you can relish in its serenity. Be a person of integrity. Short cuts are OK when you are trying to get to a movie before it starts but not when you are doing the business of life. Appreciate simplicity and allow yourself the liberation of experiencing it sometimes. Nurture the compassion that rests in your soul. Always remember that there is a person attached to that tooth you’re working on. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Laugh. OK, maybe not at all of Jeremy’s jokes, but laugh. Smile. And finally, love: know that life’s journey is only half complete if you don’t share yourself with someone else.”

American Dental Association (ADA) includes Somos Amigos in its Database of International Volunteer Organizations
 
Click here to view the entry.

Somos Amigos volunteer physician John Mahalik’s reflections on his work appear in the Sonoma County Medical Association Magazine
 
Click here to view the article.
 
An excerpt from the article:
“My own words cannot express how valuable and meaningful this work can be, but we have a saying posted on the Somos Amigos clinic wall that comes close. It can be roughly translated as, “If you came here expecting to heal others, you will be surprised by how you have been healed when you leave.”

The New York Academy of Dentistry Endorses Somos Amigos as an International Service Project for its Members
 
Click here to download a PDF of the original article.
 
From the article:
“Somos Amigos Medical Missions operates a medical and dental clinic in a rural area of the Dominican Republic. The organization’s mission is to bring medical and dental care to people living in under-served areas of developing countries. Their first clinic, in Naranjito, Dominican Republic, serves more than 1,000 regular patients and was established in 1997.
 
All aspects of clinical dentistry are provided in a specially constructed clinic with 6 modern dental units. Missions are planned for a six day period. Recently, a collaboration between Somos Amigos and Columbia University College of Dental Medicine has been established and students and a faculty advisor recently returned from their first mission.”