The Reasons to Put the Effort into Serving Communities in Need: Experiences and the Lessons Learned (with Dr. Tony Urbanek)

Everyday Oral Surgery

Practicing medicine in the third world is wildly different from working as a practitioner in the USA. During this episode, Dr. Tony Urbanek returns to the podcast to share wild and wonderful stories from his years in Haiti and Jamaica, and the key learnings about the third world and the USA that he picked up along the way. Join us as we explore what surgeons stand to gain from leaving their comfort zones to work in underserved communities, why Dr. Urbanek believes that ultimately, he gained more than he gave from his experiences in other countries, and why he recommends that other surgeons explore work in the third world. You’ll also hear what it’s really like to work without proper tools such as lighting and anesthesia, how cultural norms affect our response to pain and panic, and why truly being of service is all about listening to what is needed rather than offering solutions. Tune in today to hear all this and more.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Dr. Urbanek’s journey into third-world medicine through a Catholic mission in Beauchamp, Haiti.
• Observations of a happy, established culture with little to no technical or medical knowledge.
• Unexpected encounters with a Voodoo doctor.
• Being recruited to work as a doctor in Jamaica.
• One of the biggest learnings from his experiences: in the third world, people are very proud.
• How he operated without a suction or the appropriate lighting: local anesthesia.
• A story to illustrate the power of cultural perception.
• Discussions with a Health Minister in Jamaica.
• Why it is so critical to find out what is needed rather than offering what you think is needed.
• Dr. Stucki’s two-year religious mission in Bolivia at the age of 19.
• What it’s really like to work without proper tools.
• Adjusting your mindset in order to be effective in the third world.
• Why ultimately, Dr. Urbanek believes that he got more out of his experience in the third world than he put into it.
• What you really stand to gain as a surgeon by leaving your comfort zone.
• The two jobs that Dr. Urbanek has available currently.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Anthony Urbanek — https://www.urbanektmj.com/

Dr. Anthony Urbanek on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/drtonyurbanek/

Dr. Anthony Urbanek on X — https://x.com/anthonyurbanek

Dr. Anthony Urbanek on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/drtonyurbanek/

Dr. Anthony Urbanek on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/drtonyurbanek/

Urbanek TMJ Device & Protocol |Brentwood — https://www.tmjservicesofbrentwood.com/

Everyday Oral Surgery Website — https://www.everydayoralsurgery.com/

Everyday Oral Surgery on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/everydayoralsurgery/

Everyday Oral Surgery on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/EverydayOralSurgery/

Dr. Grant Stucki Email — [email protected]

Dr. Grant Stucki Phone — 720-441-6059