Getting involved and giving back

Volunteering is an important part of Dr Tony Collett’s (BSc Hons 1979, BDSc 1987, MDSc 1991, PhD 1983) life. A semi-retired orthodontist, every fortnight he teaches pro bono at Melbourne Dental School’s (MDS) orthodontic clinic.

“I enjoy the interaction with the students — they’re knowledgeable, they test me and I have to keep up with them!” he says.

With other MDS alumni and some MDS staff, Dr Collett is also planning another trip to Vietnam as part of the School's collegial relationship with Vietnamese dental specialists and surgeons

For more than 20 years, he has been a member of the Rotary Australia Vietnam Oral Health Team, where volunteer dental specialists work with the hospital team providing specialist dental care and cleft lip and palate expertise. Dr Collett has recently taken over from Dr Jamie Robertson (BA Hons 1986, MA 1989, FRACDS 2011, MPH 2009), who founded the group.

“The team spends a week at the National Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology in Ho Chi Minh and we assist with cases and look at the treatment planning for orthodontics and surgery patients.”

We also provide professional education to our Vietnamese colleagues, who are always keen to learn and improve their skills says Dr Collett.

“The learning is two-way; we also learn from the Vietnamese practitioners. It’s very rewarding when we can suggest ways of improving a patient’s outcome and it’s always rewarding to work with our Vietnamese colleagues, who are very capable. I’m organising our 2025 trip and we have several people from the University of Melbourne coming along — teaching staff and alumni are supportive.”

Dr Collett is also a coordinator of FunFlight, which provides an aviation experience for children experiencing adversity. Each year, Dr Collett organises the event and, with other volunteers, he also pilots one of the light aircraft giving free sightseeing flights to children and teenagers facing difficult life experiences. As part of the FunFlight initiative, orthodontic postgraduate students are also encouraged to throw their support behind the event at Lilydale Airport.

Young people supported by organisations like Cancer Kids, Heart Kids, Very Special Kids and CleftPals Victoria, as well as foster children from Anglicare, have all enjoyed the free flights and sausage sizzle.

“The day is an opportunity for MDS staff and students to share something outside of dentistry because the orthodontic program can be consuming,” says Dr Collett.

“A number of the orthodontic postgraduates volunteer to come to the airport to help. They get a lot of enjoyment from helping kids who have often faced misfortune and adversity — it’s very satisfying.

Years ago, I remember receiving a letter from a mother whose son came to the FunFlight experience. He died three or four months later and his mother wrote to me to tell me that the day of his flight was the best day of his life.

“I have always been involved in some form of volunteering, in Australia and overseas. The profession has been so good to me and I like the feeling of giving something back. Volunteering has provided the opportunity to make a contribution and meet many exceptional and inspiring people. It is also just so enjoyable.”

Find out about volunteering at the University of Melbourne: unimelb.edu.au/alumni/get-involved/volunteer