School of Dentistry welcomes students and faculty from Japan for annual exchange program
51²č¹Ż of Texas at San Antonio recently welcomed dental students and faculty from Japanās and for the 28th year of the annual Japanese Student Exchange Program (JSEP). The weeklong visit, which ran from August 16 to August 25, combined Texas culture with immersive academic experiences at the School of Dentistry, strengthening the bond between the institutions.
Exploring Texas culture
The visit started with a true Texas adventure at Rancho Cortez, a dude ranch in Bandera, where dental students and faculty from UT San Antonio and Japan explored together. They enjoyed horseback riding, shopping along Main Street and a traditional barbecue lunch. The first weekend of activities offered the visiting students and faculty a first glimpse of Texas hospitality before the week of academic exchange began.
Later in the week, the group explored Central and South Texas landmarks. Stops included Fredericksburgās Main Street, a tour of Garrison Brothers Distillery in Hye, a visit to Luckenbach, as well as San Antonioās historic missions and River Walk and a full evening at the Tejas Rodeo, complete with dinner, dancing and a calf scramble. Their itinerary also included shopping trips, a San Marcos outlet excursion and a San Antonio Missions baseball game, offering a mix of American culture and Texas traditions.
āHosting our Japanese dental exchange students taught us that learning goes beyond classrooms and clinicsāitās about sharing cultures, kindness and lasting memories,ā shared Brenda Wertman, MPH, RDH, assistant professor clinical in the Department of Periodontics and director of the Continuing Dental Education program.
Academic immersion at UT San Antonio
On campus, the exchange students and faculty joined the School of Dentistry students in classrooms, lecture halls, clinics and SIM labs. They participated in scrub fittings, toured the Center for Oral Health Care and Research and connected with dental students over meals and cultural activities. A special welcome breakfast with Kenneth Hargreaves, DDS, PhD, dean of the School of Dentistry, set the tone for a week of collaboration and shared learning.
Throughout the week, the students shadowed School of Dentistry students in the clinics and SIM labs, exchanged presentations and built relationships through academic and cultural dialogue.
āThe Japanese Student Exchange Program is a fantastic opportunity for us students to learn about how dentistry is taught across the world and the differences and similarities in the profession. The Japanese students get introduced to how dentistry is taught in America and are shown a traditional Texas time, from barbeque to horseback riding and rodeos. The rest of the participating students and I are so excited to reunite with our new Japanese friends, see what dental universities look like in Japan, and experience Japanese technology and culture,ā shared Sarah Acker, a fourth-year dental student.
Looking ahead
The trip ended with a day in Boerne and a gift exchange with School of Dentistry students before a pre-departure farewell dinner. By the end of the week, students and faculty from both sides had not only learned from each other academically but also built lasting friendships across cultures.
As UT San Antonio School of Dentistry continues to expand global partnerships, programs like JSEP highlight the importance of cultural exchange in shaping the next generation of health professionals. Early next year, senior students and faculty from the School of Dentistry will continue this exchange by traveling to Japan, where they will visit Asahi and Meikai Universities and observe their dental programs firsthand.
"Hosting a distinguished Japanese dental student group led by Professor Tamura from Meikai University at UT San Antonio underscores the profound value of cross-cultural collaboration in dental education. The future of our profession is enriched when we learn alongside international peers, sharing knowledge, techniques, and perspectives that transcend borders. I look forward, with great anticipation, to visiting Meikai University in the spring of 2026, when I, along with a group of UT San Antonio fourth-year dental students, will have the honor of being hosted in return. We will be continuing the tradition of fostering lifelong professional connections and bolstering our knowledge of dentistry to ensure a place at the forefront of modern dentistry," shared Raul Jose Bonilla DDS, assistant professor/clinical in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry.