✨Translated by AI

Dr. Boonjira Anukul: The International Dentist and Educator Who Once Nearly Failed to Graduate

– Dr. Boonjira Anukul –

BNH Hospital is renowned for its care of international patients, and many of its doctors, including Dr. Boonjira Anukul, have extensive international experience. As a specialist in oral and maxillofacial surgery, she has not only studied and worked abroad but has also been a key figure in establishing the international dental curriculum at two separate universities.

A Dentist of Two Nations

“When I was a child, I was scared of going to the dentist. But my doctor was so kind, compassionate, calm, and good-humoured. I could feel it, and it made me unafraid. I trusted that he was doing what was best for me, so I endured it without crying.”

This profound childhood impression placed dentistry at the front of Boonjira’s mind. When it came time for university entrance exams, most of her friends were aiming for medicine, and her family hoped for the same. To please them, she listed medicine for her top three choices, but her true passion, dentistry, was her fourth choice. She was overjoyed when she was accepted into her fourth choice: the Faculty of Dentistry at Mahidol University.

However, dental school presented the toughest lesson of her life. The path she had dreamed of was not easy, and she nearly failed to graduate after struggling to pass her final clinical work.

“I cried so much that my patient felt sorry for me,” she recalls. “But that moment taught me what the worst time in life feels like, and it gave me the strength to face other situations. It became my motivation to fight, knowing that if I could get through that, I could get through anything.”

It was also during this time that she met her idol, Professor Dr. Chuerdchoti Hansasuta, the founder of the Department of Oral Surgery, who inspired her to follow the same path. He was also a role model in patient care, showing immense kindness and even giving his own money to patients who couldn’t afford medicine.

After completing her specialty, Dr. Boonjira was encouraged by her mentor to observe his own professor in the United States. After her three-month observation, she was determined to stay but had no funds. She secured a research grant for a one-year master’s programme. As that year ended, a Thai government scholarship to develop university-level educators became available. She flew back to Thailand, passed the exam, and was awarded the scholarship to complete her specialist training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Dr. Boonjira remained in the US until she completed her training and passed the American Board. Her work involved complex jaw surgeries, implants, and facial trauma reconstruction, where she mastered the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) protocol. She was the only woman and the only Thai on the 10-person surgical team. Her professors offered her a teaching position, but she declined.

“America is modern and comfortable,” she says, “but I belong to my home.”

Taught and To Teach

Dr. Boonjira spent a total of six years in the United States before returning to Thailand to establish the international dental programme at Mahidol University, where she taught until her retirement, all while working part-time at BNH Hospital.

“Being at BNH taught me that communication is the most important thing in any treatment. As the world opens up, we need a universal language so everyone can understand each other on a common basis. We must create dentists who can communicate in multiple contexts.”

This belief in education stems from her own childhood. Her mother sent her to a progressive kindergarten 60 years ago because she “talked too much at home.” That school laid a foundation for English and a love of learning that allowed her to excel without extra tutoring, eventually entering dental school at just 16.

As a professor, she aimed to pass on this positive legacy. “In the beginning, I was very strict. But I reached a point where I realised it’s enough to make students unafraid to speak. I am determined not to scold or get angry at anyone, from morning till night.”

After retiring from Mahidol, Dr. Boonjira helped establish the new international dental programme at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL). She continues to work at BNH Hospital, where she has been a part of the dental team for nearly 30 years.

Woman’s Hands and a Lion’s Heart

This was the phrase her colleagues in America used to describe Dr. Boonjira. It signifies a surgeon with a gentle, precise touch (woman’s hands) who also possesses the decisiveness and sincere empathy to handle severe suffering (lion’s heart).

Oral surgery is often required for severe cases, which affect the mind as well as the body. She recalls a patient with a severe bite problem and chronic jaw pain, whose condition was deeply intertwined with psychological distress.

“We must consider everything that has happened to the patient. If you only treat the body but not the mind, the treatment is incomplete.”

Her integrated treatment plan involved surgery, psychological support, and physical therapy, requiring collaboration with psychiatrists and rehabilitation doctors. This holistic method aligns perfectly with BNH Hospital’s Complete Care policy.

“I love Complete Care because I naturally see the big picture first,” she says. “I look at the patient and see what is necessary for them from head to toe, and how we can upgrade them to a state of total well-being. This starts as early as a pregnant mother’s nutrition, which affects tooth bud formation.”

Many of her severe cases require long-term follow-up. Patients who began treatment with her when she first returned from the US still see her today, and they now bring their children and grandchildren to her for care.

The Dentist on the Mountain

Since returning from the US, Dr. Boonjira has been a dedicated volunteer for medical outreach missions, travelling to remote, underserved areas across Thailand. “We’d finish clinic on a Friday evening, get on a bus, and wake up somewhere new, ready to set up our tent and work.”

She loved visiting remote schools, teaching and providing treatment. “I’ve done it so often,” she laughs, “I can stand and eat chicken rice in a car through the worst curves near Mae Sot without getting sick.” Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic halted these trips, and it has been difficult to resume them.

Happiness in Holding a Spatula

Dr. Boonjira’s passion for cooking was inherited from her mother, who studied home economics. “My mother taught me to analyse food,” she says. “When you eat something, you must analyse what’s in it and learn the flavour profiles.”