USU PR - Never give up; the most appropriate phrase to describe the struggle of the three students of the Faculty of Dentistry of the Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) who won the International Dental Physiology Quiz (IDPQ) competition, which was held in December 2021.

They are Cindy Loreta, Livita, and Veronica who won the championship after defeating at least 48 teams from 30 universities from 8 countries. Indonesia itself is represented by several universities such as the University of Indonesia, Gadjah Mada University, Diponegoro University, and Udayana University. Meanwhile, USU was only represented by Cindy and friends.

The University of Malaya, Malaysia hosted the online competition. In the competition, the participants were divided into three different groups, so that each team member got a different question and room in the online meeting. This puts pressure on the participants to be able to take responsibility for each of the problems they get.

The USU delegation is part of Team 25 and is divided into three virtual rooms. The three participants may not be in the same room, either virtual or real. These rules do not prevent Cindy and friends from being able to give the best.

The three of them did not know each other's scores for each team member before the recapitulation was announced by the judge. Cindy said that each of them tried hard by studying and trying to master the grid given by the committee. He explained that the material for the competition was heavy, namely physiology. Physiology is one of the subjects of medical science that requires high concentration and memory.

Interviewed simultaneously, Livita also explained that physiology is something new for them to compete in. Basically, the science of physiology discusses the procedures and working systems of the body. Of course this is a challenge in itself where they come from the Faculty of Dentistry which focuses on the oral cavity.

She is grateful that she and her team's passion for reading and wanting to learn new things help them to master the material quickly.

Previously they had participated in several competitions together as a team. Some of them were ranked third in the Place Dental Quiz: Composite 2021 competition which was held at the Sultan Agung Islamic University in August 2021, and also ranked third in the Dental Olympic: DMT which was held by Lambung Mangkurat University in November 2020. After twice reaching third place out of several competitions they participated in, finally they were able to reach first place in this IDPQ competition.

At first, they admit to have lack of confidence and do not set high targets. However, the encouragement and teamwork, as well as the support from the lecturers slowly raised the spirits of Veronica and the team.

In the preliminary round, they did not expect to be able to move on to the next round. Entered the Quarter-Finals, with 24 teams building their fighting spirit, they slowly began to discuss and discuss the next strategy in answering questions. The limited time for communication only at intervals is utilized to the fullest by the three. Veronica said that every time there was a break, they immediately did an evaluation. They tried to reassemble the questions obtained in each virtual room. Then calculate the value obtained from the evaluation and sure enough, they went into the next stage in the Semi-Finals with 12 teams.

The Semi-Finals presented a new method in this competition. Previously the judges asked questions and participants answered by writing on paper, however, on this round, participants are required to answer directly using the interview method. Participants are expected to be able to provide brief and concise explanations of the questions being asked, surely with the level of increasingly difficult questions.

The USU team realized that at that time they did not think further about their target of entering the next round. They admit that they just did the best of their ability in answering each answer. Until the moment of truth for those that made it to the Final round, Team 25, which is the serial number for the USU Team was called by the judge as one of the top three teams that will continue in the Final round.

Joyfulness certainly peaked when they found out that they had made it to the final round. However, each of them still reminded each other not to be arrogant and stay focused on the Final round. The maturity they get from the experience of participating in various competitions can be seen. Cindy and friends tried to regulate their emotions to remain professional and stay calm.

USU, UGM, and Khon Kaen University Thailand participated in the final round. All three are fighting for the title of the best. Six questions were divided to each participant submitted by the jury. The participants of each team take turns to answer questions. The Final Round lasted a short time until it entered the assessment stage.

Winners will also be determined on the spot after the scores have been collected. When the announcement came, the USU Team got first place by answering five of the six questions correctly. Meanwhile, the Khon Kaen University Thailand Team was in second place by answering four questions, and UGM was in third place by answering one question.

Gratitude was certainly approached when they heard the announcement of the winner. The struggle for participating in competitions finally paid off by getting first place. The fruit of patience and unyielding spirit leads to the highest achievement. The first place winner was won for the trust and support among them.

Cindy said that being focused and not being obnoxious was the main key to winning the championship. Cindy, Livita, and Veronica prove that no struggle is in vain. They show an unyielding spirit that will lead to the best achievements.

In particular, they advised their fellow students to dare to pursue their dreams and always do their best. By doing your best, success is only a matter of time. (©ULC)

Author: Roni Hikmah Ramadhan - Humas

Interviewee: - - -

Photographer: Rizki Hakim Lubis - Humas