The American Dental Education Association (ADEA), in a partnership with the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, is launching a new training program aimed at increasing the number of low-income and underrepresented minority students at dental schools. The goal of the program is to create a more diverse dental workforce that will be better equipped to meet the needs of patients from underserved populations, according to a press release.
The American Dental Education Association/University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry Dental Pipeline National Learning Institute (ADEA/Pacific Dugoni Dental Pipeline NLI) is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and will be active at 11 dental schools.
Each participating school will receive a $12,000 grant and a three-day training course about best practices, advocacy and leadership. Peer mentor match-ups, online courses and other program tools will be available.
The Dental Pipeline effort is built around the concepts of recruiting and training a greater number of minority students, increasing the cultural competency of all students and providing students with opportunities to take part in community rotations in health centers and other safety-net dental settings.
The participating schools are:
- East Carolina University School of Dentistry
- Georgia Health Sciences University College of Dental Medicine
- Harvard School of Dental Medicine
- Indiana University School of Dentistry
- Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine
- Marquette University School of Dentistry
- Medical University of South Carolina College of Dental Medicine
- Oklahoma University College of Dentistry
- University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry
- University of Minnesota School of Dentistry
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas, School of Dental Medicine
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ADEA Partners With the Dugoni School of Dentistry on New Initiative to Recruit and Retain Minority Dental Students and Address Oral Health Crisis in Communities of Color
The ADEA/Pacific Dugoni Dental Pipeline National Learning Institute is a Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Washington -- The American Dental Education Association (ADEA), The Voice of Dental Education, in partnership with the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, is pleased to introduce the American Dental Education Association/ University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry Dental Pipeline National Learning Institute (ADEA/ Pacific Dugoni Dental Pipeline NLI), and announce the 11 dental schools selected to participate in the program. Supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the ADEA/ Pacific Dugoni Dental Pipeline NLI is a new training program dedicated to increasing recruitment and retention among low-income and underrepresented minority students at dental schools. Ultimately, the effort aims to create a diverse workforce of dentists who understand the oral healthcare needs of patients from underserved populations.
"Our goal for the National Learning Institute is to create an environment that embraces differences, so that future dentists can learn effectively," says Kim D'Abreu, ADEA Senior Vice President for Access, Diversity, and Inclusion. "While working to forge better partnerships between dental schools and their respective communities, we also hope to sound a clarion call about the growing epidemic of oral disease-related deaths among underserved populations due to lack of the proper care."
Through the ADEA/ Pacific Dugoni Dental Pipeline NLI, 11 dental schools have been selected to implement a yearlong minority student recruitment and retention campaign, or engage community-based dental education partners.
Dental schools selected to participate in the ADEA/ Pacific Dugoni Dental Pipeline NLI include:
- East Carolina University School of Dentistry
- Georgia Health Sciences University College of Dental Medicine
- Harvard School of Dental Medicine
- Indiana University School of Dentistry
- Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine
- Marquette University School of Dentistry
- Medical University of South Carolina College of Dental Medicine
- Oklahoma University College of Dentistry
- University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry
- University of Minnesota School of Dentistry
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas, School of Dental Medicine
Each participating ADEA/ Pacific Dugoni Dental Pipeline NLI institution will receive $12,000, and a three-day training course about Dental Pipeline best practices, advocacy, and leadership. Additional support and resources include peer mentor match-ups, access to various online courses, and fundraising and development tutorials.
Paul Glassman, D.D.S., project director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant supporting this initiative and director of the Pacific Center for Special Care at the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry adds, "This is a great opportunity to extend the lessons of a decade of Dental Pipeline activities and foster new partnerships dedicated to improving oral health for underserved people."
The Dental Pipeline effort is based on the concept that dental institutions can address the access to dental care crisis by recruiting and admitting more underrepresented minority students, increasing cultural competency of all students, and educating dental students through community rotations in health centers and other safety-net dental settings. Such principles served as the basis of a decade-long nationwide effort among dental schools and community partners that has positively impacted dental education and access to care.
More information regarding the ADEA/ Pacific Dugoni Dental Pipeline National Learning Institute can be found at http://www.adea.org/PipelineNLI.
Source: The American Dental Education Association