The ADEA ADCFP is a voluntary program offered by ADEA and managed by individual dental schools. It provides dental students and residents the opportunity to become involved in academia through structured mentoring and insight into an academic career.

鈥淭his program plants seeds for students about future opportunities in dental education, and allows our faculty to continue their pursuit of academic excellence through research and mentoring. It was involvement with ADEA during dental school that caused me to consider a career in teaching,鈥� said James L. Harrison, DMD, assistant professor, Department of General Dentistry and Oral Medicine and the school鈥檚 ADEA liaison.

Under the ADEA ADCFP, faculty-student pairs work in collaboration on a research or teaching project. Faculty members guide students and help them:

• Understand and experience a day in the life of academia
• Provide personal reflections via one-on-one conversations
• Understand and apply best practices in learning and research
• Plan an academic career and navigate the education landscape

UofL鈥檚 fellows for the next academic year are Sarah Jestel, Zach Fitzsimonds and Stephanie Tan.聽Their mentors include Metz, Paula Collins, DMD, and Gay Baughman, DMD. Faculty Marija Sasek, DMD, and Jolene Zirnheld, DMD, also assist with the program.聽

鈥淚 majored in Spanish in college, so it is a blessing to use my language skills to work with Hispanic patients who are sometimes at a disadvantage,鈥� Wilson said.聽

HSDA also has provided screenings for backside workers at Churchill Downs and has worked with children involved in boys and girls clubs. Most recently, the organization encouraged other dental students to take part in a fundraiser to assist the University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine in recovering from the drastic effects of the hurricane that hit the island in 2017.聽UofL joined a number of other dental schools in contributing to a relief fund established through the American Dental 成人直播 Association, in partnership with the ADEAGies Foundation.

鈥淚t was wonderful to see how other students wanted to get involved, and showed me we have a culture of caring people,鈥� Wilson said.

Wilson is one of them. With a heart for the Hispanic population, she spent a year working at a non-profit dental clinic in Memphis, Tennessee, before starting her dental education at UofL.

鈥淚 think it is important to reach out to other cultures and look to help those who may be underserved,鈥� Wilson said.

One major highlight of HSDA is the annual Baila Conmigo, which means “dance with me.” By inviting students from the Health Sciences Center campus to enjoy Hispanic food, dancing and music, Wilson said the fall event is meant to inspire Hispanic culture appreciation 鈥� something she hopes future health care providers will take with them as they graduate.

While this article focuses on a group of dental students serving the Hispanic population, the School of Dentistry prides itself in reaching across all populations to meet oral health needs.