American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Hosts Training To Increase Diversity Of Dental Students

Main Category: Dentistry
Article Date: 12 Mar 2009 - 4:00 PDT

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As dental schools strive to admit more students from diverse backgrounds, admissions committees are challenged to identify candidates who possess the preparation and skills essential for success. To share techniques that work, on May 5 and 6 ADEA will conduct a "train-the-trainer" workshop in Washington, DC, with funding from the Pipeline, Profession & Practice: Community-Based Dental Education program.

After completion of the workshop, these new trainers will be able to present the ADEA Admissions Committee Workshop at other dental schools around the country. The ADEA Admissions Committee Workshop, held at 15 U.S. dental schools in the past three years, provides technical assistance to admissions committees in creating admissions practices that seek diverse student bodies and assess noncognitive qualities, with the ultimate goal of educating a dental workforce that reflects the diversity of the population they will care for.

Dental schools that have hosted an ADEA Admissions Committee Workshop have demonstrated substantial strides in admitting and enrolling more diverse students. Dr. Shelia S. Price, Associate Dean for Admissions, Recruitment, and Access at West Virginia University School of Dentistry, said, "The ADEA Admissions Committee Workshop turned around our institution's admissions process. When committee members consider a student's experiences in addition to his or her numerical indicators, the whole person is revealed."

"The workshop is extremely valuable for academic dental institutions seeking better educational experiences for their students-and better students," observes Dr. Teresa A. Dolan, Dean of the University of Florida College of Dentistry. "Changing the admissions practices at our institution improved the quality of our incoming classes."

Specific topics that the ADEA Admissions Committee Workshop addresses include:

- the importance of diversity in the education of dental students
- how grades and test scores do not tell us about many of the qualities we seek in applicants
- how race and ethnicity can and cannot be used in making admissions decisions
- the benefits of summer enrichment programs for students from disadvantaged and low socioeconomic backgrounds
- best practices in implementing holistic review of applicants
- how to assess noncognitive characteristics

The 10 dental educators who have been selected to become ADEA Admissions Committee Workshop trainers are:

- Dr. Cynthia S. Beeman, Interim Director of Admissions, University of Kentucky College of Dentistry
- Dr. James C. Betbeze, Jr., Direct of Admissions, University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry
- Dr. Carolyn Booker, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Dentistry
- Dr. Rosa Chaviano, Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/New Jersey Dental School
- Dr. Lisa P. Deem, Associate Dean of Admissions and Student Affairs, The Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry, Temple University
- Dr. Ernie Lacy, Director of Student Development, Baylor College of Dentistry

- Dr. Naty Lopez, Assistant Dean for Admissions and Diversity, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry
- Dr. Venita J. Sposetti, Assistant Dean for Admissions & Financial Aid, University of Florida College of Dentistry
- Dr. Gregory A. Stoute, Director of Minority Affairs, Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine
- Dr. Cornell C. Thomas, Assistant Dean of Admissions & Student Services, Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine

The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) is the voice of dental education. Its members include all U.S. and Canadian dental schools and many allied and postdoctoral dental education programs, corporations, faculty, and students. ADEA's mission is to lead individuals and institutions of the dental education community to address contemporary issues influencing education, research, and the delivery of oral health care for the health of the public. ADEA's activities encompass a wide range of research, advocacy, faculty development, meetings, and communications like the esteemed Journal of Dental Education, as well as the dental school admissions services AADSAS and PASS. For more information, visit http://www.adea.org.

American Dental Education Association
1400 K Street NW, Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20005
202-289-7201
http://www.adea.org