In April 2024, ADEA, the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) and the Friends of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (FNIDCR) joined forces for the 2024 Advocacy Day. This event was held in person on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Participants received a legislative briefing and advocacy training in April 2024 that featured speakers from Congress, the Health Resources and Services Administration and NIDCR. They also had group meetings on Capitol Hill with targeted congressional offices, including the participants’ own elected officials.
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Heighten knowledge and awareness of pathways to the oral health professions.
ADEA Co-hosts 2024 ADEA/AADOCR/Friends of NIDCR Advocacy Day
ADEA Partners With AAMC to Prep for 2025 Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP); Celebrates 35th Anniversary of SHPEP
The 2025 Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) application cycle opened on Nov. 1, 2024, and closed on Feb. 5, 2025. The six-week program will begin in June 2025 and end late July/early August 2025.
SHPEP is a free summer program for students to explore their interests in medicine, dentistry, nursing, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, public health and more. The program takes place at 11 ADEA partner institutions and offers students a chance to develop competencies for becoming successful applicants to health profession programs, plan academic journeys, access clinical exposure and network. SHPEP is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with direction and technical assistance provided by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and ADEA.
New in 2025, two of the 11 program sites (Rutgers University and Western University of Health Sciences) will serve second- and third-year students, while the remaining nine will continue to serve first- and second-year students. Three program sites will offer a full, in-person experience and eight will provide a hybrid experience.
Both the Grantee Meeting and Future Leaders in Health Summit (35th Anniversary Celebration) took place in the AAMC building from Dec. 5-7, 2024. The latter, open to past participants of all four SHPEP program iterations, offered an array of activities, such as mock interviews, poster presentations, breakout sessions and roundtable discussions, honoring the legacy of SHPEP, enriching awareness and skills and cultivating the collective passion for supporting the health professions.
ADEA Receives Delta Dental Grant for Pathways to Smiles Initiative
Through the Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund, which awards up to $1 million annually to support initiatives that promote greater diversity in the oral health workforce, ADEA applied for and was selected to receive $200,000 for the new “Pathways to Smiles: Nurturing Inclusivity in the Oral Health Professions” initiative. This collaborative effort is dedicated to strengthening partnerships with Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) nationwide and focuses on building a diverse and prepared oral health workforce for rural and underserved communities. With the goal of reaching over 500 students across the country in its first year, the initiative aims to increase awareness of and interest in the oral health professions by engaging 14-18-year-olds in a variety of programs at 10 AHEC locations.
ADEA is one of six Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund awardees for 2024, alongside Diversity in Dentistry Mentorships, the National Dental Association, Planet Smilez, Inc. and the Society of American Indian Dentists
ADEA Reiterates Support for Multi-state Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact; Compact Enters Implementation Phase
ADEA posted a letter of support in July 2024 for the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact on ADEA Connect, ADEA’s online member community. The letter was accompanied by an FAQ to help members better understand the purpose of the Compact and how it works.
In 2018, ADEA co-founded the Coalition for Modernizing Dental Licensure alongside American Dental Association and the American Student Dental Association. One of the Coalition’s goals was to increase licensure portability to allow for professional mobility and improved access to care.
Ten states have now joined the Compact, which is currently in an implementation phase. Commissioners from each state will meet in the fall to elect an Executive Committee, vote on initial rules and bylaws and take other steps for the compact to move toward being fully operational. Development of the Compact’s data system is expected to take place in 2025. Once implemented, the Compact will create a pathway to licensure portability for dentists and dental hygienists who are licensed in member states. Licensees who live in a participating state can apply for a “compact privilege” that will allow them to practice in another participating state. Under the model Compact written by The Council for State Governments, license holders will be granted the opportunity to apply for compact privilege if they do the following:
- Hold a license as a dentist or dental hygienist;
- Graduate from a Commission on Dental Accreditation-accredited program;
- Successfully complete a clinical assessment for licensure, with “clinical assessment” currently defined as an examination or process required for licensure as a dentist or dental hygienist, as applicable, that provides evidence of clinical competence in dentistry or dental hygiene;
- Have passed a National Board Examination of the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations or another examination accepted, by rule, as a requirement for licensure;
- Meet any jurisprudence requirements;
- Complete a criminal background check;
- Submit an application and pay applicable fees; and
- Comply with requirements to submit specified information for administrative purposes.
ADEA Partners With the Society of American Indian Dentists (SAID) to Offer Webinar About Indigenous Communities
In November 2024, the ADEA Office of Access, Diversity and Inclusion partnered with the Society of American Indian Dentists (SAID) to host “Honoring Heritage, Building Futures: Creating Pathways Into Dentistry for Indigenous Communities.” The webinar highlighted the urgent need for more Indigenous dentists, explored the historical relationship between Indigenous communities and the health care system and dentistry and examined oral health trends in Indigenous communities today. Additionally, the challenges Indigenous students face while pursuing dental education were discussed, as well as strategies for developing partnerships to support their success.
Approximately 65 attendees participated in the event. Sara Bendoraitis, ADEA Senior Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive Learning moderated the session, which featured three speakers: Cristin Haase, D.M.D., M.P.H., President, Society of American Indian Dentists; Frances Kim, D.D.S., M.P.H., Student Programs Manager, Society of American Indian Dentists; and Teague Rutherford, D.M.D., M.P.H., Society of American Indian Dentists.
ADEA Presents at HOSA International Leadership Conference
ADEA continues to be an Elite Partner with HOSA Future Health Professionals, providing expanded engagement with the global student-led organization. ADEA Senior Director of Recruitment and Outreach for Dental Education Curtis Burrill II, M.Ed.; ADEA Director of the Predoctoral Application Service Chonté James; and ADEA Senior Data Analyst for Strategic Enrollment Services Lu Wang, M.Ed., attended the 2024 HOSA International Leadership Conference June 26-29, 2024, in Houston, TX, with more than 13,000 middle school, high school and college students and their advisors from across the country. Staff interacted with more than 500 students during those three days and provided insight into the oral health professions. ADEA provided a stand-alone presentation on careers in dentistry, which included presentations from a current dental student and current dental hygiene student.
ADEA Exhibits at 2024 National Institutes of Health Graduate and Professional School Fair
In July 2024, ADEA staff exhibited at the 2024 National Institutes of Health Graduate and Professional School Fair. The Graduate and Professional School Fair is an in-person and hybrid event designed for those who are planning to apply to graduate or professional school in the near future. Summer interns, college students and post-baccalaureate students can gather information about how to apply to graduate or professional school, explore institutions and programs and network with program directors and faculty members from institutions across the country.
ADEA Holds 2024 ADEA GoDental Virtual Fair
The 2024 ADEA GoDental Virtual Fair took place on May 21, 2024, with 1,194 student attendees participating during the scheduled programming. During the three-hour event, ADEA hosted an ADEA AADSAS Informational Booth, a Financing Your Dental Education chat session and 63 dental school booths and chats.
ADEA Hosts New GoDental Event and Virtual Series
In fall 2024, ADEA held the ADEA GoDental: Application Ready Regional Recruitment Event, a first-time in-person regional event scheduled in the Midwest Region for 60-plus students.
ADEA Office of Educational Services staff hosted a three-part virtual series for predental students called the ADEA GoDental Focus Series. The series took place on May 29, 2024, (249 registrants; eight live attendees); June 13, 2024, (210 registrants; 63 live attendees); and June 25, 2024, (169 registrants; 30 live attendees), covering the following topics: “Tackling the Personal Statement,” “Acing Your Dental School Interview” and “Dispelling Dental School Myths.” Each session featured two current dental students and breakout sessions that allowed attendees to ask more detailed questions of the panelists.
ADEA Releases JDE Association Report based on Predoctoral U.S. Dental Applicants and First-time, First-year Enrollees Data, 2023 Entering Class
ADEA research team produced a new trend analysis of predoctoral U.S. dental applicants and first-time, first-year enrollees. The analysis provides a wide-ranging summary of the 2023 Entering Class, while highlighting trends over the past decade (2013 – 2023). The analysis was released as an ADEA association report in the November 2024 issue of ADEA Journal of Dental Education.
Dr. West Presents at the National Academies Forum on Temporomandibular Disorders
In June 2024, the National Academies Forum on Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) hosted a public session to explore opportunities and challenges in interprofessional education and training. The virtual forum brought together participants from across relevant public and private sectors to foster long-term multidisciplinary relationships and interprofessional collaboration. Speakers discussed clinical practice and research and care guidelines for TMD, among other things. Karen P. West, D.M.D., M.P.H., ADEA President and CEO, participated and presented on “Opportunities and Challenges in Interprofessional Education and Training for Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD)”.
ADEA and ADEA Councils Host First Virtual “Road to Residency” Event
In October 2024, ADEA Council of Students, Residents and Fellows (ADEA COSRF) collaborated with the ADEA Council of Sections (ADEA COS) and ADEA Council of Advanced Education Programs (ADEA COAEP) to host the first “Navigating the Road to Residency” webinar. The virtual event included presentations about ADEA PASS® (ADEA Postdoctoral Application Support Service) by Yolanda Jones, ADEA Director of Advanced Dental Education Application Service, How to Prepare for Applications by Russ Bergman, D.M.D., Board Director for ADEA COAEP and a panel featuring five residents who have had involvement in ADEA COSRF in the past few years. Approximately 150 attended and participated in a breakout room session for Q&A.
ADEA Modular Faculty Curriculum Steering Committee Continues Collaboration With ADA
The ADEA Modular Faculty Curriculum (AACFC) Steering Committee volunteer members have produced 10 PowerPoint slides with speaker notes, which have been peer-reviewed and are ready for an instructional designer to create a 12- to 15-hour learning experience using multimedia technology. The focus is on creating material that appeals to someone thinking about entering academia from private practice. The contributions of members of American Dental Association’s Council on Dental Education and Licensure have been key to this process. The Committee has also voted to name the project, “ADEA Transition From Practitioner to Professor”.
54 ADEA Chapters for Students, Residents and Fellows Registered for 2023-24
In June 2024, there were 54 ADEA Chapters for Students, Residents and Fellows (ADEA Chapters) registered for the 2023-24 association year, comprising 51 U.S. dental schools and three allied dental programs. The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry created a new ADEA Chapter in 2024
ADEA Hosts Health Career Connections (HCC) Summer Intern
For several years, ADEA has worked with Health Career Connections (HCC), which is a nationwide organization that coordinates 10-week, full-time, paid summer internship opportunities for undergraduate students and recent graduates who are interested in pursuing careers in health professions. The Office of Access, Diversity and Inclusion (ADI) hosted HCC summer intern Zuha Ali, a fourth-year student majoring in Public Health Sciences and minoring in Humanities, Health and Medicine at the University of Maryland, College Park. Ali supported various ADI programs and initiatives, such as preparing a policy brief on school-based health centers.