Support the academic dental community in its mission to meet the evolving oral health needs of a diverse society.
ADEA Minority Dental Faculty Development and Inclusion Program Expands
In 2015 the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) awarded a two-year, $200,000 grant to the ADEA Minority Dental Faculty Development and Inclusion (ADEA MDFDI) Program to address oral health disparities experienced by vulnerable children and their families. Building on lessons learned from 24 ADEA MDFDI academic-community partnerships, MDFDI provides diversity leadership training and skills development for academic/community partnerships to improve access to careers and health care for underserved communities.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/1″]New ADEA Diversity Workshop Series Launches
The inaugural ADEA Diversity Workshop was held October 28. Setting the Standard for Diversity and Accreditation helped member institutions address the CODA standards related to diversity. Sixty-six participants from 46 institutions discussed and learned the importance of using their institutions’ mission as a platform to create a diversity plan to meet the specific needs of their dental schools.
[/vc_column_text]ADEA Releases Diversity in Dentistry Video and Reaches Unprecedented Numbers
In July, ADEA produced the first ADEA video specifically to encourage students underrepresented in dentistry to apply to dental school and remind them to apply as early as possible. The video is intended to reach populations who may not be as likely to have a cadre of advisors and family members to provide support and communicate these messages. The video had more than 1,500 views in the first month and more than 6,700 total to date.
[/vc_column_text]New ADEA Policy Briefs Draw Attention
In 2015 ADEA began producing a series of white papers and policy briefs on major topics of interest in dental education and oral health. The two-page policy briefs have generated attention in our community and media coverage, raising awareness of the access to dental care crisis among vulnerable populations and the need for dental safety net programs.
[/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/1″]Interest in Dental Professions Is on the Rise
AADSAS® (dental school), PASS® (advanced dental education programs), CAAPID® (international dentists) and DHCAS® (allied dental programs). In the last ADEA AADSAS cycle, there were nearly 12,000 applicants to dental school, a 2.5% increase over the previous year. Competition for acceptance into dental schools also has increased—the number of applications per applicant was up 7.5% over the previous year. The number of applications to nearly all advanced education programs was up substantially, with 30% increases in applicants to periodontics and endodontics leading the pack. Even the number of applicants to oral and maxillofacial radiology programs doubled.
Our dental school applicant pool is also becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. In the past two years, we have seen a 10% increase in the number of Black applicants, a 14% increase in Hispanic applicants and an 18% increase in applicants identifying themselves as two or more races. Much of this we attribute to the success of the ADEA/AAMC Summer Medical and Dental Education Program, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Additionally, the ADEA GoDental® website is as popular as ever, and our 2015 events targeted to those interested in dentistry experienced record numbers of registrants and attendees:
- The 2015 ADEA GoDental Workshop and Recruitment Fair in March in Boston had a record number of registrants, over 660, with 550 attendees on site.
- 2015 ADEA Dental Student Virtual Fair in April, targeted to dental students and recent graduates interested in residencies and advanced education programs, had 1,766 registrants and 941 unique logins.
- 2015 ADEA Predental Student Virtual Fair in June, targeted to predental students and others interested in dentistry, had 4,668 registrants and 2,947 unique logins.