The University at Buffalo (N.Y.) School of Dental Medicine recently partnered two of its career pathway programs to increase diversity in dentistry.
The Destination Dental School and Native American Pre-Dental Student Gateway programs previously operated separately, but shared virtual and in-person opportunities during the summer to remove barriers to dental careers for underrepresented undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students, according to an Aug. 18 news release.
The programs provided participants with an understanding of the day-to-day life of a dentist and dental students, helped improve their dental school applications and honed their skills as researchers, the release said.
The program included participants ranging in age from 19 to 45 years old from 17 states.
Pathway programs have proven effective, increasing enrollment of underrepresented students in dental schools by 54 percent, according to the Journal of the American Dental Association.