SIU SDM Hosts “Creating Awareness in Academic Dentistry”
Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SIU SDM) students’ eyes were opened to the wide world of career possibilities within the dentistry profession beyond the clinic, with a focus on the significance of academia, diversity, inclusion, leadership and mentorship.
Funded by a grant from the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Gies Foundation, guests from the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine led the workshop: “Creating Awareness in Academic Dentistry” on Thursday, Feb. 13 at the SIU SDM’s Alton campus. Featured speakers included Rutgers’ Associate Dean of Student Admissions and Recruitment Rosa Chaviano-Moran, DMD, and Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, Diversity and Inclusion Herminio Perez, DDS.
“The purpose of this workshop was to educate, motivate and excite dental students of diverse backgrounds about careers in academic dentistry,” said Nathalia Garcia, DDS, SIU SDM department chair of Applied Health and ADEA faculty representative. “This was a great experience for our students to discover career opportunities beyond that of traditional private practice. Our speakers presented interesting topics regarding the importance of developing professional networks, establishing mentor-mentee relationships, understanding the organizational meaning of being a leader, and the significance of teaching and educational scholarship.”
“A considerable part of the presentation focused on diversity and inclusion, and the positive effects of having a diverse academic community,” she added. “Our School’s response to this event was excellent. All junior, senior and international students, as well as some faculty, were in attendance.”
“As dentists, we are clinicians,” said Chaviano-Moran, “but, we want to empower students to know that there are other opportunities within dentistry, such as becoming involved in academia and leadership, and seeking ways to meet and network with fellow clinicians and scholars. We want to plant the seed that there are numerous opportunities, and promote that students have to water their own grass and look for different perspectives to grow.”
“This is the first step toward something bigger, because students need to be aware of what it is to be in academia,” added Perez. “We want to pave the future for schools to have more training for students to be dental educators. We need new blood in academia to continue to educate and train future professionals.”
SIU SDM students appreciated the opportunity to hear from and make connections with the outside educators through the ADEAGies Foundation event.
“There can sometimes be a disconnect between students and faculty,” explained D4 Maya Habibi, of Springfield, president of the ADEA SIU SDM Chapter. “Faculty are much more than teachers. They are clinicians and mentors with a wealth of knowledge in professional development.”
“Today, I was reminded that we can understand more beyond what we imagine,” added Guatemala native Jamie Terrill, a student in the SIU SDM International Advanced Placement Program. “The dentistry world is small. It’s a network. I appreciated hearing from the event speakers, so we could learn about what’s happening outside of our campus.”
The ADEAGies Foundation is uniquely positioned to identify and promote innovative, future-ready oral health initiatives that advance dental education and elevate the dental profession. Across the dental, allied dental and advanced dental education community, our diverse ranks—comprised of dental school deans and program directors; faculty; students, residents and fellows; and corporate and philanthropic partners—allow us to tap a tremendous breadth of knowledge, ability and perspective to develop leaders who can grow their capacity to lead academic dentistry amidst change.
Photos: (L-R) SIU SDM’s Nathalia Garcia, DMD, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine’s Herminio Perez, DDS, and Rosa Chaviano-Moran, DMD, and SIU SDM’s Cornell Thomas, DDS.
Featured speakers for the “Creating Awareness in Academic Dentistry” workshop funded by the ADEAGies Foundation were Rutgers School of Dental Medicine’s Rosa Chaviano-Moran, DMD, and Herminio Perez, DDS.
