NJDS opened its doors to eighth-grade students from Newark’s Science Park High School to teach them about careers in dentistry and the importance of good oral health. The eighth-graders spent a morning with NJDS faculty and students, hearing presentations about brushing, flossing, and trends of interest to teens: for instance, oral piercing and dental jewelry. In the NJDS clinic, they donned clinical attire and painted their teeth with a solution that shows the amount of plaque remaining after improper brushing.
NJDS faculty members and students (one a Science Park alum) also visited the high school to talk about oral health and dentistry. There was ample opportunity for the students to speak one-on-one with NJDS students to learn how they chose dentistry as a career and prepared for the challenges of dental school. “Through this and other community service activities, required as part of the NJDS curriculum, dental students form mentoring relationships with young people and encourage them to consider careers in dentistry,” says program director Rosa Chaviano-Moran.
“While the Dental Exploration Program is targeted to seventh and eighth graders, we can easily adapt it for sixth graders, giving even younger children a look at the dental profession,” adds Nadege Dady, who co-developed the program along with Chaviano-Moran.
UMDNJ’s many other programs for students in elementary, middle and high schools highlight the wealth of careers in healthcare. At SOM’s Medical Science Academy, high school students meet twice a week on campus to learn about healthcare professions. They shadow medical students for a day and may participate in a research project with SHRP for extra high school credits. The Student Doctors for a Day events at RWJMS and NJMS give middle-school students a window into the professional lives of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals.
Many talented students who participate in these pipeline programs ultimately enroll in one of UMDNJ’s schools.