1st: University of Alabama at Birmingham College of Dentistry
Yunhee Choi
2nd: Howard University
Stephanie Short
3rd: University of North Carolina School of Dentistry
Keyachtta Hawkins
Pioneers like Howard University’s Dr. Hazel Harper have designed the blueprint and we strive to build upon the legacy of SNDA. Picking up the torch with the same vision birthed by Dr. Lewis Proffitt we continue on the consecrated land once walked by our predecessors. This has been an exciting year for the Howard University Chapter of SNDA. We have had the privilege to impact the lives of Howard University students and the community at large. Through initiatives in the community such as the Oral Cancer Walk we had the opportunity to raise awareness on the importance of oral health screenings. Other efforts included the holiday canned food drive where we donated 1434 canned/boxed goods to the Capitol Area Food Bank. To promote a viable academic and social environment for our students we hosted several events such as Bowling Night, Preparation for Residency, and the Pass Match Application Process. We also provided an informative Externship/Mission-Trip Forum to foster growth and promote academic achievement within the dental community while giving back to underserved areas. In order to ensure oral health education in all communities we partnered with organizations such as the Children’s Oral Health Institute and University of Maryland. Through this relationship we used Lessons in a Lunchbox to educate grade school children in the Maryland Public School System. We also partnered with St. Augustine Church of DC to provide oral cancer screenings and oral health education. In efforts to increase minority enrollment in dental school we hosted our annual Impressions Day. We impacted the lives of almost 70 students from 17 different colleges/universities. We inspired hope and success in these individuals by helping them navigate the dental school application processes and much more. We will continue the blueprint to recognize the past, celebrate the present, and embrace the future.
The Student National Dental Association at LSUHSC School of Dentistry has been working hard, this year, to increase our presence and visibility on campus. In just this past year, our chapter has doubled in size, and is working to continue this growth.
Over the past year, the LSUHSC chapter of SNDA has conducted and participated in various outreach programs, college visits and collaborations with the NDA. We began the school year with the annual DSEF Back to School Extravaganza, where we provided oral hygiene instruction and toothbrush bags, to children in attendance. During the fall semester, we hosted our first Impressions Day Program. Over 100 undergraduate students attended and were able to participate in a live veneer mock-up, chalk carving tutorials and making impressions. Each student took home a cast, toothbrush bag, and a t-shirt as souvenirs.
During the spring semester, we partnered with the Multicultural and Diversity Affairs committee, to host a Multicultural TGIF, an afterschool party hosted one Friday a month at our school. At the TGIF we asked each class to prepare a dish from a different culture, played music from various cultures and had an international dessert table. Another successful event we hosted was our Application Help Day. Each year we host this event a few weeks before AADSAS opens, to help undergraduate students put the final touches on their personal statement, CV and prepare for the interview process.
Our theme for the scrapbook this year is “Tigers in Action”. We selected this theme because we are LSU Tigers and we have been very active this year, in efforts to increase our visibility on campus, encourage minority students to apply to LSU and serve our community.
The Medical University of South Carolina is located in historic Charleston, known for “smiling faces, beautiful places.” The chapter is comprised of 66 members, with eleven of those holding national membership. We commit ourselves to decrease oral health disparities amongst the minority populations, foster interests in dental medicine amongst pre-dental students and younger generations, and create programs that contribute to the welfare of the communities around the Charleston area.
The MUSC chapter of SNDA has successfully organized and participated in several health fairs and screening programs over the course of the year. Our SNDA chapter participated in the Youth Explosion Health and Career Fair, allowing us to expose young minority students to a career in dentistry. We performed oral screenings during the Tri-County Black Nurses Association Health and Wellness Fair. The Clemente Course is another one of our continued service projects. The purpose of the course is to improve the lives of disadvantaged adults through oral health awareness.
The chapter also recognized the Sodexo Company. Sodexo provides housekeeping and custodial services to MUSC. Every day the Sodexo staff ensures the basic science building, library and dental clinics are spotless, creating a clean and safe learning environment that inspires drive and success for the students. We presenting gifts and a big “thank you” to the supervisor and staff to show our appreciation for all they do for us.
We have chosen “Medical University of Southern Charm” to be our theme. We have chosen this theme because the chapter encompasses graciousness, compassion, altruism, and warmth unlike any other in the south. We hope to convey that message throughout our scrapbook.
Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry is located in the heart of Nashville, TN, more famously nicknamed “Music City.” This year the Student National Dental Association has continued to work persistently to ensure that SNDA remains easily accessible not only to the students but also to the surrounding Nashville community.
This past academic school year the Executive board wanted to make sure that SNDA was not only heard but also seen. Towards the end of the school year, we decided to finally be on social media. This way the students could recognize a familiar face before arriving on campus. Once the school year started we organized many events. The first one being a Welcoming Ceremony for incoming freshman dental students. This event was held after the annual white coat ceremony, and SNDA welcomed the students with food and pictures with an Instagram cutout. During August, we participated in a school wide organizational fair where students stopped by a table to learn more about the organization. In October, we participated in Community Day. President Elect Michè Richards, D3, organized the event and roughly 30 organizations around campus participated. This event is held for the surrounding Nashville community who are not easily afforded access to health care. Other events this year included: Happy Healthy Halloween, SNDA weeks, Remote Area Medical, Oral Health Day, Impressions Day, Oral Cancer Yoga, Road to Residency Panel and the canned food drive.
We have chosen Vintage Circus as our theme for this year’s scrapbook competition. The theme was chosen for our Cusp of Carabelli Ball. This ball is a formal event that SNDA along with Ewell-Neil Research Society hosts. The goal of this ball is to recognize the senior dental students, highlight all of their accomplishments, and have an evening of fun. This year over 300 students and faculty came dressed in their finest clothing. Because no other dental school hosts this kind of ball, we decided to keep with tradition and use this theme to feature our achievements and involvements.
Loud music, unbridled laughter, line dances, spades tournaments, hugs, and Aunt Ester’s cobbler made with love and soul are the hallmark ingredients of a successful family reunion. At the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry, our soul is with serving our extended family; the community. The key ingredients for the success of our organization include compassion, commitment, and knowledge. We’ve chosen the theme of “Family Reunion” to emphasize that all are welcome in our Birming’FAM.
Since our chapter’s inception, our family has grown. We’ve welcomed new members, just like the birth of a new baby girl. We’ve introduced Wax n’ Relax to teach waxing techniques to freshman, similar to when Grandpa Joe taught new tips to catch a fish. We’ve fundraised to support our student programs. Everybody remembers that favorite Uncle that slips you $100 for school expenses when no one is looking. We’ve even expanded our outreach efforts to promote healthy oral habits, such as Lessons in a Lunchbox, Brush Don’t Rush and Take Your Child to the Doctor Day. Like in most reunions, joy is taken from acknowledging the accomplishments of family members. We recognize our achievements would not be possible without the support of those behind the scenes, or rather “in the hot kitchen preparing a delicious meal.” Therefore, we instituted G.R.A.C.E., a program dedicated to honoring the environmental staff for their service. Lastly, potential in-laws are frequently introduced at gatherings with hopes of making favorable impressions. Our 2017 Impressions Program had a similar goal of garnering the interest of prospective dental students to join our family. Relatives near and far travel to see loved ones, and UAB SNDA has travelled 637.9 miles to see our distant “cousins” from various dental schools. We are thankful to our host, Dallas, Texas for welcoming our Birming’FAM.
The SNDA chapter at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry has demonstrated a theme of ‘The Sky is the Limit’ throughout the 2016-2017 year. We’re excited to display the consistent efforts of our members to make strides within our student group and the community.
Our current chapter had a number of new programs, refreshed a few old ones and pushed ourselves to strengthen our relationships with other pre-dental students, high school students and alumni. SNDA was a key player in the development of the ‘Generation NEXT’ program, which served to provide mentorship to high school students from UMSOD and UMBC dental and pre-dental students. The younger students were thrilled to receive such personalized support from people at various stages on the path to becoming a dentist, each inspiring them to always aim higher. SNDA Members also hosted pre-dental panels while SNDA alumni stepped in for our first ever mentorship program uniting dental students and dentists.
Another new element to our chapter’s SNDA was co-hosting our first ever ‘Taste Bud Tour.’ This was the first and most diverse event that took place at Maryland Dental. It brought ALL of the cultural organizations within the school together for food, fun and cultural competency. A few other new ways we chose to reach out to the community were through volunteering with a Girl Scout troop, a full week of SNDA community service, Lessons in a Lunchbox, and more! Our “Week of Service’ consisted of members volunteering at two separate high schools, a community fest at Lexington Market, and a health fair at a local Baptist church. We also continued some of our traditional forms of outreach such as Impressions Day and Oral Cancer Walk. This year we graduated 18 SNDA members who have each imparted their wisdom immensely on their underclass colleagues. At the University of Maryland School of Dentistry we take pride in the contributions of all our SNDA members past and present and we strive to do so much more.
Our school has undergone quite a few changes such as inducting a new dental dean, hosting our first week of free service to the community, and incorporating rural dental rotations for the 4th year dental students. Regardless of the changes, there are two characteristics that are instilled within us, which are make a difference and spread the love. This theme was selected to describe our local chapter and our school as a whole. It shows that our organization loves what we do such as assisting the community and finding various ways to enhance the field of dentistry.
Events are listed below in the order that they are displayed within the scrapbook video. 1.Jackson Free Clinic: Student-run clinic; offers free dental service to the community. 2. Impressions Program: Undergraduate students gain knowledge preparing for DAT and practice hands on skills. 3. Fest Frenzy: Distributed oral hygiene products and gave oral hygiene instructions as a part of fitness festival 4. First Mission Church: Oral cancer screenings and distributed oral hygiene products at local church 5. Rush to Brush: 5K/10K run; SNDA members provided oral cancer screenings to interested runners 6. Step program: Middle school students learned more about dentistry and the importance of oral health, including hands on exercises. 7. Spooky U: SNDA participated in the Halloween festivities at UMMC. Children received oral hygiene products and instructions. 8. Mexican fiesta: A back to school party that introduced first year dental students to SNDA, such as how we were found and what we do within the community. 9. MDS (Meet & Greet): The Mississippi Dental Society hosted a professional meeting to discuss the health care needs in Mississippi and partner us with dentist mentors.
The UNC-Chapel Hill SNDA Chapter is delighted to present our “End of the Year Rewind” Video Scrapbook to the National SNDA and NDA family! The theme of our video is “A Different World.” Based on the theme song from the infamous sitcom created in the late 1980’s, UNC-Chapel Hill aims to show the transition and struggles that new incoming dental students experience as they navigate their way through the many situations and obstacles that come into view during their time in dental school. As they strive to achieve the goal of obtaining their Doctorate of Dental Surgery degree, UNC SNDA works to provide the essential guidance to refine the raw energy, determination, and passion of its’ members; so they can become confident, competent new dentists. The UNC SNDA chapter is a compassionate, resourceful body of students who cooperate with one another to create a roadmap to successfully jout’rney through the “Different World” of dental school and becoming a dental professional.
In our efforts to get students through dental school, our chapter has laid the groundwork to provide resources in multiple areas, specifically in community outreach, academic support, and networking & social interaction with dental professionals and other dental students. Some of our highlights in these areas include our free weekly dental clinic based in Durham NC, preparatory programs that help mentor dental students with waxing, operative, and crown preparation procedures, pre-dental mentoring, senior & alumni banquets, and much more! We have also won various local and national awards in dentistry. Make sure to tune in and see “A Different World” this summer at the SNDA National Conference in Dallas!
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Dentistry Zeb Poindexter SNDA Chapter seeks to serve the community and reach out to minority dental students and professionals. We achieved that and more through a variety of events held this past school year.
We began the year with several health fairs. At these events, we educated members of the community on oral health and hygiene, provided dental screenings, and directed them to clinics such as our school’s and other community clinics to receive quality, affordable dental care.
Our first service event was the Chinese Health Fair. This event helped us learn how to relate to a diverse patient population and treat patients of various cultural backgrounds. We performed dental screenings, handed out OHI kits, and provided information on how to become a dental school patient. We also participated in two “See, Test, Treat” health fairs in October. These events were unique in that we had the opportunity to place sealants on pediatric patients. This helped us to further one of our primary goals as an organization of reaching the community through prevention of dental caries.
In December we had a social with the SNMA from the UT Health McGovern School of Medicine. This was a great opportunity to meet other like-minded young, minority professionals and network with an interdisciplinary group of students.
In February, we hosted a lunch and learn highlighting the history of African Americans in dentistry to commemorate black history month. This was an informative event not just for members, but also for other classmates and faculty as well who attended. We discussed several prominent African-American dentists from Robert Tanner Freeman to present day. We were all encouraged and reminded to persevere through whatever challenges we face in dental school, and also that there is more than can be done to further minorities in dentistry.
Our biggest annual event is Impressions Day, a program catered to minority pre-dental students interested in attending our school, every spring. This year, we had the biggest one yet with a record number of attendees. Attendees heard a presentation from the head of admissions on the application process, listened to a panel of dental students and recent dental graduates on what dental school is actually like, drilled and filled a tooth, and waxed a tooth. It was fun day that provided many new relationships and mentorship opportunities.
Our last event was our senior sendoff. At this casual dinner, we honored our graduating DS 4 and DH 2 students and celebrated the culmination of a year jam packed with meaningful events and service to our community. Throughout this year we were able to grow as minority dental students, network, and most importantly, reach out to communities who need it the most.
