ATSU’s Mesa, Arizona campus hosts 2024 Diversify Dentistry Youth Summit

ATSU's Mesa, Arizona campus hosts 2024 Diversify Dentistry Youth Summit

A.T. Still University (ATSU) Diversity & Inclusion hosted the 2024 Diversify Dentistry Youth Summit on Friday, Oct. 25, in partnership with nonprofit organization Diversity In Dentistry Mentorships, Inc.

Local middle and high school students from historically underrepresented groups visited ATSU's Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-ASDOH), where they experienced a day in the life of a dentist and learned about the pathway to dental school.

Throughout the day, students were mentored by practicing dentists and dental students, participating in hands-on training filling cavities and engaging in interactive discussions on dental anatomy and oral health. At lunch, students participated in a Q&A session with current students and dentists, and at the end of the day, were honored in their own white coat ceremony.

"Open your minds to all of the opportunity and excitement that's in front of you," said Clinton Normore, MBA, chief diversity officer, ATSU, addressing the students at the start of the day. "The beauty of the work that these folks do all the time is not just to prepare you for dentistry, it's to prepare you to get out of high school, to get into college, and to ultimately have success beyond that."

According to the American Dental Association, around 5% of dentists in the U.S. are Hispanic, fewer than 4% are Black, and less than 1% are Native American. This underrepresentation of minority populations in dentistry leads to inequitable oral health care and bias within the industry.

Diversity in Dentistry is dedicated to strengthening the diversity pipeline from middle school to dental school and diversifying the dental applicant pool with qualified and competitive candidates.

Check out more photos from the event below!