Journal of Dental Education / Volume 74, Issue S10 / p. S110-S120
Chapter 12
Full Access
The Role of Enrichment Programs in Strengthening the Academic Pipeline to Dental
Education
Charles J. Alexander Ph.D.
, Dennis A. Mitchell D.D.S., M.P.H.
First published: 01 October 2010
https://doi-org.ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu/10.1002/j.0022-0337.2010.74.10_suppl.tb04987.x
Citations: 13
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Abstract
Academic enrichment programs can be essential to eorts by dental schools to recruit and enroll
underrepresented minority students (URM). Many summer academic enrichment programs provide
additional preparation and support to URM students in the sciences. They often address barriers to
student achievement such as unevenness in academic preparation, less rigorous educational
background, family inuence on preparation aspiration and success, unease in a new setting, and lack
of professional role models. To be successful, these programs must address both the academic and
social complexities of URM students and often require a range of programs to meet the specic needs
of dierent student groups.
Enrichment programs designed to strengthen the academic pipeline were initially started to address the
underrepresentation of minority groups in health care professions and to provide an opportunity for
diverse health care providers to practice in their own communities. Most enrichment programs were
oered in the summer and provided additional academic preparation and support to underrepresented
minority (URM) students in the sciences. They often addressed barriers to student achievement such as
unevenness in academic preparation, less rigorous educational background, family inuence on
preparation aspiration and success, unease in a new setting, and lack of professional role models. Since
these programs must address both the academic and social complexities of URM students (dened as
African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American students), they often required a range of
programs to meet the specic needs of various student groups.
The civil rights movement of the 1960s led universities and the federal government to examine and
address the issue of equal access to careers in the health professions by removing cultural, educational,
and other discriminatory barriers that historically discouraged URM students from pursuing health
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careers. The federal government was an early advocate for addressing the shortage and workforce
diversity issues, having enacted the Health Professions Educational Assistance Act of 1963 (Public Law 88–
129). This law was designed to increase the total number of health professionals through grants for
expansion of existing schools, incentives for new schools, and student loan and scholarship programs.
Nonetheless, the number of URM students remained extremely low.
In 1972, the federal government, through the Comprehensive Health Manpower Training Act of 1971,
began to increase nancial support to health professions schools by granting Special Health Career
Opportunity Grants (SHCOGs). These grants were designed to assist URM and disadvantaged students
with academic preparation for careers in the health professions. In 1976, the law was changed to set up a
new authority, which created the Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP). From this period forward,
there was a considerable increase in the number of health professions students, graduates, and
practitioners.
It was through the HCOP grants that many dental schools began to seek funding to diversify their entering
classes and address the underrepresentation of URM graduates. These grants were designed to increase
the number of URM and disadvantaged students admitted to and graduating from dental schools. Dental
schools also used HCOP funds to develop recruitment programs for increasing awareness of dentistry as a
career. It was during this time that schools created summer enrichment and prematriculation programs
designed to increase the enrollment of underrepresented and disadvantaged students. Among the early
programs for URM dental student were those established at the University of California, San Francisco,
Howard University, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Creighton University, and the University of
Illinois at Chicago. As HCOP funding grew from $14.5 million in 1978 to $35.6 million in 2005, more dental
schools established programs, including Marquette University, the University of Michigan, and the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Academic enrichment programs have successfully increased
URM enrollments in health professions schools, and particularly in dental schools.
It is clear that the growth of academic enrichment programs, sparked by the increased funding of
programs sponsored by the federal government, led to an increase in URM enrollment in the nation's
dental schools. Later, the 2000 U.S. surgeon general's report, Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon
General, opened the door for more funding, particularly from private foundations (Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and The California Endowment). These foundations provided
additional nancial support to assist dental schools with their eorts to address disparities in oral health
and inadequacies in the pipeline for URM dental students. The recent initiative by the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation and The California Endowment—the Pipeline, Profession, and Practice: Community‐
Based Dental Education program—is further evidence that academic enrichment programs are very
instrumental in diversifying the dental profession. The Pipeline program recognizes that URMs have been
historically absent in dentistry and that their academic experiences may not have adequately prepared
them to be successful applicants to dental schools. Many of the Pipeline schools established academic
enrichment programs to assist in the recruitment and enrollment of URM students. These schools
experienced an increase in applicants and higher grade point averages of enrolled dental students. The
Pipeline program and the Summer Medical and Dental Education Program funded the creation or
expansion of summer enrichment and postbaccalaureate programs at twenty‐one of the fty‐seven U.S.
dental schools. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation also contributed to this initiative.
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After briey reviewing the legal context of this issue, this chapter will provide an overview of academic
enrichment programs in dental education and then describe several successful programs.
The Legal Context of Academic Enrichment Programs
Academic enrichment programs typically come under scrutiny by the public and the courts. Their legality
and fairness have always been an issue and continue to receive public attention. In Regents of the University
of California v. Bakke (1978), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that while colleges and universities can consider
race as a “plus” factor in the admission process, they may not do so by imposing quotas. In Hopwood v.
Texas (1996), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that any consideration of race in
admissions is unconstitutional. When the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the Hopwood decision,
all armative action programs in public universities in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas were ended. That
same year, California Proposition 209, a state ballot initiative (known as the California Civil Rights
Initiative), was voted into law prohibiting preferences in public education on the basis of race and sex. In
1998, the Washington State Initiative 200, modeled on California's Proposition 209, ordered public
agencies in the state of Washington to stop giving preferential treatment on the basis of sex, color,
ethnicity, or national origin.
The next time that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on a case that inuenced public policy on diversity in
education was Gratz v. Bollinger et al. (2002) and Grutter v. Bollinger et al. (2002). These two rulings upheld
the “compelling interest” of using armative action to create campus diversity as a rationale for race‐
conscious admissions and outlined constitutionally acceptable ways of doing so. These two rulings
also rearmed the unconstitutionality of quotas and opened the possibility of the court's revisiting the
need for the decision in the future.
Paramount to the responsibility of designing academic programs that address diversity in education,
including enrichment programs, is the legal responsibility of ensuring that the programs appropriately
address all of the applicable state and federal regulations. It is also highly recommended to incorporate
enough exibility into the design of the program so that it can adapt to possible future legal and policy
challenges that may arise.
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Academic Enrichment Programs in Dental Education
Academic enrichment programs come in many shapes and sizes. They range from summer enrichment
programs, which focus on career awareness and introduction to the Dental Admission Test (DAT), to
postbaccalaureate programs designed to assist college graduates with preparing a competitive
application. There are also programs that oer students an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to
handle a dental curriculum through a pre‐enrollment experience. The following sections highlight the
types of enrichment programs and key components that make each a success.
Summer Enrichment Programs
Summer enrichment programs have a successful history of enrolling URM undergraduate students who
are interested in health professions schools. Programs tend to range from two to twelve weeks in length,
and coursework may be a half‐ or full‐day commitment. Medical schools were the rst to establish
summer enrichment programs. Dental schools adopted similar models in the 1980s and 1990s. Dental
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schools also discovered that many URM students lacked exposure to the profession and the rigorous
nature of the curriculum.
The largest coalition of dental school summer enrichment programs is the Summer Medical and Dental
Education Program (SMDEP) funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) at twelve sites
nationwide. The SMDEP is a free six‐week residential program for rst‐ and second‐year college students
interested in medicine and dentistry. The following criteria must be met for a student to qualify for the
SMDEP: college freshman or sophomore; U.S. citizen or permanent resident; and a minimum overall 3.0
grade point average (GPA), with a 2.75 GPA in the sciences, or equivalent academic credentials.
Other factors that some programs consider include a combined verbal and math SAT score of at least 950
or ACT score of at least 20; identication with a group that is racially/ethnically underrepresented in
medicine or dentistry; coming from an economically or educationally disadvantaged background; and a
demonstrated interest in issues aecting underserved populations. In addition, a program may prefer
students who are local or regional residents, who submit a compelling personal statement, and who have
strong letters of recommendation.
Components of most summer enrichment programs include the following:
Strategies that have proven successful in the SMDEP model are integrating the summer experiences of
college students interested in both medicine and dentistry; ensuring that dental school faculty are enlisted
to teach in the program to become familiar with the students; providing peer mentoring by enrolled dental
students; and tracking students by contacting them during the academic year following SMDEP
participation.
SMDEPs are funded by a $300,000/year grant from the RWJF. Each program must also provide matching
funds in the same amount, for a total program cost of $7,500 per student each year.
A unique and cost‐cutting strategy for summer enrichment programs is to collaborate with other dental
schools in the region or state that host a summer program targeting a specic population of students (e.g.,
URM, low‐income). This type of program typically resembles the SMDEP but is briefer (two to eight weeks)
and often funded with institutional or grant funds. It consists of a DAT review/preparation, basic science
classes, an overview of the dental admissions process, mentoring activities, and classes on learning
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Science academic enrichment: basic science courses to strengthen academic preparation for dental and
medical school.
Medical and dental career development: admissions application preparation, personal statement writing,
presentation techniques, and introduction to areas of advanced medical and dental care.
Learning skills orientation: activities to raise student's awareness of his or her strengths and weaknesses
in personal learning style and study habits.
Clinical experiences: rotations through medical and dental clinical settings to observe provider‐patient
interaction and to learn about the health care setting.
Financial planning orientation: activities to raise student's awareness about personal nance, student
loans, and nancial planning for a health professions education.
strategies. The cost for operating these summer enrichment programs ranges from $2,800 per student
(nonresidential) to $5,500 (residential). Finally, summer enrichment programs are generally housed in and
report to the dean of student/diversity aairs. Program directors also play a valuable role in the
admissions process and many serve as a member of the admissions committee.
Postbaccalaureate Programs
Postbaccalaureate programs were initially established to assist students from culturally diverse and
disadvantaged backgrounds in gaining acceptance into medical school within one year after completion of
the program. Dental schools adopted a similar model and created programs in the late 1990s. The
premise of most dental postbaccalaureate programs is 1) to improve access for underserved populations
to dental services through the admission of students with an expressed and demonstrated interest in
caring for the underserved and 2) to increase diversity in the dental school student population by assisting
a group of educationally and/or economically disadvantaged students in gaining admission to dental
school. Postbaccalaureate programs have proven to be a very successful short‐term strategy for preparing
and assisting disadvantaged students—particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds—for
gaining acceptance to dental school. They also appear to be a very eective intervention for increasing
the number of successful applicants for dental school admission.
The objectives of most programs are fourfold: assist students with becoming more competitive for
admission to dental school; assist students with the application process; advance students’ professional
growth and knowledge in the delivery of oral health care to underserved communities; and prepare
students for the academic climate and the challenge of the dental school curriculum. Emphasis is placed
on strengthening the students’ chances of gaining acceptance to dental school by addressing learning
strategies and study skills, improving DAT performance, assisting with the application process, enrolling in
challenging upper‐division science courses, and providing in‐depth exposure to and enhancing knowledge
about the dental profession.
Many programs require applicants to have completed and received their undergraduate degree from an
accredited college or university. Most have other criteria for admission such as the following:
A “disadvantaged” applicant is dened as a person who comes from an environment that has inhibited the
individual from obtaining the knowledge, skill, and ability to enroll in and graduate from a health
professions school or a person who comes from a family with annual income below a level based on low‐
income thresholds according to family size, as published by the U.S. Census Bureau in the Federal Register
and adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index.
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Overall GPA of 2.6 and a science GPA of 2.4 on a 4.0 scale.
DAT scores of 14 or lower (Perceptual Ability Test and Academic Average).
A demonstrated interest and desire to work with underserved communities or in communities with
limited access to dental health care.
Documented evidence of being academically or economically disadvantaged or a member of a group
that has historically been underrepresented in the dental profession.
Each applicant usually submits a concise statement detailing his or her present academic status, personal
or educational hardships overcome, rationale for consideration of disadvantaged status, anticipated
benets from the program, and plans for the location and type of dental practice in the future. The
applicant also submits a recent copy of his or her American Dental Education Association Associated
American Dental Schools Application Services (ADEA AADSAS) application, three letters of
recommendation, college transcripts, a copy of a denial letter from a dental school, and, if available, a copy
of an invitation letter for a dental school interview. Some postbaccalaureate programs admit students who
were not denied admission to dental school; however, students are admitted based upon a strong desire
to work in underserved communities. The selection and application process usually has no fees. The
criteria of economic or educational disadvantage and willingness to serve in dental shortage areas are
heavily weighted in the nal selection process. Each applicant's personal statement, letters of
recommendation, and interview are used to document these subjective factors.
The program is usually oered in six components. In the summer and fall are usually DAT preparation,
learning skill workshops, seminars, application support, and clerkships. The academic program (six to
thirteen units of science courses) starts in the fall and continues until summer. The program requires a
year of full‐time participation. The following is a brief description of each component:
DAT preparation: The primary program activities for the rst two months during the summer component
are tutoring and practice sessions in preparation for the DAT. It is best to contract with a test
preparation agency that prepares a course to t the summer curriculum. The program sta and student
tutors also supplement the formal DAT review course to provide more in‐depth instruction. Students
must take the DAT within two weeks of concluding the summer component.
Learning skills training: The learning skills components consist of an initial assessment, study skills
workshops, and individual consultations with students. Individual assessments are completed during
the rst two weeks of the program. Each student takes a mock DAT, completes a questionnaire about
learning styles, writes an in‐class essay, takes a timed silent‐reading comprehension test, and indicates
his or her preference for study skill workshop topics. The results of the assessment are analyzed by a
learning skill specialist and integrated with other academic information. The learning skills specialist
and program director then meet with each student to discuss the assessment results, identify learning
strengths and weaknesses, and plan specic study skills support. The study skill workshops are based
on student needs, preference, and program demands. Individual consultations are also held to provide
assistance with students’ personalized study skills.
Seminar series: Seminars during the summer focus on topics such as nancial aid, diversity training,
application assistance, and team building. These help students prepare for the academic year. It is best
to align the series with a center that addresses disparities in health care. These centers usually host
researchers and public health dentists who engage in disparities research. The experience provides
students with an opportunity to interact with senior researchers, become more familiar with the needs
and concerns of disadvantaged communities, and, hopefully, have their desire to practice in an
underserved community reinforced.
Application support: Postbaccalaureate students participate in a three‐hour workshop on preparing a
personal statement. Each student makes several revisions to his or her statement and reviews each
draft with program sta. The program sta also provides guidance for each student in selecting dental
The cost of operating postbaccalaureate programs can range from $9,500 to $15,000 per student. The
majority (approximately 74 percent) of the expenses are attributable to summer housing and student
stipends. The remaining expenses include consultants for the learning skills component, test preparation
services, student worker support, and assistance with the application process. The cost of operating a
program can be lessened greatly by reducing or eliminating the student stipend and identifying housing
that is low‐cost and reasonable. It should be noted that students cover the cost of the academic year
component with undergraduate nancial aid. This could be in the form of student loans and grants if they
meet eligibility guidelines of the matriculating institutions.
Pre‐Enrollment Programs
Pre‐enrollment programs have been in existence since the late 1970s. Howard University and Meharry
Medical College were early pioneers. Later, dental schools at the University of California, San Francisco,
Marquette University, and Creighton University started programs designed to admit URM and low‐income
students to diversify their entering classes. The basic premise behind pre‐enrollment programs is to
provisionally admit students into dental school with the condition that they complete a series of classes
during a six‐week summer session. Most programs provide a small stipend and require that students live
on campus.
Pre‐enrollment programs generally have a maximum of ten students each year. Student selection is
completely holistic in approach, taking into account a student's background and ability to overcome social
or economic barriers. Students selected for most programs must meet underrepresented or
disadvantaged criteria, which include race and ethnicity, disabilities, or economic hardship.
The specic objectives of the program are to facilitate the transition of disadvantaged and
underrepresented students from an undergraduate program of study to the more substantial demands of
the dental curriculum; to provide opportunities for early exposure to didactic portions of biomedical and
clinical sciences, preclinical lab sciences, and clinical observation; and to inculcate participants with
appropriate study skills and strategies—all with the goal of increased retention rates and graduation from
dental school.
schools based on matching the academic prole with the likelihood of obtaining an interview and
eventual admission at a particular school.
Clerkships: Each student is assigned a faculty mentor who oversees and supervises a clinical clerkship.
Students are required to meet regularly with their mentors and to participate in clinical activities at least
three days per week for at least two hours each day. Participants should receive infection control and
HIPAA training prior to entering the clinics.
Academic coursework: All students are enrolled at a nearby undergraduate campus in fall and spring
semesters in upper‐division science courses such as anatomy, physiology, microbiology, neuroscience,
pharmacology, and cell biology. Occasionally, a student who received a grade less than a C‐ prior to
entering the program is advised to repeat a prerequisite course, often chemistry or inorganic chemistry.
Students are expected to excel in each course and earn no grade lower than B. The academic
coursework is personalized for the spring semester based on each student's transcripts, needs, and
interests.
The program is generally administered through a series of classes and counseling sessions. The classes
are designed to assess students’ abilities to handle a dental school curriculum. Upon successful
completion of the classes, students are given full admittance to the entering class without any conditions.
The three primary classes that most programs oer are anatomy or general histology, biochemistry, and
dental sciences. These classes are usually part of the rst‐year dental school curriculum and present the
greatest challenges to most dental students. Students attend classes from three to ve hours each day
and are given daily assignments. Examinations and quizzes are administered on a weekly basis and used
as diagnostic and self‐assessment teaching tools. Students meet with tutors at least two hours each day to
review class material and receive academic assistance if necessary.
In addition, participants are enrolled in a series of support seminars designed to develop condence and
the necessary coping skills to succeed in dental school. Topics range from managing test anxiety to
eective note‐taking. Each seminar is taught one day each week for two hours. Weekly meetings are also
held with the program director to provide an update and assessment of the student's progress. The
meetings are designed to instill condence and motivation.
The cost of operating a pre‐enrollment program ranges from $8,000 to $11,300 per student. A large
portion of the expenses are for instructional cost, housing, and a small stipend for each student. The
housing and stipend are important because the students are required to participate fully and not take on
other part‐time work during the program. Many pre‐enrollment programs are nanced with grant funds.
There are a few that use grants and institutional funding.
Successful Enrichment Programs in Dental Education
There are many successful enrichment programs in dental schools across the nation. Some have operated
over a sustained period of time and have been very successful in recruiting and enrolling URM students in
U.S. dental schools. This section describes programs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
School of Dentistry, Baylor College of Dentistry, Marquette University School of Dentistry, Columbia
University College of Dental Medicine, and Creighton University School of Dentistry. The rst two of these
are public dental schools, and the other three are private dental schools.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The Schools of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC‐CH) sponsor
a medical education development (MED) program together. Their nine‐week intensive summer program
was established in 1974 and designed to increase opportunities in the health professions for individuals
who demonstrate educational promise and commitment to a health career but who have lacked the
opportunity to move towards their professional goal. In addition to being supported by the Schools of
Medicine and Dentistry, the MED program receives support from the federal Health Careers Opportunity
Program and the state of North Carolina. North Carolina residents receive preference for admission and
typically constitute 80 to 85 percent of participants.
The program usually enrolls sixty‐ve to eighty students each summer. Selection is based on factors such
as educational promise, a strong commitment to a health career, and a lack of past educational, social,
and economic opportunities that placed the student at a disadvantage in seeking admission and
successfully entering medical or dental school. Applicants must have completed at least three years of
college coursework, passed organic chemistry I and II, and possess a strong background in biological and
physical sciences. The student's application to the program must contain an essay, nancial aid
application, transcripts from all institutions attended, and two letters of recommendation. An interview is
recommended but not required.
The MED program provides demanding academic preparation on the level of beginning medical/dental
studies for rising college seniors and postgraduates planning to apply to medical or dental school in the
fall. Students are engaged in over 215 scheduled class and lab hours in gross anatomy, microbiology and
immunology, biochemistry, histology, dental theory and technique (for the predental students), MCAT/DAT
preparation, clinical shadowing, and an annual health professions recruitment seminar. Students also
receive individualized work in learning, study, and test‐taking skills, preprofessional counseling, seminars,
workshops, and orientation to the medical and dental school environment. Participants receive a grade in
each course and a certicate upon completion of the program. A program evaluation is issued to
graduates and is favorably recognized by dental and medical school admissions committees nationwide.
The UNC‐CH Schools of Medicine and Dentistry cover all instructional costs (tuition, textbooks, etc.) for all
participants. A stipend is awarded to qualifying applicants who demonstrate nancial need. UNC‐CH
medical faculty members conduct all basic science courses; dental faculty members conduct the dental
courses. Current UNC‐CH medical and dental students serve as teaching assistants and counselors. Since
1974, over 2,288 students have attended the MED summer program, and 88 percent have applied to
health professions schools. Ninety percent of those gained admission, with 80 percent matriculating into
medical or dental school and the remainder entering other health professions schools. Of the 330 (14.4
percent) students who expressed interest in dentistry, 236 (71.5 percent) applied and were accepted to
dental school and 195 (83 percent) received dental degrees. Most (157; 80 percent) attended the UNC‐CH
School of Dentistry. Upon graduation, 49 percent are practicing in North Carolina, with 30 percent
choosing to practice in underserved communities.
Baylor College of Dentistry
The primary objective of the postbaccalaureate program at Baylor College of Dentistry is to assist students
from culturally diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds in gaining acceptance into Baylor College of
Dentistry after successful completion of the program. This is achieved by enrolling the students in a
rigorous year‐long curriculum that focuses on DAT preparation and successful completion of upper‐
division science courses. Students enhance their test‐taking skills and develop more eective learning
strategies by participating in specially designed seminars and workshops. Students also observe and
participate in college and community dental clinics.
Applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the program: completion of a baccalaureate
degree from an accredited college or university in the United States; Texas residency; GPA of 2.5 (overall)
or higher; history of overcoming adverse circumstances and/or being considered academically or
economically disadvantaged; demonstrated desire to work with underserved populations or in
communities with limited access to dental health care; and have applied for admission to Baylor College of
Dentistry. The program selection committee is comprised of the program director, the executive director
of recruitment and admissions, and other appropriate faculty. The committee reviews all applications and
selects students to interview and admit. A maximum of sixteen participants are selected each year.
Participants who successfully complete the postbaccalaureate program are admitted to Baylor College of
Dentistry.
There are two summer components to the program. The rst consists of intense DAT preparation
including tutoring, review sessions, and taking of mock DATs. The second component oers courses in
preclinical dentistry, introduction to the human body, and learning strategies. The curriculum is designed
to enhance academic success during the rst year of dental school. All courses oered during the summer
sessions must be completed to the satisfaction of faculty.
The academic year component consists of thirty hours of courses to enhance the students’ science
background and to improve their communication and other social skills. These courses include a minimum
of four upper‐division biology courses per semester. Each participant is advised of the proper courses to
enroll in during the academic year. The curriculum is designed specically to magnify the strengths of the
student's academic prole as well as focus on the real and perceived weaknesses in his or her preparatory
background. The student must maintain a GPA of 3.25 or higher in all program courses.
Each program participant receives a small stipend to help cover program‐related costs. It does not cover
all costs, and it is the responsibility of participants to secure additional funds (personal or loans) for the
academic year and the next summer session. Estimated school‐related expenses (tuition, fees, books, etc.)
and living expenses for the fall and spring semesters at Baylor College of Dentistry are approximately
$20,000.
Since its inception in 2002, Baylor's postbaccalaureate program has placed 86 percent of its participants in
dental school.
Marquette University School of Dentistry
For over twenty‐ve years, Marquette University School of Dentistry has operated a pre‐enrollment
program, which is primarily funded by a Health Careers Opportunity Program grant. The grant allows the
dental school to actively and substantively address the challenges of responding to the critical need for
increased enrollments of underrepresented students in dentistry and assisting them with gaining access
to a professional school education. Marquette's Pre‐Enrollment Support Program (PESP) is open to a
maximum of ten students each year. Student selection is completely holistic in approach. Students must
meet criteria related to race and ethnicity, disabilities, or economic hardship, but need not be a resident of
Wisconsin.
The PESP is a six‐week residential experience. Participants are provided course instruction in biochemistry,
general histology, clinical dental sciences, dental lab sciences, clinical observation, and study skills
enhancement. The objectives of the program are threefold:
To facilitate the transition of qualied underrepresented students from an undergraduate program of
study to the more substantial demands of the dental curriculum.
To provide opportunities for early exposure to didactic portions of biomedical and clinical sciences,
preclinical lab sciences, and clinical observation.
Successful completion of the six‐week summer program leads to an oer of admission to the fall dental
school term. Since 2000, forty‐ve women and forty‐two men have participated in Marquette's PESP.
Forty‐two (48 percent) are Hispanic; twenty (23 percent) are African American; and ten (12 percent) are
Native American. Only four of the students did not complete the program. The program has had a
remarkable track record of success and has enrolled approximately 95 percent of its participants in dental
school.
Columbia University
Each year since 2004, the Columbia University Summer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP)
has enrolled eighty freshman, sophomore, and community college students in its intensive academic
summer program. The aim is to assist the students with training that will increase their likelihood of
seeking and gaining admission to medical or dental school. The program seeks students, called “scholars,”
from disadvantaged, low‐income backgrounds or from groups that have been historically
underrepresented in medicine and dentistry. Participants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents;
have an overall GPA of 3.0, with 2.75 in the sciences; and have a combined SAT score of at least 950 or ACT
score of at least 20. Sixty of the scholars have been selected from a pool of applicants who identied
themselves as having an interest in medicine, and twenty have been selected from those identifying
themselves as predental students. Columbia University's College of Physicians & Surgeons and College of
Dental Medicine share responsibility and leadership for the program.
Columbia College's undergraduate program of biological sciences assists with the development and
teaching of the basic science curriculum. The integration of students interested in both medicine and
dentistry is one of the strengths of the SMDEP. The cross‐fertilization of knowledge and shared
experiences contributes to scholars who previously had little understanding of the dental profession.
Some switch their interest from applying to medical school to applying to dental school.
Courses oered in Columbia's SMDEP include clinical anatomy, histology, narrative medicine, general
chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, biology, accelerated learning skills (ALS), and career development
and information resources (CDIR). Scholars are assigned two basic science courses based on a thorough
review of their academic record. Scholars are also given pretests to determine the appropriate class
assignment. All scholars take ALS, CDIR, narrative medicine, and histology. Each course is taught by faculty
and senior graduate students from the Columbia University Departments of Biology, Chemistry,
Mathematics, and Physics or related departments. Lectures are supplemented with small study groups
that focus on problem‐based learning. Scholars who need extra help meet one‐on‐one with the teaching
assistants.
A series of seminars and complementary laboratory experiences are held for the scholars. The goal is to
introduce them to medical writing, oral presentations, and current topics in health. Seminars also give
scholars the keys to navigating medical and dental schools’ admissions process, including completing the
application, interviewing skills, and writing a strong and compelling personal statement.
To inculcate participants with appropriate study skills and strategies, with the goal of increased student
retention rates and graduation of underrepresented students from the dental school.
Scholars spend three to ve hours each week for ve weeks in settings designed to give them experience
in a variety of clinical activities in medicine and dentistry. The goal of the clinical experience is to have the
scholars view several aspects of medicine and dentistry, including the broad scope of medicine and
dentistry as it is practiced in the United States; the organizational requirements and challenges involved in
providing medical/dental care; the direct delivery of health care in various settings; and the medical/dental
students, residents, and faculty caring for patients while teaching and learning
As the participants get to experience and explore possible careers in medicine and dentistry, they also
engage in weekly activities designed to expose them to many of the cultural and social venues of New York
City. Participants visit museums and landmarks and take part in cruise/bus tours.
The program evaluation generates data that are used for quality assurance and improvement processes.
Program outcomes since 2004 show that, of the 115 participants who expressed an interest in dentistry,
fty‐four (47.0 percent) are currently eligible and have applied to dental school, and forty‐seven (87.0
percent) have been accepted and matriculated, thirteen (27.6 percent) of them to the Columbia University
College of Dental Medicine.
Creighton University
Creighton University School of Dentistry sponsors a summer enrichment program for Native American
students interested in a career in dentistry. Creighton is part of a collaborative, the Jesuit Dental School
Recruitment Collaborative for Native American Students, that works to address oral health disparities in
the Native American population. Along with their educational partners—Gonzaga University and
Marquette University School of Dentistry—Creighton has developed a pipeline eort to address this issue.
The program enrolls six students for a four‐week residential program at the Creighton University School of
Dentistry. The target audience is undergraduate freshmen and sophomores. The program is designed to
expose students to the profession of dentistry; provide exposure and have students participate in clinics,
labs, and classes in a dental school environment; prepare students for admission to dental school; and
teach students about the various nancial aid programs available to nance a dental education. Selection
is based on factors such as tribal enrollment with strong cultural and tribal aliation, academic promise,
personal statement, and documentation of health vaccinations. There is a telephone interview prior to
admission to help assess the strength of the student's tribal aliation and commitment to participating in
the program.
The program oers participants an exploratory and challenging curriculum over a four‐week period and
includes classes and labs in basic sciences, dental sciences, dental clinic assisting and observation, and
research. The students take tours of community health centers, learn about computers in dentistry, and
have a mock interview for dental school admission. Classes are taught by Creighton's dental school faculty
from the Departments of Oral Biology, General Dentistry, Endodontics, Pediatric Dentistry, Orthodontics,
Community and Preventive Dentistry, and Research. Students are required to complete a research paper
by the end of the program focusing on dental diseases or issues related to Native American populations.
The total cost of the program is approximately $16,000, which covers all instructional cost, housing,
transportation to the training site, and a meal allowance. Creighton School of Dentistry covers the cost of
the program along with a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Summary and Conclusion
Underrepresented minority students continue to be underrepresented in dental schools. However,
academic enrichment programs have been an eective tool in addressing this issue. Academic enrichment
programs have a long history of preparing URM and low‐income students for health professions schools,
particularly dentistry. In addition to being crucial for diversifying the dental student population, they have
been instrumental in diversifying the profession. Summer enrichment programs have been very eective
in introducing URM students to the eld of dentistry and preparing them for the admissions process. They
have also been successful in expanding the pool of competitive URM students.
Postbaccalaureate programs have also been an eective intervention for increasing the number of URM
and disadvantaged dental school matriculants. These programs provide an opportunity for capable
students to spend an additional year or more taking science courses in a structured environment and an
opportunity to develop other attributes that a successful applicant must possess. Most programs oer
students admission to dental school upon successful completion. Postbaccalaureate programs have also
been useful in developing a pool of candidates who were not previously science or predental majors.
Six‐ to eight‐week pre‐enrollment summer programs, which have been in existence since the early 1980s,
give students an opportunity to demonstrate their academic abilities. Upon successful completion of the
summer program, students are granted admission for the fall term. Pre‐enrollment programs have been
very successful in enrolling signicant numbers of URM students into dental schools.
Public policy and court decisions have had some impact on enrichment programs. Programs have been
forced to review their selection process and broaden their criteria for admission. Many programs have
redesigned their admission and selection processes to withstand court challenges. They became more
inclusive of students from low‐income and disadvantaged backgrounds. This has led to greater diversity
among participants and increased the number of students who are interested in treating underserved
populations once they complete dental school. Programs that have strong institutional commitment and
support of the dean's oce tend to be the most eective.
Academic enrichment programs can be essential to eorts to recruit and enroll underrepresented
minority students. They oer another means to address oral health care disparities by expanding and
diversifying the dental workforce. The passage of federal health care reform legislation in 2010 will
increase the demand for primary care and oral health services. It is imperative for dental schools to devise
new ways to increase and diversify the dental applicant pool to meet the future oral health needs of the
nation. Enrichment programs are proven methods to address this concern and will assist schools with
meeting the nation's demand for an increased oral health workforce. This will be important for not only
underserved and underrepresented communities but for the overall health of the nation. Dental schools
must consider creating more programs or partnering with existing programs to address this important
issue.
4
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to express their thanks to Dr. Ernestine Lacy and Baylor College of Dentistry; Mr.
Brian Trecek and Marquette University School of Dentistry; Dr. Dave Brunson, former Assistant Dean for
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th
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