Dentistry students explore equity, connection at CHIP conference

School of Dentistry students engaged with health professions students from across the University at this year’s Center for Health Interprofessional Programs Leadership Conference.

Held for the ninth time this year, the CHIP Leadership Conference brings health sciences learners together to connect and share knowledge on the topics that matter most to them. This year’s theme, Connection for a common purpose: Centering values & striving for health equity invited participants to consider how they can become servant leaders who advocate for justice and equality, both in their work and in their lives.

The event featured a keynote presentation from Lauren Bernstein, MVB, MPH, DACVPM, assistant professor of community medicine in the College of Veterinary Medicine, and Raye Taylor, DVM, associate professor of community medicine at the College of Veterinary Medicine, as well as a series of breakout sessions led by students.

Two DDS learners helped lead one of the breakout sessions, PRIDE in Health Care: Equitable Practices for Serving LQBTQIA+ Patient Populations. Skylar Birch, DDS ’27, decided to join the panel both to enhance their presentation skills and “because especially now, queer rights are under attack. Talking about these issues and recognizing them is the first step into building hope for the future.”

Birch appreciated the small-group nature of the presentation, which “allowed for great conversations and spaces to build rapport and connections within the community.” Despite the gravity of the topics covered in the presentation, Birch said they “hope people ultimately walked away from the presentation feeling hopeful. I hope we were able to build a space where folks felt empowered to start making changes and know they have support.”

Personally, Birch will take “a sense of belonging and empowerment to keep doing right by my underrepresented patients, and the knowledge that there are so many other providers who share the same mission I do.”

If the experience of fellow dentistry learners is any indication, Birch’s hopes were accomplished. Sarah Aitken, PhD ’25, DDS ’29, shared that Birch’s panel “made me reconsider the way we talk about sex and gender” in her current research on the oral microbiome and HPV. “What I learned and thought about thanks to that panel will have a lasting impact on both my research and clinical practice,” she said.

Aitken was excited to participate in the conference because “there is so much knowledge to be gained from others.”

“I learned in my PhD training that collaborative research leads to better outcomes, and in my DDS training I'm seeing that the same is true in the clinic,” she said. “The conference was thought-provoking and inspiring. I admired the authenticity, humility and vulnerability displayed by speakers and attendees throughout the sessions. The experience left me feeling more connected to the broader community of health professional students at UMN.”

Mari Ferrer-Lugo, DDS ’26, has attended the conference for the past three years. “I have been able to attend so many sessions on interesting topics and gather information that I can take back into my daily practice to make me a better clinician,” she said. “There is so much to learn about how health care is connected, and we learn so much from different perspectives.”

Ferrer-Lugo enjoyed meeting learners from across the health sciences schools. “It is always great to share stories and share our path in school, and realize there is so much we all have in common,” she said.

“The conference has so many opportunities to meet new people, collaborate with them and learn from each other,” Ferrer-Lugo reflected. “Every year, there is a new overall focus, and every year, I’ve walked out grateful to have learned something new.”