Preparing our learners for dental careers | A message from Dr. Self

This month’s message to the community comes from Karl Self, DDS, MBA, Interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

I am excited to share with you that the implementation of our Dental Career Tracks Program is off to a great start. The Dental Career Tracks Program is designed to prepare students for various careers in dentistry. Each track offers a range of clinical, research and academic opportunities. Prior to spring break, first year students applied to and were assigned to one of our four initial tracks: academic dentistry, clinical practice and leadership, research and rural dentistry. Students have already participated in the first two track sessions, which took place following spring break, and the enthusiasm from them about the program’s future is palpable. Their engagement and interest in the program's potential have been encouraging, and we are confident that the tracks will continue to be a valuable resource for their career development.

Additionally, I am pleased to share that information about the Dental Career Tracks Program is now available on the school's website. We hope this resource will provide greater visibility for faculty, staff, potential students and other dental school stakeholders as we continue to implement the program.  We anticipate this will foster more engagement from our various dental communities.

Moving forward, we invite dental professionals who are interested in mentoring students through these tracks to visit our mentoring website. If you are interested in being a mentor, please be sure to complete the mentor application form. Your support and guidance can make a meaningful difference in our students' professional journeys. We appreciate your continued engagement and look forward to collaborating with you as we build this impactful program.