Director of Education & Leadership The American Institute of Dental Public Health
Disclosure(s):
Elizabeth Flannery, MPH: No financial relationships to disclose
Description: Workforce solutions are a vital part of advancing access in oral health. The American Institute of Dental Public Health (AIDPH) has developed a comprehensive and structured professional development program designed to cultivate the next generation of dental public health leaders. This program offers predoctoral students a suite of multilevel, experiential learning opportunities that align with the goal of expanding oral health access, and promoting health proportionality. The learning opportunities included in the predoctoral development program include Flash Mentoring sessions, Lunch and Learn seminars, the Rural Oral Health Learning Collaborative, the Federal Service Immersion program, and presenting opportunities at AIDPH’s oral health Colloquium. Designed to offer a variety of engagement levels ranging from short and virtual to the week-long, in-person experience of the Federal Service Immersion, the predoctoral learning program gives students the ability to develop a preparation for, and dedication to, dental public health at the very beginning of their careers. Through the different learning options, students have the opportunity to forge connections with their peers and leaders in the field, get exposed to career pathways in dental public health, and foster a deep understanding of the disparities many communities face in accessing dental care. During the roundtable discussion, we will explore workforce solutions and the next steps for expanding the dental public health workforce. Drawing on insights from our predoctoral programming and our work with rural communities, we will facilitate a community discussion on practical, scalable strategies to address workforce shortages and improve access to care in communities with fewer opportunities.
Source of
Funding: : This project is partially funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) award Predoctoral Training in General, Pediatric, and Public Health Dentistry and Dental Hygiene HRSA 22-045 Award Number: D85HP45701‐03‐00.
