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Seminar - 60 Minutes
Patrick Smith, DMD, MPH
Clinical Assistant Professor
Univeristy of Illinois, Chicago College of Dentistry
Bob Egan, MPA
Senior Program Officer
Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation
The purpose is to describe how the Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation partnered with Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Dental Medicine and University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) College of Dentistry to address the critical issue of low numbers of dentists serving low-income children in the state of Illinois. The presentation will include background on the Foundation’s mission related to children’s oral health, a description of curricular enhancements implemented at both schools to prepare future dentists to work with children and in public health settings, and key findings from a seven year evaluation of this project. Each college implemented a unique approach to the curricular enhancements, but both used service learning to increase students’ engagement with children in community-based settings. Additionally, UIC will provide an update of their current service-learning curriculum, which has evolved as a result of their participation in this initiative.