The College of Community Health Sciences welcomed four rural Alabama students who want to one day practice dentistry in rural communities to the inaugural class of a new Rural Dental Scholars Program
The program is a separate admissions pathway to the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry specifically for students from rural Alabama. To be eligible for the program, students must have either lived in rural Alabama for eight years or have graduated from a rural Alabama high school. The program includes a year of study and a master’s degree in rural community health at CCHS, after students receive their undergraduate degree, as well as early admission to the UAB School of Dentistry
During the year of study at CCHS, students will engage in biomedical science courses designed to adequately prepare scholars for a rigorous dental school curriculum, as well as seminar courses in rural health, community engagement experiences, and shadowing dental providers. After completion of the master’s degree, students will spend the next four years at the UAB School of Dentistry. The program is modeled after the College’s Rural Medical Scholars Program.
“The Rural Dental Scholars program is a partnership between CCHS Rural Programs and the UAB School of Dentistry to recruit students who are interested in practicing dentistry in a rural area of our state,” said Dr. Drake Lavender, associate professor of family medicine and director of CCHS Rural Programs. “Oral health is a huge component of the overall health of an individual. We are mindful that there is a lack of access to dental care in our rural areas, so this program fits in well with our other programs, as well as the overall mission of CCHS.”
The 2023-24 class of Rural Dental Scholars includes: Landon McCardle of Dothan; Catherine Hill of Grant; Joshua Perry of Guntersville; and Aubrey Stewart of Dothan.
