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Hometown Partnerships for Oral Health

Do You —

Want to help improve the health of your community? Desire to Work in Your Community’s Health Center? Aspire to be a dentist?

If you answered “yes,” then Hometown Partnerships for Oral Health may be for you!

The mission of the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health is to educate caring, technologically adept dentists who become community and educational leaders serving those in need. The purpose of Hometown is to help ASDOH meet the needs of Community Health Centers by attracting and training dedicated, motivated, and qualified community-minded dentists. This information is designed to help you discover how you might become a Hometown applicant.

Hometown Applicants:

* Locate a Community Health Center (CHC) to stay involved with
* Gain ASDOH application endorsement from a CHC leader
* Develop relationships with CHC staff and leadership
* Understand the working environment of a CHC
* Gain valuable volunteer experience
* Obtain instruction from CHC leaders in seeking employment pathways

What is a Community Health Center?

CHC Mission
To promote the provision of high-quality, comprehensive healthcare that is accessible, coordinated, culturally and linguistically competent, and community directed for all underserved populations.

CHC Service
Community, Migrant and Homeless Health Centers are not-for-profit providers of healthcare to America’s poor and medically underserved. Health centers serve the working poor and the uninsured in the nation’s neediest intercity and rural communities. CHC innovative programs in primary and preventive care serve 16 million people at 5,000 health centers.

The Community Health Center model integrates oral health into a comprehensive primary care approach. However, the nation faces a future shortage of dentists where current statistics indicate for every three dentists retiring there are only two entering the profession. Health Center communities will be especially hard hit by this lack of dental and oral healthcare. CHCs are working to face the growing oral health crisis in their communities by expanding dental facilities and hiring dentists, and ASDOH is working with the CHCs to help address that crisis.

Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health
The Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health is an accredited, private, non-profit dental school offering an innovative dental education curriculum that includes a community health point of view where students serve in Community Health Center settings. In addition, dental student coursework in the four-year program includes a certificate in public health management allowing graduates an inroad to obtaining a master in public health (MPH). Also, students have the opportunity to learn about community leadership, Community Health Centers’ organizational structure and governance, underserved population outreach strategies, and health policy development.

Application

The application and student selection process for the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health, Arizona’s first dental school, involves three main steps. Remember, involvement in the Hometown program can help gain an ASDOH application endorsement from a Community Health Center leader. ASDOH application steps:

Step 1 — Initial application
ASDOH participates in the Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS). Applications may be completed at http://aadsas.adea.org. Questions regarding completing applications should be directed to customer service representatives at 800. 353.2237 or via e-mail at csraadsas@adea.org.

Step 2 — Secondary application
Applicants meeting the minimum GPA requirements will be sent instructions and an authorized user name and password to complete a secondary online application. There is a nominal secondary application fee.

Step 3 — Interview
Interviews are conducted at ASDOH with members of the interview committee. This offers an opportunity to express your interest in making a difference and serving in the CHC Hometown program.

ASDOH curriculum

First-year courses
Introduction to Health Sciences
Introduction to Human Sciences
Clerkships in General Dentistry
Dental Simulation Exercises

Second-year courses
Integrated Clinical Sciences
Integrated Community Practice Experience
Dental Simulation Exercises
Clerkships in General Dentistry

Third-year courses
Integrated Clinical Sciences
Dental Simulation Exercises
Clerkships in General Dentistry

Fourth-year courses
Community-Based Clinical Rotations (Rotations may include clinical experiences at a Community Health Center, Indian Health Service Clinic, Veteran’s Administration Clinic, Military Base Clinic, etc.)