CU Dental 2018 - 11

Developing Dentists
to Serve Colorado

New BA/BS-DDS Program welcomes first class this fall
AMY VENTURA UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

hen Connor Moos was
growing up in Eaton,
Colorado, there was
only one dentist in
town. Everyone knew
that dentist and how
he gave back to the Eastern plains town
through philanthropy and volunteer work.
Moos hopes to follow in his footsteps.
"I want to be able to make a good living
and also give back to my community,"
said the recent high school graduate. With
his spot secured in the very first class of
the BA/BS-DDS program at the University
of Colorado, he's on track to do just that.
A product of collaboration between
CU Denver's College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences and the CU School of Dental
Medicine, the new BA/BS-DDS Program
is designed to fill the gaps in dental
service throughout the state while serving
top-notch Colorado students from rural,
diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds.
Students complete their bachelor's degree
at CU Denver and then, if they meet the
program requirements, have a reserved
spot in the School of Dental Medicine at
CU Anschutz.

Charles Ferguson, PhD, professor of
Integrative Biology and director of Health
Professions Programs, oversees the
program, which builds on the success of
the university's BA/BS-MD Program.
"Half of the students in our pipeline
programs would not be able to go to
college if it weren't for these programs,"
Ferguson said. "We're giving kids an
opportunity to get a college education and
go out and make the world a better place
who wouldn't be able to otherwise."

Good news for students
Alexa Powell was shopping with her
dad when got the news that she had been
accepted into the first BA/BS-DDS cohort.
"We were screaming and jumping up
and down outside the store and all the way
back to the car," Powell said.
With a mother from Singapore and a
father in the U.S. military, Powell has lived
all over the world. But after a decade in
Colorado Springs, she feels most at home
there, so she's grateful this program exists
in her home state.
"The program was a big deciding
factor for me coming to CU Denver,"
said Powell, who has a track record of
community service and plans to go into
pediatric dentistry.

Better service for patients
While Moos and his family could count
on their local dentist, many people in rural
Colorado are not so lucky.
According to the Colorado Health
Institute, seven Colorado counties have
no dental services and another 10 have
two or fewer private practice dentists or
dental clinics. In some rural areas of the
state, patients may drive up to six hours
to get the dental care they need. The BA/
BS-DDS program seeks to alleviate these
shortages.

"We help students understand the
needs of the state and expose them to
practitioners in Colorado, so they make
professional connections," Ferguson said,
"and the hope is that they'll decide to
practice dentistry here in Colorado."
Based on the results of the BA/BS-MD
program, this approach is effective.
"The data is pretty clear," Ferguson
said. "If we can capture those students
early, get them excited about dental
medicine and help them understand the
importance of serving Colorado, then
many of them stay here."

Set up for success
Many of the students in the BA/BSDDS and BA/BS-MD programs come from
underrepresented groups. The university
supports them by assisting with the cost
of undergraduate tuition and fees, as well
as addressing something Ferguson calls
"imposter syndrome."
"Many of these kids come from
high-risk environments, where they've
always been told they can't do this," he
said. "During the first semester, they feel
like they don't belong here, and imposter
syndrome kicks in."
Several mandatory summer programs
help reduce their stress, increase their
preparedness and set them up for success.
The Summer Bridge and Academic
Bootcamp programs helped Moos get to
know other students in the BA/BS-DDS
and BA/BS-MD programs. They've already
been texting, Snapchatting and making
plans to hang out together.
"The BA/BS-DDS program is going to
allow us to thrive and become successful
in a way that wouldn't be possible
otherwise," Moos said. "I'm really excited
for what lies ahead of us."

DENTAL. INTEGRATED FOR HEALTH.

11



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CU Dental 2018

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CU Dental 2018 - Cover1
CU Dental 2018 - Cover2
CU Dental 2018 - Tablet of Contents
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CU Dental 2018 - Cover3
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