Project White Coat Launches Undergraduate Mentoring Program
A new program within Project White Coat, designed to expose undergraduate students to the fields of dental hygiene and dentistry, was introduced this year. Undergraduate students from various schools will shadow dental students for the month of June at the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM). Last fall, under the direction of Professor and Director of Dental Public Health Programs Dr. Ana Karina Mascarenhas, the entire Project received a $2.1 million Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Health Career Opportunities Program (HCOP) grant, which has helped fund new initiatives like this undergraduate program.
Felicia A.E. Smith DMD 14—who is currently employed at GSDM working as the coordinator of this program but also participates as a mentee—explained, “Project White Coat is a program designed to maximize the full potential of students who will pursue a career in dentistry and continue the legacy of service by working in underserved communities. Who is better to serve an underrepresented community than those from that community?”
Mentees learn first-hand what to expect from their future dental school education. “Wearing the mask and gown, watching a dental student take impressions, and talking to patients has taught me what it feels like to be a dental student,” said Dominique Bernabeo from the University of New Hampshire’s class of 2011.
“I was really influenced by one patient I was observing,” added Micheline Zohni, a mentee and 2009 graduate of Worcester State College. “After she received her dentures, she was then able to go find a job. This changed her whole life and to be able to see that made me realize why I really want to be a dentist. This program has opened my eyes to a side of dentistry I’ve never experienced.”
Being a mentor is also a learning experience, explained Moira Sinnott DMD 12. “Before dental school I would have really appreciated having a formal mentor who could have given me advice.” Sinnott continued, “Talking to undergraduate students interested in dental school gives me perspective and reminds me why I decided to go into this profession.”
The program is open to current residents of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. It provides full days of enrichment, including intensive science courses, academic and professional workshops, field trips, clinical observations, and volunteer opportunities such as the recent Blackstone School Field Trip to GSDM. The academic training and support for the students throughout this program will help build a successful starting point for a career in oral health. "I knew I was interested in being a dentist, but after being a part of this program, there is no going back for me!” said Sarah Maskwa, a member of the class of 2013 from the University of New Hampshire.