The Pathway to Dentistry for Minority Students: From Their Perspective

The small number of minorities in the field of dentistry is a serious concern. While the United States as a whole has become more diverse with minorities making up 25 percent of the total U.S. population, only a handful (14 percent) are currently practicing dentistry, and only 11 percent entering dental schools are underrepresented minorities. Pipeline, Profession, & Practice: Community‐Based Dental Education is a national foundation‐sponsored program designed to address this issue in dental education. To understand the reasons why dentistry attracts so few underrepresented minority (URM) students, we conducted focus groups and in‐depth interviews to determine the challenges facing minority students when they apply to and attend dental school. Ten focus groups were conducted with a total of ninety‐two minority students (fourteen undergraduate students and seventy‐eight students currently enrolled in dental schools) at six universities in four geographic regions. In addition, four in‐depth interviews were held with faculty advisors who teach, mentor, and recruit minority students. The major findings of the study are as follows: 1) early and frequent exposure to dentistry and dentists in practice is essential for minority students to consider this profession; 2) while many dental schools have earnestly tried to recruit minority applicants, most URM students find out about dental programs by a family member or friend and not as a result of an intentional recruiting effort; and 3) hearing directly from minority students could be a solid first step in understanding the dental school experience from a different vantage point. This study has important implications for the methods dental schools use to both recruit minority students and foster a learning environment that is sensitive to students from diverse backgrounds.