COMMUNITY BASED EDUCATION - DENTISTRY PIPELINE INITIATIVE
To encourage an increase in the number of oral health professionals dedicated to serving children in underserved areas of the State, the Foundation has awarded in total approximately $3 million to the two Dental schools in the State of Illinois and has partnered with Loyola University to track the effectiveness of each program over the course of the next seven years.
Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine
The grant awarded to SIU School of Dental Medicine will, over the next six years, enable SIU to modify the admissions process and curriculum to create the SIUCARES "Rural Scholars Program" which will identify, recruit and train a subset of dental students with a goal of developing an increased number of dental professionals interested in caring for underserved children. Additionally, the School will create the SIUCARES "Core Program" which will significantlly expand and enrich the current dental education program through an increase in community clinic rotations for all dental students.
University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry
The grant awarded to UIC, College of Dentistry will support significant changes and enhancements to the existing community-based dental program over the next five years. These changes include a greater emphasis on pediatric dentistry at community sites and earlier, more in-depth exposure to service-learning opportunities for students and doubling the amount of days D4 students spend in community settings. The College expects to graduate professionals with a greater understanding of the social dimensions of their profession and who are equipped to participate in the development of solutions for expanding access to oral health care for children.
Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation, 1200 Jorie Boulevard, Suite 301, Oak Brook, IL 60523 (p) 630.571.2555 (f) 630.571.2566