Supporting
Diversity
Student
National Dental
Association
The SNDA chapter at LSUSD
is a student-run
organization advised by
Drs. Stephen Brisco, Van
Himel, and Helen Price.
Committed to providing
oral health care to
underserved communities in
Louisiana, the chapter is
also dedicated to
increasing the presence of
minorities in dentistry by
offering a supportive
environment for students
who are underrepresented
in the profession. The
chapter's activities
extend from the dental
school to the local
community, New Orleans
universities, and its
national association.
Since its chartering in
2015, the chapter has
increased membership from
eight to 35 students.
Current officers are Amber
Cook, president; Corey
Romero, vice-president;
Lauren Roberts, treasurer;
and Lorena Romano,
secretary.
This summer eight members
of the group traveled to
Dallas to attend the 45th
SNDA Annual Convention,
held in conjunction with
the 104th National Dental
Association (NDA) Annual
Convention. Along with
students from 60 other
chapters, the LSUSD
students attended
seminars, networked with
other students and
practicing dentists, and
provided free oral health
screenings. Celeste
Edwards, D2, was elected
SNDA representative to the
NDA Board of Trustees.
|
l-r,
Dr. Stephen
Brisco with
LSUSD SNDA
members Amber
Cook; Lorena
Romano; Candice
St. Etienne, DDS
2017; Colby
Terry; Lauren
Roberts |
Alexis Irby, DMD,
immediate past-president
of SNDA, said, "We are so
proud of the LSUSD
Chapter! From the
beginning of their
rechartering, they have
gone above and beyond our
expectations with
excellent programming and
community engagement. This
chapter has become a
vibrant addition to the
SNDA family."
Last year the chapter
held several events for
undergraduate and high
school students interested
in dentistry. Impressions
Day, a national program
designed to mimic a "day
in the life of a dental
student," drew over 100
attendees. Application
Help Day, unique to LSUSD,
was held near the opening
of the AADSAS application
cycle; attendees were
invited to bring their
curriculum vitae and
personal statements for
review and to participate
in mock interviews.
Another focus of the
chapter is interaction
with and mentoring of
students at Xavier and
Dillard universities. SNDA
members held a
chalk-carving session at
Xavier and, partnering
with the LSUSD American
Student Dental
Association, students
spoke to the Dillard
University Pre-Dental
Society.
The SNDA participates in
community events with
organizations such as the
American Diabetes
Association, LSUHSC
Schools of Nursing and
Medicine, and the NDA. One
such event was the Summer
Camp "Back to School
Cavity Free!" program
jointly sponsored by the
New Orleans Recreation
Department Commission and
the NDA.
In preparation for the
upcoming school year and
next year's convention,
SNDA has signed up Dillard
University as an
undergraduate chapter
(USNDA) to further aid
students in their
transition to dental
school and increase
student body involvement
at LSUSD.
All LSUSD students are
welcomed to attend monthly
meetings and to join the
chapter. Creation of a
chapter website to
increase accessibility to
the school and community
is in the planning stage.
Meanwhile, SNDA activities
can be followed on
Instagram:
@snda.lsuhsc.
Multicultural
Affairs and Diversity
Committee
Charged with ongoing
assessment and furthering
development of diversity
and multiculturalism at
LSUSD, the Multicultural
Affairs and Diversity
Committee directs its
efforts toward "creating
an environment of enhanced
cultural awareness,
knowledge, and opportunity
for a diverse
institutional community of
faculty, staff, and
residents." Under the
chairmanship of Dr.
Suzanne Fournier, director
of the pediatric dentistry
advanced education
program, the committee
consists of faculty,
staff, students, and
residents.
Among items on the
committee's agenda are
revising the LSUSD
recruitment policy,
organizing annual
multicultural GIF's and
Sweets for Solidarity, and
changing the bathrooms on
the first floor of the
administrative building
into all-gender
facilities. The committee
is currently waiting for
space to establish an
interfaith room for
meditation and prayer. In
conjunction with LSUHSC
Schools of Medicine and
Public Health as well as
the Xavier School of
Pharmacy, the group hosted
its first Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation
grant-sponsored Summer
Health Professions
Education Program. The
committee is currently
working on setting up a
series of foreign-language
lunch n' learns to help
the dental school
community converse with
patients who speak
Vietnamese, Spanish,
Arabic, and American Sign
Language.
|
Dr.
Stephen Brisco
(upper left)
with students at
the Summer
Health
Professions
Education
Program
|
|