On Jan. 22, the ADEA Board of
Directors and ADEA Joint Council Administrative Boards (JCAB) gathered for an
engaging discussion and collaboration highlighting the theme of “Humanism
Through the Lens of Power and Privilege.”
The day began with a welcome address
from Henry A. Gremillion, D.D.S., MAGD, Chair of the ADEA Board of Directors
and Dean of Louisiana State University Health New Orleans School of Dentistry;
Karen P. West, D.M.D., M.P.H., ADEA President and CEO; and Sonya G. Smith,
Ed.D., J.D., ADEA Chief Diversity Officer. The presenter, Linda Centore, Ph.D.,
ANP-BC, led an energetic and informative session that included case study
facilitation by students, Toufic Abbas, DH-2 and Temitayo Akinyemi, D-3 from
the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry; Akeadra Bell, D-4 from the
East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine; Jordan Brown, D-4 from the
University of Michigan School of Dentistry; and Dan Walker, D-3 from the
University of Washington School of Dentistry.
The interactive session included
brainstorming around the dynamics of power, privilege and microaggressions.
Case studies were used to discuss dynamics and power imbalances. The case
studies were tools to understand how policies and initiatives can better
support historically underrepresented and marginalized groups and foster a
humanistic environment in dental education. The participants separated into
groups, representing faculty, deans, students, staff and administrators, and
were asked to take on perspectives and roles different from their own and to
provide a diverse perspective to the case study questions. Dr. Centore
encouraged everyone to examine their own power and privilege as it relates to
their classroom, clinical, professional, personal and community interactions
through a perspective different from their own.
Dr. Centore concluded the
session by providing tools and strategies to understand better how one’s
privileges might contribute to blind spots, how to analyze microaggressions
from a position of power and how to synthesize core principles and create a
toolbox to promote and support a humanistic environment in the dental education
setting.
Published on Feb. 12, 2020