For the 13th year, ADEA held its ADEA GoDental® Recruitment Event in conjunction with the ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition. This time in Portland, OR, more than 300 students came to make face-to-face connections with admissions officers from 50+ U.S. and Canadian dental schools and organizations.
“Please take advantage and visit as many schools as possible,” said Carolyn Booker, Ph.D., ADEA Chief of Educational Pathways during her welcome address. “The more you expose yourself to diverse opportunities, the more you increase your chances of acceptance to dental schools.” 
Two of those in attendance at the event who hoped to make connections and establish the right path to dental school were Latosha Parker and her son, Khalil Osbin.
“I came to help support him,” Parker said.
Osbin heard about the 2023 GoDental Recruitment Event through his National Honors Society chapter. The high school senior has been accepted to Washington State University and tentatively plans to study biology in the fall and eventually go on to dental school.
“I like going to the dentist myself,” Osbin said. “I like teeth and to help people with their smiles.”
Two Different Paths to Dental School
The GoDental Recruitment Event opened with stories from dental students who shared their perspectives of the dental school application process and why they decided to go into dentistry.
Zach Young, a D3 student at Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry, said his goal was initially to play Division I football. “But I ended up here, instead. I think I made out OK though,” Young said.
Young got two bachelor’s degrees—one in dental hygiene, the other in health education, before applying to dental school. He now plans to apply for a residency in oral surgery.
“This is where my path brought me. It brought me to the future of dentistry, standing before you today,” Young said.
Allison Temple, M.P.H., a D2 student and class president at East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine (ECU SoDM), is not only a fourth generation Army officer, but also one of many in her family who joined the dental profession. But she wasn’t always sure she wanted to go into dentistry. She finally decided it was the right path for her while on a mission trip to Guatemala. 
“A lot of the older women in the village didn’t speak to us, and it really confused me because we were there to help them,” Temple said. But a conversation with one of the children in the village revealed that the women didn’t speak to them because they were embarrassed about their missing teeth.
“I decided I could do something about that and help communities,” Temple said.
She eventually worked at a dental clinic, sterilizing hygiene equipment and serving as dental assistant while she got her Master of Public Health at Liberty University. Now, as a dental student at ECU SoDM, Temple will have the opportunity to do the community work she longed for at one of the eight outlier clinics that serve as private practices in rural areas for underserved populations in North Carolina.
After listening to their presentations, prospective dental student Abigail Herrera-Leal said she learned from the dental students to “tell your story and to be genuine. I learned how different things can connect through dentistry and to be inspired.”
Offering More Perspectives and Helpful Hints
Attendees at the GoDental Recruitment Event also heard “Short Talks” from experts on various dental school-related topics, from financing a dental school education to how to properly correspond with dental school administrators during the application process.
During the presentation, “Helpful Hints to Financing Your Dental Education”, Paul Garrard, ADEA Senior Advisor for Student Financial Services, shared the top 10 questions dental school students should ask when funding dental school. He recommended that students go to their college’s Financial Aid Office as well as ADEA’s GoDental website for trusted information about financial aid.
Wendy Scripps, M.P.A., Director of Student Recruitment and Engagement at University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry, shared how students can communicate effectively and professionally during her presentation, “Effective and Professional Communication TBH, it’s easy!”
Scripps encouraged students to make sure they are reaching out to appropriate person with their questions or concerns. “All faculty are teaching. They’re busy. Checking their email and responding to potential students may not be a top priority,” she said.
She also said to decide when to reach out. “Think about an appropriate wait time,” Scripps said, noting that she responds to emails faster during the summer.
Scripps said to also consider if it is a necessary communication, or if the student can find out the information themselves on the school or ADEA website.
During “Finding Your Best Dental School Fit From an International Student Viewpoint”, Jingyi Yang, a D2 student at the NYU College of Dentistry, who grew up in Shanghai, China, gave the international student perspective to applying to dental school. Yang applied to 20 dental schools based on priorities and values that were important to her, and she encouraged prospective students to do the same. She knew she wanted a school that accepted international students, had the right location and class size and she wanted to know whether the schools offered clinical experience in research.
Finally, during “Tip for Overcoming Common ADEA AADSAS® (ADEA Associated American Dental Schools Application Service) Hang-ups”, David B. Koenecke, D.C., M.Ed., Assistant Vice President, Admissions Residential at A.T. Still University Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health, encouraged students to consider the time involved in the dental application process, how to prepare and do the necessary research. He also told attendees to remember “this is not a solo event. Get your community together to help fill out the application,” Koenecke said.
ABOUT ADEA:
The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) is The Voice of Dental Education. Our mission is to lead and support the health professions community in preparing future-ready oral health professionals. Our members include all 78 U.S. and Canadian dental schools, more than 800 allied and advanced dental education programs, 50 corporations and approximately 18,000 individuals. Our activities encompass a wide range of research, advocacy, faculty development, meetings and communications, including the esteemed Journal of Dental Education®, as well as the dental school application services.