Page 18 - Dentistry Magazine 2021

18
DENTISTRY 2021
Admissions must go on
After the initial shock of shutdowns brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, as students adjusted to their new way of learning and communities rallied to safely support one another, the School of Dentistry’s admissions team faced a massive challenge:
How do we complete over 200 student interviews?
With hard work and flexibility, the Office of Admissions and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion put together a seam- less interview process—which may have contributed to the over 40% increase in dental school applications from the previous year.
The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry was
one of the first dental schools to make the decision to switch to fully virtual interviews, eschewing the in-person interview in May 2020.
The Office of Admissions and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion credits the team of interviewers for creating
a supportive, flexible environment and working hard
to ensure great communication with each applicant and are grateful for some of the changes the pivot encour- aged: as the cost and need to travel decreased, the number of applicants increased. On the admissions side, the ability to record virtual interviews made for a more efficient way of letting secondary reviewers be part of the experience.
Though the student experience wasn’t what anyone expected for the past two years, applicants were grateful for this focus and the “seamless” effort the school put into the day. One student remarked, “friendliness is something students recognize right away,” hoping the office would “keep it up.”
Said another applicant after their interview, “I am more excited than ever at the prospect of becoming a student in the next dental class.”
Making a difference, virtually
Though so many experiences looked different over the past two years, students, faculty and staff made sure their commitment to their community did not waver.
A winter tradition at the School of Dentistry, Give Kids a Smile brings student and faculty volunteers together to provide free oral health care to children in need through- out the community. The February event not only gives children much-needed treatment, but also connects families to a home for regular oral health care.
Typically, nearly 150 to 200 children and families come to Moos Tower for care. Unable to provide face-to-face care in 2021, however, the committee embarked on an ambi- tious program of education, fundraising and outreach.
“We made the decision very early to overhaul Give Kids a Smile at the University of Minnesota so that children in our community without access to dental insurance could still call us their home,” explained Kalee Abu-Ghazaleh, DDS ’22, a student organizer.
July 6, 2020
July 22, 2020
August 21, 2020
September 8, 2020
School of Dentistry clinics reopen with advanced safety measures
Governor Walz institutes state-wide mask mandate
President Gabel announces postponement of fall semester move-in by two weeks
Start of fall semester for School of Dentistry students