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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Christine Hryhorczuk, DDS, MSPH¹, Aljernon Bolden, DMD MPH¹, Daniel Mulvihill, MLIS¹, Khatija Noorullah, MPH², and Caswell Evans, DDS MPH¹. (1) College of Dentistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 801 S. Paulina St. M/C 850, Chicago, IL 60612, 312-355-5236, chryhorc@uic.edu, (2) Pediatric Dentistry, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry, 801 S. Paulina, MC 850, Chicago, IL 60612

As part of the Robert Wood Johnson's “Pipeline, Profession & Practice: Community-Based Dental Education” grant, the UIC College of Dentistry began identifying and assessing community-based dental clinics to partner in providing sites for student extramural rotations. These community partners provide diverse opportunities for student rotations based upon different geographic settings, different targeted populations at high risk for oral health disparities and access to care, and different practice settings. These programs are used for clinical rotations for the 4th year dental students and rely on dentists employed at the community site to serve as preceptors and adjunct faculty members. The Extramural Education Program has successfully developed, credentialed and partnered with 12 new clinical community-based sites for the 4th year student clinical extramural rotations. These clinics serve populations which traditionally have had difficulty accessing oral health care services. These sites include 5 federally qualified health centers; 3 community-supported oral health centers; 2 private, not for profit oral health centers; 1 closed panel dental clinic; and 1 hospital-based dental clinic. Six of these sites are urban, 4 rural, and 2 suburban. Eight of the clinics provide dental services to the general population, two serve exclusively pediatric populations, one serves patients with HIV, and one serves the developmentally disabled. In 2005-06, 65 4th year dental students spent an average of 30 days each practicing and learning in these outside rotations. Rotations give dental students the opportunity to directly observe disparities in oral health care and to address these disparities through community-based learning.

Learning Objectives: