Rutgers School of Dental Medicine (RSDM) seeks to improve access to and quality of oral healthcare in underserved communities through its interprofessional training program: Special Populations Interprofessional Care Experiences (“SPICE”), supported by Health Resources and Services Administration Grant D85HP28497.

Rotations at community sites lacking an oral healthcare presence were established in 2016, placing RSDM fourth year students alongside health professions students from across Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences at Rutgers Wellness, Student Family Health Care Center, and University Hospital’s OB and Pediatric clinics. The students present observe each other’s examination technique; discuss findings and subsequent care collaboratively under faculty supervision. Dental students present to other healthcare discipline peers, the patient’s oral findings, emphasizing oral anatomy and concerns.

Through 2020, 272 patients who previously did not have access to oral healthcare at the community clinics received a cursory dental examination and oral hygiene instruction. Subsequently, 160 were referred to RSDM to be established as a patient. Participating students include 437 dental, interacting with 32 pharmacy, 2 nutrition, 776 medicine, and 10 nursing students. All dental students receive an evaluation survey, approved by Rutgers IRB (PRO20160000035), and 102 students completed the survey. The majority (67%) reported the experience changed their understanding of the role of other health professionals in patient care, and most (78%) reported they gained knowledge from this experience that will benefit them in providing patient care.

Interprofessional clinical experiences benefit underserved patients by increasing access to care and enhancing student training.