Creighton University, School of Dentistry

Creighton University School of Dentistry is committed to excellence in education, patient care, service and research. It exists to develop dental professionals who will use the knowledge and technology of the 21st century in the Jesuit educational tradition characterized by compassion, leadership, professionalism, creativity, service and social justice.

The school offers a dental post-baccalaureate program for disadvantaged students that provides them with a comprehensive program of coursework, clinical experiences, and support for preparation and admission to dental school. The successful post-baccalaureate student is guaranteed a seat in the next fall’s entering class. The school also has a long-standing tradition of providing service locally as well as internationally. Senior students participate in a required service-learning rotation at a local federally-qualified health center.

Project Activities
Over the next two years, the School of Denistry will:

1. Establish a Jesuit Dental School Recruitment Collaborative for three Jesuit universities for the purpose of recruiting Native American dental students.
2. Conduct collaborative recruitment visits at feeder schools for Native American students and pre-professional health career advisors.
3. Offer an annual pre-dental summer enrichment program for 6 Native American students beginning in June, 2009.
4. Coordinate an annual dental post-baccalaureate program for 3 Native American students by June, 2009.
5. Enroll 3 Native American students in a Jesuit dental school resulting in a 10% annual national enrollment increase by academic year 2010-2011.

1. Held recruitment meeting with Creighton University undergraduate Native American students in April, 2008.
2. Two Native American students enrolled in dental post-baccalaureate program to begin June, 2008.
3. Scheduled strategic planning meeting of the Jesuit Dental School Recruitment Collaborative for June, 2008.
4. Scheduled to give a presentation about the program at the annual meeting of the Society of American Indian Dentists in June, 2008.