HSDA – UW Chapter of the Hispanic Dental Association
The UW School of Dentistry started its chapter in 2014 with a group of five dental students who had initiated dental care outreach in Hispanic communities. These included migrant farm worker communities in the Skagit Valley and Casa Latina, a support center for Hispanic day laborer and domestic workers. Since then the chapter has expanded to include many dental students from diverse backgrounds who organize and provide care at Casa Latina, health fairs, and migrant farm worker communities across Washington state. We use our portable equipment obtained through support of private donors, the Pacific Hospital Preservation and Development Authority, Seattle King County Dental Society, Aseptico, and the ARCORA Foundation and also work with Medical Teams International to serve all our communities that lack access to dental care.
Additionally, UW HSDA students have received HDA scholarships since the chapter’s inception, with a record number receiving scholarships in 2019 at the HDA student regional meeting in Los Angeles, hosted by UCLA. These scholarships are based on the student’s community involvement and leadership which provide evidence of the high quality of our graduates. Our recent class of HSDA graduates have also received National Health Service Corps Scholarships and gone on to pediatric/public health and oral surgery programs, general practice dentistry residencies, and positions in federally qualified health care centers such as the Moses Lake/Quincy Community Health Center in Eastern Washington and Montana.
The UW HSDA continues to grow and engage with our Hispanic communities as well as collaborate in outreach with our Health Sciences colleagues in the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy. Our upcoming outreach events include one at Casa Latina and another at the annual Latina Health Fair in May which will include an inter-professional focus on diabetes and oral health.
SouthEast Asian Student Dental Association
The SouthEast Asian Student Dental Association was created to serve our community by increasing access to care and educating the student body and dental field about the healthcare disparities that exist among the various groups in the South East Asian Community We focus on volunteering at outreach events, such as “Tet in Seattle” and “Khmer Health Fair.” As a newer club, we always looking for more opportunities to reach out to the community and collaborate with other organizations Membership is open to any student at the UW School of Dentistry.
President: Andy Nguyen
Vice President: Cecilia Tran
Secretary: Tammy Nguyen
Treasurer: Alina Tran
Facebook: /UWSODSEASDA
Instagram: /UWSEASDA
iDENTity
iDENTity was created to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community in dentistry. We work to continuously create a safe place for LGBTQ+ students, staff, faculty, and patients, as well as reducing oral health disparities and increasing access to care for LGBTQ+ people everywhere.
iDENTity has led various outreach efforts to the LGBTQ+ community, providing free dental care as well as other healthcare services and resources. We have also held various events at the school, such as a drag show fundraiser, and an event that featured a panel of transgender and gender diverse healthcare students sharing their experiences. Anyone can join iDENTity as long as they care about creating a better world for LGBTQ+ people! Both members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies alike are welcome and encouraged to join. Many groups on campus require membership dues but we do not, as we want to make joining as accessible as possible.
Timothy Liu, President
Find us on Facebook and Instagram @identitydds
Teeth and Toes
We team up with the nursing program and go to places like Chief Seattle Club and Mary’s Place. We provide head and neck exams and the nursing school provides foot care. It is a great opportunity for some interdisciplinary teamwork. More recently, we have also been able to use the three mobile dental units to provide more treatment at Mary’s Place locations on one Saturday a quarter. As a first/second year it is a great way to get extra practice assisting and working with patients. Be on the lookout for future sign up sheets for events once we are safe to begin doing outreach again.
Student Leader: Jackie Bollinger