ing. It often provides a highly rewarding transi- tion between private practice and retirement or on a part-time basis while still working. What types of opportunities might there be for dentists in the Missouri area to teach or share their expertise at UMKC?
There are loads of opportunities—whether as a guest lecturer, giving a CE course, part-time, full-time or administration. The opportunities are endless; it’s about passion. If you have the passion to teach, then it is ex- ceptionally rewarding. People ask me all the time what I will do after the dean position. That is easy to answer: I want to be back on the clinic floor teaching.
Dr. Haas, in closing, are there any final thoughts you would like to share with our read- ers regarding UMKC SOD or the challenges it faces?
Sure, dental schools face many challenges. Always keep your moral compass point- ing in the right direction, write all plans in pencil and remember an obstacle is just an obstacle until you move it or figure out how to go around it. It is like solving math prob- lems—solve the first one, move to the next and then the next … solve enough and you are successful. But to answer your specific question, let me tell a short story. Dr. Robert Gordon Sproul, president of the University of California, was welcoming the new dental dean to the University of California College of Dentistry. In his address, he noted that if the health and welfare of the public require well-trained dentists, then it is the duty of dental schools to offer the highest quality ed- ucation, at a cost that is within their means. He also spoke of the five greatest challenges to dental schools: • The future dental curriculum must be less crowded with subject and teaching hours than it is now;
• Hire excellent faculty; • Seek the best, brightest and most moti- vated students;
• Control costs; and, • Teach students to be life-long learners and to pioneer advances.
Here is the surprise: This welcome was given in 1946 and yet it applies to dentistry even today.
DR. DWIGHT McLEOD, ATSU-MOSDOH
As the dean of ATSU-MOSDOH since 2016, can you briefly outline your 5-10 year future vision for the dental school and its engagement with the community at large?
It includes establishing more partnerships and affiliations with educational and health- care institutions to better serve the needs of our students and patients and to reduce costs and improve efficiencies. I believe, collec- tively, collaboration is an effective means of being productive while sharing responsibili- ties through shared mission and vision, such as the collaboration to treat patients with se- vere special needs in the operating room with Barnes Jewish Hospital, Washington Univer- sity School of Medicine, Affinia Healthcare and ATSU-MOSDOH. Also, I would like to see more grant funding, including Human Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grants, to support community oral health programs, increase access to the dental profession for disadvantaged rural and urban groups, and address other disparities creating barriers for potential students and patients. Independent of grant funding, the dental school has a social responsibility to increase the diversity of its student body so communities across the U.S. will have access to dental care and education to promote oral health and well-being. This is a high strategic plan priority for ATSU-MOSDOH. The practice of dentistry is lifelong learning, and ATSU-MOSDOH is prepared to provide CE courses to support its alumni and the wider dental community.
ATSU-MOSDOH is obligated to fulfill its strategic plan of establishing an implant fellowship, a special needs dental fellowship, an advanced education in general den- tistry program, and eventually, an oral and maxillofacial residency. All these programs will provide support to the local community while creating opportunities to enrich the learning experiences of students and care for patients. Together with ATSU-MOSDOH’s partner, Affinia Healthcare, the goal is to provide emergency, urgent and comprehen- sive dental care while promoting oral health literacy to the underserved communities in the greater St. Louis region.
Can you tell us if there are any new projects or plans in the works at ATSU-MOSDOH regarding your dental program or outreach, at either the Kirksville or St. Louis campuses, or elsewhere?
ATSU-MOSDOH is always actively seek- ing expansion of its outreach programs as a way of creating robust experiences for its students while building strong partnerships through collaborations. Our number of affili- ated community partners continues to grow and not only includes federally qualified health centers, but also the Indian Health Services.
ATSU-MOSDOH is committed to continuing its service to the underserved, rural com- munity of Dexter, Mo., through its in-state dental mission where disadvantaged patients, including veterans, receive free urgent, emergency and pre-prosthodontic surgical care. Eventually, the goal is to work with community organizers and leaders of Dexter to provide resources to facilitate comprehen- sive care. ATSU-MOSDOH’s dental student providers can help reduce the barriers to accessing care in this rural, underserved community.
ATSU-MOSDOH continues to deepen its re- lationship with its partner Affinia Healthcare on many fronts, including interprofessional education, community outreach activities and resource sharing to maximize the effec- tiveness of services. The majority of ATSU- MOSDOH’s future strategic plan initiatives will take place at the St. Louis Dental Center and include advanced education in the gen- eral dentistry program, an implant fellowship program and a special needs dentistry fel- lowship. ATSU has purchased two additional properties to accommodate its growing needs in the St. Louis area. In Kirksville, the Interprofessional Education (IPE) Building is currently undergoing renovations to increase the number of office spaces to accommodate faculty and staff.
There is a wide range of opinions shared by doctors outside academia as to the quality of education that students are receiving today. How competent are new graduates from ATSU-MOSDOH and what are you doing to assure you’re graduating professionals who can fill the dental needs of Missouri and elsewhere?
28 focus | SUMMER 2023 | ISSUE 2
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