College of Dentistry Expands Access to Careers as Dental Assistants
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With the launch of their new Dental Assistant Pathway Program, the University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry is aiming to address the current shortage of dental assistants while offering an employment pathway for people who did not go to college or who are underemployed. Funded through a grant from the Otho S.A. Sprague Memorial institute, the program will offer tuition-free training to 12 individuals per year. Upon completion of the 14-week course, the college will also pay for participants to seek their National Entry Level Dental Assisting (NELDA) certification. The goal is for these individuals to become employed in the college’s dental clinics.
Prior to the new program, the college had required dental assistants to have some experience, gained either at a junior college or by working in a dental office, which made it more difficult to fill the positions. Clinical Assistant Professor Robert Bara, who created the program, hopes that it will create opportunities for people in the community to learn about healthcare in general, as well as UI Health’s broader mission of health equity “It is a pathway for progress, a pathway for potential, and a pathway for people—a pathway to self-advancement in healthcare,” he said. It is an opportunity for folks who may not be sure what they want to do with their lives or who have no idea about careers in dental care and healthcare to get a foothold on a path to really advance.”
To apply for the program, interested individuals should go to jobs.uic.edu and search for “Dental Assistant Pathway Program”.