title: Developing Dental Students' Awareness of Health Care Disparities and Desire to Serve Vulnerable Populations Through Service-Learning.
abstract: Service-learning in dental education helps students integrate knowledge with practice in an underserved community setting. The aim of this study was to explore how a service-learning experience affected a small group of dental students' beliefs about cultural competence, professionalism, career development, desire to practice in a community service setting, and perceptions about access and disparities issues. Prior to beginning their first year of dental school, five first-year dental students at one U.S. dental school participated in a six-week service-learning program in which they interned at one of three at-risk settings in order to experience health care delivery there. After the program, 60 reflective writing assignments completed by the participants were analyzed using grounded theory methods; interviews with the students were used to corroborate the findings from that analysis. Seven themes identified in the journal reflections and interview findings showed enhanced awareness of social health care issues and patient differences, as well as a social justice orientation and desire to address disparities. Building on this study, future research should explore the curricular components of service-learning programs to ensure students receive ample opportunity to reflect upon their experiences in order to integrate previously held assumptions with their newfound knowledge.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Behar-Horenstein is Distinguished Teaching Scholar and Professor, Department of Educational Administration and Policy, School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education and Affiliate Professor, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, College of Dentistry, University of Florida; Ms. Xiaoying Feng is a doctoral student, Department of Educational Administration and Policy, School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education, University of Florida; Dr. Roberts is Director, DIAL Center for Written and Oral Communication, University of Florida; Dr. Gibbs is Clinical Associate Professor and Program Director of Community-Based Programs, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, College of Dentistry, University of Florida; Dr. Catalanotto is Professor and Chair, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, College of Dentistry, University of Florida; and Dr. Hudson-Vassell is an independent research consultant. lsbhoren@ufl.edu.
authors.forename: Linda S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Behar-Horenstein
authors.affiliation: Dr. Behar-Horenstein is Distinguished Teaching Scholar and Professor, Department of Educational Administration and Policy, School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education and Affiliate Professor, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, College of Dentistry, University of Florida; Ms. Xiaoying Feng is a doctoral student, Department of Educational Administration and Policy, School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education, University of Florida; Dr. Roberts is Director, DIAL Center for Written and Oral Communication, University of Florida; Dr. Gibbs is Clinical Associate Professor and Program Director of Community-Based Programs, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, College of Dentistry, University of Florida; Dr. Catalanotto is Professor and Chair, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, College of Dentistry, University of Florida; and Dr. Hudson-Vassell is an independent research consultant.
authors.forename: Xiaoying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Dr. Behar-Horenstein is Distinguished Teaching Scholar and Professor, Department of Educational Administration and Policy, School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education and Affiliate Professor, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, College of Dentistry, University of Florida; Ms. Xiaoying Feng is a doctoral student, Department of Educational Administration and Policy, School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education, University of Florida; Dr. Roberts is Director, DIAL Center for Written and Oral Communication, University of Florida; Dr. Gibbs is Clinical Associate Professor and Program Director of Community-Based Programs, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, College of Dentistry, University of Florida; Dr. Catalanotto is Professor and Chair, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, College of Dentistry, University of Florida; and Dr. Hudson-Vassell is an independent research consultant.
authors.forename: Kellie W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: Dr. Behar-Horenstein is Distinguished Teaching Scholar and Professor, Department of Educational Administration and Policy, School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education and Affiliate Professor, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, College of Dentistry, University of Florida; Ms. Xiaoying Feng is a doctoral student, Department of Educational Administration and Policy, School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education, University of Florida; Dr. Roberts is Director, DIAL Center for Written and Oral Communication, University of Florida; Dr. Gibbs is Clinical Associate Professor and Program Director of Community-Based Programs, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, College of Dentistry, University of Florida; Dr. Catalanotto is Professor and Chair, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, College of Dentistry, University of Florida; and Dr. Hudson-Vassell is an independent research consultant.
authors.forename: Micaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gibbs
authors.affiliation: Dr. Behar-Horenstein is Distinguished Teaching Scholar and Professor, Department of Educational Administration and Policy, School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education and Affiliate Professor, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, College of Dentistry, University of Florida; Ms. Xiaoying Feng is a doctoral student, Department of Educational Administration and Policy, School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education, University of Florida; Dr. Roberts is Director, DIAL Center for Written and Oral Communication, University of Florida; Dr. Gibbs is Clinical Associate Professor and Program Director of Community-Based Programs, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, College of Dentistry, University of Florida; Dr. Catalanotto is Professor and Chair, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, College of Dentistry, University of Florida; and Dr. Hudson-Vassell is an independent research consultant.
authors.forename: Frank A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Catalanotto
authors.affiliation: Dr. Behar-Horenstein is Distinguished Teaching Scholar and Professor, Department of Educational Administration and Policy, School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education and Affiliate Professor, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, College of Dentistry, University of Florida; Ms. Xiaoying Feng is a doctoral student, Department of Educational Administration and Policy, School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education, University of Florida; Dr. Roberts is Director, DIAL Center for Written and Oral Communication, University of Florida; Dr. Gibbs is Clinical Associate Professor and Program Director of Community-Based Programs, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, College of Dentistry, University of Florida; Dr. Catalanotto is Professor and Chair, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, College of Dentistry, University of Florida; and Dr. Hudson-Vassell is an independent research consultant.
authors.forename: Charisse M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hudson-Vassell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002322:Career Mobility; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003149:Community Dentistry / Q000193:education; D003153:Community Health Services; D054521:Cultural Competency; D004497:Education, Dental; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D017057:Medically Uninsured; D011231:Preceptorship; D036301:Qualitative Research; D064876:Safety-net Providers; D012935:Social Justice; D013335:Students, Dental; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D014481:United States; D035862:Vulnerable Populations; D014956:Writing; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: access to health care; attitude of health personnel; community health care; community-based dental education; cultural competence; dental education; dental health services; health care disparities; service-learning; social responsibility