Lasting Impressions | Summer 2016

NSU COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE x 35 parents,” said Otero, adding that this program has been going on for years but is being reemphasized by the current student chapter. Á During the winter holiday season, the student chapter worked with the agency Kids In Distress, which is dedicated to the prevention of child abuse. The CDM students donated toys and games and talked with children about proper oral hygiene. “Being involved with the public can help students learn more about themselves and even put them on a path to their future career,” said Lina Maria Mejia, D.D.S., M.P.H., a CDM assistant professor of oral medicine and diagnostic sciences and the president of the professional chapter of the Hispanic Dental Association. Mejia said there is a major need for both the professional and student chapters, because only 6 percent of the active dentists in the United States are Hispanic. And yet, NSU is located in one of the most diverse metropolitan areas in the nation. In fact, 25 percent of the CDM students are of Hispanic heritage. “We cater to a predominantly His- panic patient pool,” Mejia said, “and that presents unique challenges.” The student chapter organized a mixer in Coral Gables, Florida, attended by about 50 students and professional dentists, to help meet those challenges. That kind of net- working allows “students to connect with those already working in the field to learn firsthand about the profession,” Garcia said. ◆ (From left to right:) Cynthia Bustillo, Iveliss Rodriguez,Alexis Otero, and Lizette Garcia discuss the next project for the student chapter of the CDM’s Hispanic Dental Association.