Dental Students
Student National Dental Association
The Student National Dental Association is the student auxiliary to the National Dental Association, formerly the Black Dental Association. The Black Dental Association was formed in response to the lack of African-American representation in the ADA and the field of dentistry in general, in the late 60's and early 70's. The BDA later changed its name to the National Dental Association in order to incorporate other minority groups who also lacked adequate representation. The Student National Dental Association was formed in order to bridge the gap between minority dental students and the NDA.
The University of Michigan's chapter of the SNDA has a strong history of organizational support and activity, largely born out of the commonality found among students of color. Thanks to the recruiting efforts of the Office of Minority Affairs and the financial aid program, the school has enjoyed a large enrollment (relative to class size) of minority students for many years.
The goals highlighted by the present officers of this chapter are: to provide support for minority dental students; to increase networking with other African-American and multicultural organizations on campus; to promote the field of dentistry to undergraduate and high school students through mentoring and academic development programs; and to increase interactions between dental students, faculty and practicing dentsits in the area.
The SNDA, while being composed cheifly of students of color, in particular African-American students, is not exclusive to any racial or ethnic group. Please feel free to attend any of our bimonthly meetings to get more information about the SNDA and/or about the field of dentistry in general.
**For more info, email us at sndaugradmbrs@umich.edu
National Hispanic Dental Association
To provide leadership and represent professionals who share a common commitment to improve the oral health of the Hispanic community.
Graduate Programs
UMSD Graduate Program