Fellowship program introduces UofL dental students to academic careers

The School of Dentistry has completed its inaugural year of the American Dental Education Association Academic Dental Careers Fellowship Program, with the first fellow, Sean Aiken, completing the requirements under the mentorship of Marcelo Durski, DDS, PhD, and Mike Metz, DMD.

The ADEA ADCFP is a voluntary program offered by ADEA and managed by individual dental schools. It provides dental students and residents the opportunity to become involved in academia through structured mentoring and insight into an academic career.

“This program plants seeds for students about future opportunities in dental education, and allows our faculty to continue their pursuit of academic excellence through research and mentoring. It was involvement with ADEA during dental school that caused me to consider a career in teaching,” said James L. Harrison, DMD, assistant professor, Department of General Dentistry and Oral Medicine and the school’s ADEA liaison.

Under the ADEA ADCFP, faculty-student pairs work in collaboration on a research or teaching project. Faculty members guide students and help them:

• Understand and experience a day in the life of academia
• Provide personal reflections via one-on-one conversations
• Understand and apply best practices in learning and research
• Plan an academic career and navigate the education landscape

UofL’s fellows for the next academic year are Sarah Jestel, Zach Fitzsimonds and Stephanie Tan. Their mentors include Metz, Paula Collins, DMD, and Gay Baughman, DMD. Faculty Marija Sasek, DMD, and Jolene Zirnheld, DMD, also assist with the program.