A Mission-Focused Root Camp

Earlier this summer the second-year dental class hosted Root Camp: Dentition on a Mission. This year’s event had a two-fold focus: to serve as a venue for introductions and information sharing between the incoming freshman and sophomore dental classes, and to provide an opportunity for dental students to give back to the community.

During the three-day event, new students were able to meet fellow classmates, ask questions about dental school, and learn about the New Orleans area. Forty-two of the 65 incoming dental freshman attended the event.

The camp kicked off with a “meet and greet” crawfish boil on Thursday, June 4. During daylight hours, students braved scorching temperatures to build a house in New Orleans through Habitat for Humanity. In the evening, the sophomore students hosted social events for all participants to enjoy.

The students hope that the expanded Root Camp: Dentition on a Mission will become an annual event to help new first-year students ease into the dental school routine while also providing a valuable service to the New Orleans community.

This year’s entering dental class has a mean grade point average of 3.65 and a mean Dental Aptitude Test score of 19.9. Fifty-six students are from Louisiana, four are from Arkansas, and five come from other states. The class is almost evenly divided between 32 females and 33 males.

The new freshman class with Dr. Claudia Cavallino, president-elect of the Alumni Association, (2nd from left, 2nd row) and Mrs. Janet Kratzberg from Campus Federal Credit Union (front, far right) during Orientation

8th Annual Summer Enrichment Program

Eight students participated in the eighth annual LSUSD Summer Enrichment program, which ran for two weeks in June. Designed to prepare minority and disadvantaged students for dental school, the sessions introduce students to the application process, the dental aptitude test, and basic courses in the dental school curriculum. The program’s ultimate goal is to increase the diversity of dental professionals.

(l-r) Front: Dr. Toby Cheramie, Syeda Fabiha, Rashanique Duplessis, Seaira-Myangel Miles, Tami Nguyen, Dr. DiMattia. Back: Dr. Brisco, Glen Haisley, Oluwasanmi Adegboyega, John Pittman, Kandis Carter, Dean Henry Gremillion. Missing from photo: Porsha Adams

Universities represented by the students this year were Loyola, Xavier, LSU-Shreveport, UNO, Louisiana Tech, Spellman, and Prairie View.

Dr. Stephanie DiMattia directed the program with the assistance of Dr. Stephen Brisco. Special thanks to the Louisiana Dental Center and Campus Federal Credit Union for their sponsorship and support of this program.