Program White Coat Prepares Local Children for Dental School

Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) held the sixth annual Program White Coat from July 26 through 30. Program White Coat is a week-long summer program designed to introduce Boston-area children, ages 9 to 11, to dentistry and other related health professions. This year the Program boasted a record number of participants, with 17 children hailing from Boston, Dorchester, Mattapan, Acton, Lowell, and Medford enrolled.

The program is one of GSDM’s pipeline programs, which aim to increase the chances of underrepresented minorities and economically disadvantaged students being accepted into and succeeding in dental school.

The week was packed with an interactive and fun schedule that focused on oral health. Children participated in role playing activities that included dressing up like a dentist and completing a "patient" chart, taking impressions of their thumbs, conducting experiments, learning what goes on in a dental operatory, and attending a field trip to the Museum of Science. Children also learned about how important nutrition is to good oral health and this theme was emphasized each day when they were served a healthy snack.

Courtney Brady DMD 11 dressed up as Program White Coat superhero Captain Cavity Fighter for the second year in a row. Her red dress, white cape decorated with oral health images, and shiny white boots made her quite a hit with the children and they were able to learn a lot from her throughout the week. On Friday, she revealed her true dental student identity.

"I’d like to offer my sincere gratitude to Dr. Ana Karina Mascarenhas, who along with assistance from Ms. Kathy Held, Onolee Bock, Jason Itzkowitz, and the numerous other dedicated faculty, staff, and students involved, made this week-long event possible," said Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter. "Outreach of this nature is an important part of our School’s mission and programs like this are not easy to execute. I know that many, many hours of planning go in to making this event possible and everyone involved should be extremely proud of their efforts."

Photos from the week are available on GSDM’s flickr account and also on the Facebook page.