Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
The CU School of Dental Medicine aims to improve quality oral healthcare access in communities by expanding a more diverse dental workforce.
Did you know that less than 14% of the nation’s dentists are African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic American, or Native American? These underrepresented minorities must become more integrated into the healthcare workforce if we are to address healthcare disparities. Diversity in the health professions is linked not only to improved access and quality of health care for racial and ethnic minorities but also to an increase in the educational experience for all health profession students.
To help diversify our workforce, several educational programs have been designed to attract and prepare dental school applicants to the CU SDM.
Mission & Goals
The CU School of Dental Medicine's mission is to foster more comprehensive programming on diversity, inclusion and equity for the school.
Our goals are to:
- Normalize the conversations about diversity so that we can collectively grow and learn together;
- Build platforms so that the voices of all of our students, staff and faculty feel heard and supported;
- Include and celebrate each individual at our school;
- Continue to improve the culture of our campus to foster community, safety, inclusivity and interprofessionalism; and
- Impact workforce diversity, culturally competent care and the patient experience at our school and in our state.
We recognize that as members of our CU Dental community, your voice in creating these goals and programming are vital.
Contact Us
Elizabeth Ramos, DDS, MSD
Assistant Dean for Academic Achievement and Equity