School of Dental Medicine Alignment Plan Overview

The ECU School of Dental Medicine (SoDM) seeks to educate well-qualified general dentists from rural and underserved areas of North Carolina and to provide a significant amount of care as part of the educational process. With its unique curriculum and the eight Community Service Learning Centers (CSLCs), the SoDM serves as an international model for educating learners and providing care in rural communities. This model has had a sizeable impact since the school’s establishment in 2011. The SoDM’s research programs align with the mission of the school and the University and focus on understanding oral health challenges faced by under-resourced populations across North Carolina. The school seeks to expand interprofessional activities within the curriculum, including oral health as an integral part of primary care. Looking to the future, the SoDM aims to enhance its emphasis on providing much-needed care for patients with special needs while educating the next generation of dentists.

Mission

  • Develop leaders with a passion to care for the underserved and improve the health of North Carolina and the nation.
  • Preparing leaders with outstanding clinical skills, an ethical bearing, sound judgment, and a passion to serve.
  • Providing educational opportunities for academically qualified individuals from historically underrepresented groups, disadvantaged backgrounds, and underserved areas.
  • Providing and enhancing oral health services for underserved North Carolinians through the implementation of community-oriented service learning and interprofessional collaborations.
  • Fostering a learning environment where collaboration, creativity, diversity, belonging, and professionalism are embraced.
  • Influencing future clinical practice and dental education through research, innovation, and discovery.

Vision

Lead the nation in community-based oral health education, research, patient care, and service.

Summary of Unit Strategies

M1.2.1.: Foster and sustain educational programs which allow learners to develop excellent clinical skills, a sound scientific knowledge base, evidence-based decision-making skills, and ethical bearing.

M2.2.1.: Collaborate with institutional and external partners to create synergies for translational research initiatives that will advance basic science, social/behavioral, clinical, community, and population-based domains relevant to oral health. Establish community-based participatory research.

M3.2.1.: Build alliances with other health professions to meet the complex health needs of the communities served.

VPO.V1.1.1.: Providing educational opportunities for academically qualified individuals from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, underserved communities, and rural areas committed to serving in communities of need across North Carolina.

VPO.V2.2.1.: Sustain a welcoming and inclusive environment supportive of professional and personal growth for staff, faculty, students/residents, and alumni.

VPO.V3.2.1.: Expand SoDM facilities for addressing the needs of patients with special needs.

VPO.V3.3.2.: Build alliances with other health professions to meet the complex health needs of the communities served.

Brief Targeted Narrative

This set of strategies at the highest level focuses on our ability to educate the next generation of dentists, provide significant care in underserved areas, and influence future practices and dental education through advances in oral health research and innovation.

Contact Dr. Ikramuddin Aukhil with questions or opportunities to collaborate.