There’s a wide range of profitable opportunities for students studying dentistry and looking to grow their careers in the field. Every aspect of dentistry, including dental hygienists and assistance, usually has high demand in the labor market. However, dentistry is an extensive course, and it can be expensive to pursue a degree in the course. Regardless, there are a wide variety of scholarship programs that help students studying dentistry handle the significant financial cost associated with dentistry.
Different institutions like universities, colleges, professional dental associations, the Federal and State government, organize and sponsor several scholarship programs for dental students. Hence, many dentist students have benefited from the scholarship program as they have fulfilled their educational and professional goals to study dentistry regardless of the high cost involved in studying the course.
Benefits of Scholarship Programs from National Associations
Our oral health is a window to overall health; hence, the role of dentistry in the health of every individual cannot be overemphasized. However, there are not enough qualified dentists and dental-related experts in many parts of the country, including urban and rural areas. Hence, professional dental associations often organize and offer scholarship programs to motivate and encourage more students to pursue a degree in dentistry, even if they weren’t financially buoyant enough.
What’s more, there are different dental associations to suit the diverse dental interests of individuals; their scholarships are usually tailored to suit female students and minorities who haven’t had vast opportunities to explore the dental profession. However, to become eligible for the scholarship award, the applicant would need to be a member of the association. Here are some of the scholarship programs sponsored by national associations for student dentists. To be a successful orthodontist or dentist, students need to have the necessary skills. These include knowing how teeth fit together, and being able manipulate them in order achieve proper alignment of jaws with skulls; as well as understanding what gives rise such important oral health indicators like tooth size gaps between them, how to fix overbite with Invisalign and which is the most important to choose the best Invisalign.
The American Dental Association Foundation (ADA)
The American Dental Association (ADA) is a prominent organization with more than 163,000 members. ADA works to promote dentistry careers in several ways, including creating testing programs and using board licensure. Apart from offering scholarships to eligible dental students who are members through the ADA Foundation, ADA also offers other dental-related services like Find a Dentist, credentialing tools, and review of contracts.
Many dental students have benefited from the series of scholarship programs sponsored by the American Dental Association. It offers several scholarships and fellowships for students pursuing a degree in dental-related courses.
Every year, the American Dental Association Foundation awards scholarships worth up to $11,000 each to three dental students. Second-year students studying dental-related courses in an accredited dental institution can also apply for the Predoctoral scholarship sponsored by the ADA. Students are awarded the scholarship based on their academic merit, financial need, and community service.
For academic excellence, the applicant must have had a GPA of 3.4 and above. You are eligible to apply if you are a US citizen or lawful resident, a full-time student of an accredited dental school in the US, and in your second or third year. Minorities in the dental field are not left out as the ADA Foundation also offers several scholarships programs for them, including the Dr. Bessie Elizabeth Delaney Scholarship for Women. Female dental students studying in accredited predoctoral dental programs are eligible for the scholarship with an award of $10,000.
The American Dental Education Association (ADEA)
The American Dental Education Association ADEA offers different scholarships for students already pursuing a degree in dentistry and helps students with their college admissions services. ADEA is one of the organizations representing educational dentistry in the US, with up to 18,000 members from dental schools in the US and Canada. It offers the ADEA/Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products Preventive Dentistry Scholarship for academically sound predoctoral students with an award of $2,500 yearly.
Students who have excelled in preventative dentistry can apply for the scholarship. ADEA also collaborates with Oral-B to offer scholarships to dental students pursuing a baccalaureate degree. Annually, the program awards two $2,000 to students who win the scholarship.
Also, ADEA partners with Proctor and Gamble to offer other scholarship programs like the ADEA/Oral B scholarship. This scholarship program awards $3,000 each to two recipients looking to become dental hygiene educators. The other scholarship program awards $5,500 to two predoctoral students looking to switch to academic careers. To apply for the two programs, you’ll need to provide your transcript, letter of recommendation and nomination, and an essay.
There’s another scholarship program provided to honor Professor Linda Rubenstein DeVore with a $1,500 award to a student studying public health or dental education. Students with Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctorate can apply for the scholarship; however, they’ll need to present proof of academic excellence and a letter of nomination from their schools.
The Chinese American Medical Society Scholarship Program
The Chinese American Medical Society (CAMS) is a non-profit, charitable and academic organization dedicated to promoting education and community service. CAMS scholarship program is a student-specific program that offers several scholarships for Chinese-American dental and medical students. This is a great opportunity to study in the top medical schools and universities. Every year CAMS provides a scholarship award to members that need financial aid.
Students studying medicine or dentistry can apply for this scholarship in their first, second, or third year. However, to apply for this scholarship, you are mandated to present three recommendation letters, including a recommendation letter from the Dean of Students Office in your school.
You are eligible to get the scholarship award after submitting the letters; however, the scholarship is awarded to students based on the student’s academic excellence and financial level. The number of recipients for the award falls between 3 and 5, each receiving $5,000 a year.
American Dental Hygienists Association (ADHA)
In 1923, The American Dental Hygienists Association (ADHA) was established, and with a membership base of more than 185,000 people, the organization has become the most significant national association of dental hygienists. ADHA exists to promote dental hygiene, advance dental education and research, and promote licensure.
The organization also organizes special events, offers grants and scholarships for which members can apply. To apply for the Oral Health Scholarship Program, you must be a US citizen or resident and a student in a bachelor’s dental hygiene program. You must also be a student or member of ADHA and have a GPA of 3.5 and above. The Oral Health Scholarship gives a one-time scholarship award of $1,000 each to two beneficiaries.
America’s Pediatric Dentists (AAPD)
AAPD has a primary objective which is to enhance the oral health of children. The association performs other roles, such as researching and advocating oral health standards and providing dental health and hygiene information.
Additionally, AAPD has certified dentists on their website, which members of the public can gain access to if they choose. AAPD sponsors different scholarships, including the Master Clinician scholarship program, which awards dentists pursuing academic careers. The program acknowledges dentists who are willing to teach and create room for new policies.
Conclusion
Dentists are an essential part of health care institutions; they help prevent oral health diseases and promote good oral hygiene, improving the individual’s entire health condition. Hence the need for scholarship programs to encourage students to choose a career path in dentistry.
