2026 DDS Report
Destination Dental School fellows with dental student volunteers, June 2026.
Pathways to Dentistry
Destination Dental School (DDS) was launched in 2021 through the UB School of Dental Medicine's Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). This summer pathway program, open to undergraduate students and bachelor's degree recipients, has 164 graduates representing 36 states, territories and Canada, and 87 colleges and universities.
In 2026 DDS supported 24 fellows representing 6 states and 17 universities and colleges. Participants ages ranged from 18-25. Race/ethnicity of fellows included: 25% Asian, 25% Middle East/North African, 21% African American, 13% Hispanic, 4% White, and 12.5% Two or more races/ethnicities. All 24 participants qualified as disadvantaged. Eighty-eight percent of fellows identified as female. Eighty-three percent of fellows were undergraduate students, 13% received their bachelor's degree, and 4% were in graduate/professional degree programs.
Program Goals and Curriculum
Goal 1: Understand the day-to-day life as a dentist and as a dental student.
Fellows get insight into the different disciplines of dental medicine through presentations and panel discussions, and participate in hands-on-activities that increase hand skill development.
Goal 2: Strengthen future dental school applications.
Fellows learn about the DAT and recommended study habits. Fellows prepare for the dental school admissions process by learning about admissions policies and procedures from students, faculty and staff, participating in mock interviews, and working on dental school application materials.
Goal 3: Learn how to propose and develop a research topic.
Fellows complete a capstone research project, centered around a research topic in oral health. Teams learn best practices in conducting research and present their findings through capstone research project presentations.
Curriculum
The 2026 program was held for seven weeks during the months of April, May and June. The first six weeks were virtual Saturday sessions. UB SDM faculty and students, as well as guest lecturers, introduced the disciplines or specialties in dentistry, the DAT, the admissions process and academics in dental school.
The seventh week of programming was held in-person at the UB SDM. Over 70 UB SDM students, residents, faculty and staff supported the event. Fellows rotated through pre- and post-doc clinics, toured our state-of-the-art simulation lab and completed hands-on-activities including resin placement, suturing, alginate impressions, bleaching trays, root canals, stainless steel crowns, wire bending, and drilling on learn-a-prep blocks. Members of our admissions team led mock interviews and current dental students conducted a resume clinic to prepare fellows for dental school applications. Programming also included final capstone research project presentations, guest lectures, and a tour of our Biomedical Research Building. Finally, fellows traveled to Niagara Falls to visit a world-renowed attraction and appreciate the beauty of the Western New York area.
In Their Words...
In response to whether Destination Dental School met their expectations, participants stated:
It absolutely blew my expectations out the water. I’m glad I got to sit for so many useful speaker panels and meet such great faculty because it’s all making me want to pursue dentistry more even though I thought I was already set on it.
Yes absolutely! I will remember this program forever. It is truly an unforgettable experience and I’m so glad I got to meet the people I met! This program is amazing and so important for future dental students!
In response to whether participation in the program increased their interest in the dental field, participants responded:
YES! I found out more about specialities, got hands on feel for the work, saw what it’s like to be in the dental programs as a student even and now I know what I want, which is to APPLY! I can not wait to be apart of the dental community here in the future!
YES! Seeing so many different paths to dentistry showed me that no matter what happens if your heart is in it you can do it. I was always interested in dentistry but being here and experiencing what it’s like to be a dental student and observing dentists in the clinic has helped solidify what I didn’t believe I could do. This program is truly a blessing.
Outcomes and Impacts
Pre- and post-program surveys measured changes in fellows' perceived knowledge, skills, and preparedness and likelihood of applying to dental school. 100% of fellows responded to the pre-program survey and 96% responded to the post-program survey.
Knowledge
Measures of knowledge were ranked on a five-point Likert scale from 1 [Not knowledgeable at all] to 5 [Extremely knowledgeable]. Fellows' perceived knowledge increased from pre- to post-program for all survey measures. Of note:
- 'Knowledge about interview skills' increased from an average score of 2.58 (pre-program) to 4.39 (post-program), a 70% change.
- 'Knowledge about strategies to improve my dental school application' increased from an average score of 2.83 (pre-program) to 4.52 (post-program), a 60% change.
Other measures included:
- 'Knowledge about how to conduct research' from 3.04 (pre) to 4.48 (post), a 47% change,
- 'Knowledge about the different disciplines within dental medicine' from 3.17 (pre) to 4.35 (post), a 37% change,
- 'Knowledge about the dental school application process' from 3.25 (pre) to 4.39 (post), a 33% change, and
- 'Knowledge about the field of dental medicine' from 3.58 (pre) to 4.52 (post), a 26% change.
Skill
Fellows also self-assessed their ability to perform the following activities:
- 'Giving an evidence-based presentation' 3.33 (pre) to 4.64 (post), a 39% change,
- 'Hand skill development' 3.75 (pre) to 4.39 (post), a 17% change,
- 'Working effectively in a team' from 4.33 (pre) to 4.82 (post), an 11% change,
- 'Interviewing' from 3.17 (pre) to 4.23 (post), a 33% change,
- 'Networking/communication skills' from 3.79 (pre) to 4.45 (post), a 17% change.
- Fellows also self-assessed 'How comfortable do you feel leading a group?' Average scores changed from 4.04 (pre) to 4.45 (post), a 10% change.
Preparedness and Likelihood
Preparedness and likelihood measures were also ranked on a five-point Likert scale from 1 [Not prepared/likely at all] to 5 [Extremely prepared/likely]. Fellows' perceived preparedness and likelihood increased from pre- to post-program for all survey measures. For example:
- 'How prepared are you to apply to dental school?' increased from 2.83 (pre) to 4.09 (post), a 44% change.
- 'How likely will you be to apply to dental school?' increased from an average score of 4.83 (pre) to 4.91 (post).
- 'How likely will you be to apply to the UB School of Dental Medicine?' increased from 4.78 (pre) to 4.96 (post).
Thank You to Our Donors and Sponsors
The DDS program was organized by the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. Our 2026 leadership team included Dr. Simone Duarte, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and DDS Co-Director, Dr. Arian Johnson, Founder of DDS and UB SDM alum ('21), and Ms. Jessica Scates, Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Operations at UB SDM and DDS Director.
This program would not be possible without the support of our generous donors and sponsors.
2026 Donors for DDS included the Philip and Catherine Galeota Family Fund, UB School of Dental Medicine Alumni Association, Eighth District Dental Foundation, Kerr Dental, Ivoclar Vivadent, and Patterson Dental.