Summer Gateway Program

• The Seneca Nation Health System and the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine have developed a Gateway to Dentistry internship program for Native American undergraduate students considering application to dental school. 

• Native American students comprise only 0.2% of the nearly 11,000 people who apply to dental school annually.
  

• This five-day internship for approximately 10 students will provide an overview of dental education and the various disciplines and subspecialties within the dental profession. This experience will promote a more diverse dental student body and reach out to an underrepresented application demographic.

It’s ideal for anyone who’s ever thought of becoming a dentist or wants to know more! 

• Hands-on clinical techniques
• Preclinical laboratory procedures
• Introduction to dental specialties
• Financial aid projections & DDS admissions counseling
• Introduction to student life
• Career conversations with current dental students and mentors
• Dental Admission Test (DAT) live review sessions
• Enrollment in a virtual learn-as-you-go Kaplan DAT review course
• Reimbursement of one DAT application fee

1. American Indian or Alaska Native enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe or recognized 2nd generation descendant of Canadian First Nations may be considered.
2. Enrolled undergraduate student, matriculating HS senior or recipient of a bachelor's degree.
3. Minimum overall college GPA or HS GPA of 2.5.
4.  Disadvantaged and underrepresented status as described below. Individuals from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds are defined as those who meet two or more of the following criteria:
   • Were or currently are homeless, as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
   • Were or currently are in the foster care system, as defined by the Administration for Children and Families.
   • Were eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program for two or more years.
   • Have/had no parents or legal guardians who completed a bachelor’s degree.
   • Were or currently are eligible for federal Pell Grants.
   • Received support from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) as a parent or child.
   • Grew up in one of the following areas: 
     • A U.S. rural area, as designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer.
     • A Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-designated Low-Income and Health Professional Shortage Areas.
     • A federal Indian reservation. 
     • (Only one of the two possibilities can be used as a criterion for the disadvantaged background definition.)
   • Eligible for health services through the Indian Health Service.
   • Other identified disadvantage.  

All application packages will be reviewed holistically. In addition to meeting the eligibility criteria outlined, preference will be given to candidates based on the following qualities: investigation of the profession, persistence and resilience, commitment to service, pursuit of leadership and communication and accuracy.

Program Costs are funded through the generous support of the tribal support centers United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc. (USET) and Native American Professional Parent Resources, Inc. (NAPPR).  Subsidized costs include: round-trip travel to Buffalo, NY, supplies, housing, meals, DAT registration fees and DAT review course registration. Participants should plan for incidental expenses while attending the four-day in-person program.

Contact Jessica Scates (jmscates@buffalo.edu) and Dr. Joe Salamon (jsalamon@senecahealth.org) with any questions.