More than 100 future dental and healthcare leaders from across disciplines are set to gather in New Jersey this winter for a landmark event focused on transforming modern medicine through collaboration.
From Dec. 3 through Dec. 5, the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine will co-host the Interprofessional Student Leadership Colloquium alongside the National Dental Association and Colgate. The three-day event aims to break down traditional silos in healthcare education by uniting students from dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and public health.
“We are excited to co-host this colloquium for the next generation of healthcare leaders, who will learn to treat patients holistically by drawing in insights from other disciplines,” Cecile Feldman, dean of the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine said.
Feldman noted that the school’s leadership in interprofessional education is already recognized nationally. The institution’s Special Populations Interprofessional Care Experiences program—launched with a $2.5 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration—has emerged as a national model by bringing students from seven different Rutgers schools together to collaborate on patient cases. Furthermore, school leadership has played a critical role in the Interprofessional Education Collaborative, helping establish competencies utilized worldwide.
Throughout the upcoming colloquium, participants will engage in faculty-led discussions, collaborative learning, mentorship, and leadership development. Core topics on the agenda include:
- Medical-dental integration
- Interprofessional collaboration and leadership
- Mentorship and health equity
- The vital connection between oral health and overall wellness
Organizers emphasize that shifting toward integrated, patient-centered care is essential for achieving more equitable health outcomes.
“The future of healthcare depends on our willingness to move beyond silos and educate the next generation of health professionals to see the patient as a whole,” Wallace Bellamy, president of the National Dental Association, said. “By preparing future dentists, physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other health professionals to lead together, we are building a healthcare system that is more integrated, more preventive and better equipped to advance health equity.”
