Predental students help the School of Dentistry in serving South Texas
Across South Texas, predental students are finding inspiration and hands-on experience long before they enter dental school, thanks to a unique community-based initiative led by Juanita Lozano-Pineda, DDS, MPH, and Christine Meiners, DDS, FICD, faculty in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry at the School of Dentistry.
Through a collaboration that spans from high school classrooms to community clinics, Lozano-Pineda and Meiners engage predental students from universities in Texas to expand access to oral health education and patient care, while inspiring future dental professionals to pursue their calling.
Predental students join School of Dentistry faculty members and dental students during visits to high schools, where they help educate youth about oral health care and share insights about the journey of pursuing an education and career in dentistry. They also participate in outreach and clinical experiences, serve their communities and gain firsthand insight into the School of Dentistry, what it’s like to learn, train and grow within the state’s leading dental school and what to expect from a future dental education.
Hands-on learning and community service
Lozano-Pineda, associate dean for external affairs, director of the Hispanic Center of Excellence (HCOE) and Director of the Learning Enhancement for Achievement in Dentistry (LEAD) Program, began developing these outreach programs more than a decade ago as part of the School of Dentistry’s mission to serve South Texas.
She explained that the School of Dentistry’s relationship with future dental professionals begins with predental groups. The Admissions team visits universities across Texas to discuss dental careers and mentor students on becoming competitive applicants, covering everything from prerequisites to professional readiness. After establishing that connection, predental students are invited to participate in recruitment outreach and clinical service activities.
Under the guidance of Meiners, who serves as an assistant professor/clinical and Director of Community Learning, predental students gain firsthand experience in the realities of dental practice and patient care.
When predental students participate in these clinical settings, they gain valuable hands-on experience rather than simply observing. They assist with dental screenings, help complete patient forms, translate for families, and, if certified, take X-rays. The experience benefits all students and the patients, and the development of clinical teamwork skills while contributing to delivering essential care.
The program’s clinical outreach is supported by partnerships with Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation and Methodist Healthcare Ministries. These partnerships allow the School’s mobile dental clinic to deliver oral health services in underserved communities across South Texas, from Laredo and Corpus Christi to San Angelo, the Rio Grande Valley and beyond. Predental students often travel alongside dental students on these mobile van visits, gaining early exposure to rural and public health dentistry.
Alumni and peer role models
Another dimension of the initiative involves alumni mentorship. The School of Dentistry regularly hosts sessions where alumni from South Texas universities share their journeys from predental student to practicing dentist or resident.
“Our School of Dentistry has had outreach programs to South Texas for over 40 years. Engaging future dentists from the areas we serve is important to help them both understand the oral health needs of their communities and learn more about dentistry and the path to becoming a successful dental school applicant and future oral health practitioner,” said Lozano-Pineda.
Among the School of Dentistry’s alumni mentors is Pablo Medina, DDS. He began as a predental volunteer at St. Mary’s University, later earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from UT Health San Antonio in 2022, and now practices locally in special needs dentistry. Selina Gutierrez, DDS, a 2018 graduate of the School of Dentistry who also completed her residency in advanced general dentistry at UT Health San Antonio, is now the owner of Inwood Family Dental in San Antonio and continues to give back as adjunct faculty, helping to mentor the next generation of dental and predental students.
“My public health journey started as a pre-dental student. From the first mission trip I attended, I knew the kind of dentistry I wanted to do and the patients I wanted to serve. These experiences not only offer valuable networking and chairside opportunities but also help open their eyes and hearts to a different type of dental practice setting to consider for their future,” said Meiners, a 2010 graduate of the School of Dentistry.
A pipeline strengthening South Texas
For both Lozano-Pineda and Meiners, the work goes far beyond outreach. It’s about building a lasting pipeline of compassionate, community-minded dental professionals.
“When they return to practice in South Texas, they already understand the community’s needs and the power of service,” said Meiners.
The School’s outreach and community learning activities are sustained through support from the Hispanic Center of Excellence, Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation and Methodist Healthcare Ministries, as well as through the dedication of faculty, students, and community partners who share common goals: improving oral health in our communities and shaping the future of dentistry.
