Student Organization Showcase: SNDA (Student National Dental Association)
Jordan Carfino and Lauren Chapman, both third-year D.D.S. candidates, serve as co-presidents of UCLA’s chapter of the Student National Dental Association. A longstanding organization with over 60 nationwide chapters providing a voice and platform for dental students of color, SNDA at UCLA focuses on inclusive educational events and community outreach … With a little bit of fun mixed in! Carfino and Chapman recently took some time to discuss the organization and their experiences as Black women in dentistry.
School of Dentistry (SOD): Like many African-American organizations, SNDA’s origin story is rooted in being excluded from existing white institutions. Can you tell us a little more about its history?
Lauren Chapman (LC): SNDA was established in 1972; the first chapter was at Meharry Medical College in Nashville. As you mentioned it came from a point of exclusion, not necessarily amongst dental students, but much earlier and on a national scale, with the ADA. Black dentists first organized in 1900, and the National Dental Association was founded in 1932. It was about establishing an organization where black student dentists and black dentists, in general, had a voice, had the opportunity to create an environment of mentorship, opportunity, education, and recognizing that we represent such a small subset within this profession. I haven't checked the numbers as of recently, but I think it's about 3% of U.S. dentists are black. And then both of us sitting here as black women, we even we represent an even smaller percentage.
Jordan Carfino (JC): I think what I love most about like SNDA – and then NDA – is that even though it was born out of necessity, now it's this amazing celebration. Our annual conferences are so much fun. My mom's a dentist; she goes every single year and runs into friends that she met at these conferences. These shared experiences are fabulous; they bond us together.
LC: That point that you make is fantastic. Yeah, it's about building a lot of community.
SOD: Bringing that sense of community local, what does it mean to both of you to have a local SNDA chapter?
LC: When you look at UCLA regarding its diversity track record, it has not always been plentiful or bountiful. I think the presence that SNDA has had on campus, even for the years that I've been here, starting in 2020 when we were locked down in the pandemic, they still made the effort of doing things virtually to create that sense of community, like trivia on Zoom for Black History Month.
JC: There's a network in place where you can interact with past members and gain insights. We had one Zoom conference where the first Black woman at UCLA Dentistry [editor’s note: Linda Lott, D.D.S. ‘74] talked to us about like her experience. I can't even imagine what that must’ve been like…
SOD: And now, as now co-presidents, how are you hoping to create your own legacy?
LC: I think we started off the year right with our Black History Month celebration! On Feb. 1 we took a Black student group photo in front of the School of Dentistry. I was wearing a Kobe t-shirt. We had “Matter is the Minimum” shirts on, and different trailblazers in the community ... not just in dentistry.
And then Jordan was a fantastic coordinator for our next event, which was a delicious cookout...
JC: Oh yeah, the cookout! So Ryan Davis, he's a fourth-year. His mom came and had this entire setup of soul food: We had catfish and Mac and cheese and chicken and mashed potatoes; it was everything that you’d expect at any kind of Black event! There was a solid number for an after-school event, at least 30 people.
LC: We’re striving to create the environment we want here at the School, and so we hosted a Black resident panel. We had residents from pediatrics, prosthodontics, AEGD speak with some of our students in a relaxed environment where asked real questions. You know, how has your experience been? The things you took into consideration when you were interviewing. Are there schools that you interviewed at, where you were concerned about how you'd be treated there? You know, that's a genuine question.
And then our other events, we're partnering with some of the other student organizations here, the Hispanic Student Dental Association, SIDE (Students for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) … Just coordinating having a collective voice on campus. Come join us. We're fun!
JC: We are a blast! Legacy-wise, I think both of us want to make sure people are aware that they're still advancements that can be made, at UCLA, obviously, but nationally as well.
SOD: That actually leads nicely into the next question … How have each of you seen dentistry pivot towards becoming a more inclusive field?
LC: I can speak anecdotally from personal experience. One of my patients, he's been coming here for 11 years and said I was his second Black dentist. An older black gentleman, I adore him. I am almost gracious that I can be one of his providers and be someone who is very relatable, because dentistry is such an intimate profession. I feel like people overlook that until they're in a dentist's chair. They're like... I want to be comfortable.
JC: I would say before dental school, my perception was actually quite skewed because so my mom's a dentist and my grandpa practiced with her beforehand. Then when I started shadowing, I only shadowed black dentists. And so for me, I remember coming into dental school and being a little shell-shocked I think. I hope dentistry gets to where my little bubble was, because it was really nice.
LC: Goals!
SOD: Building off that … How can UCLA attract more students of color?
LC: I think ultimately, it’s offering more scholarships, if we want to get to the nitty-gritty of this.
JC: Yeah. A good number of UCLA’s applicants of color are not coming from California [and thus not eligible for in-state tuition]. You have these Black applicants who are heavily sought-after, so even the private schools are offering them money. So the thinking is “Why would I come to California? Why would I leave my family, come across country and pay the same or more?”
Then the second piece is recruiting more faculty of color. I think that would be amazing. I feel like [Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity] Dr. Hewlett carries a lot of weight. We go to him for A LOT of things. He puts the team on his back.
SOD: Finally, on a lighter note, how can students get involved with SNDA at UCLA?
LC: Well, you can follow us on Instagram @ucla_snda. See our updates here and there. Our next officer elections will be at the end of July, early August this year. We strive for excellence while being inclusive and really pushing towards that mark.