The McGill Dental Inclusion Program (MDIP) is a non-profit mentorship program lead by the students of the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences and is aimed towards students from marginalized populations (Black, Indigenous, low SES, other visible minorities). Its mission is to inspire, motivate, and encourage students from underrepresented populations to pursue the DMD program at McGill. The program is working under the supervision of the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI) Committee at the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences and in collaboration with other programs that share similar goals.
The program works in collaboration with the Academic Immersion in Healthcare (AIH) program ensuring a multidisciplinary approach.
The MDIP Mission
- Counselling and mentoring students from marginalized populations who might potentially apply to the Dental Medicine program at McGill.
- Provide a fair chance to students from different backgrounds. We aim to thereby establish a more inclusive student body in the dental medicine program at McGill.
- Inspire, motivate, and encourage students from under-represented populations to pursue a dental career.
Priority Issues
- Representation of certain populations in the dental cohort: Ensuring that marginalized populations have access to resources, in particular social and academic networks.
- Sustainability: going beyond one-time outreach events so as to offer longer term support to students, their questions, and concerns.
- Cultural Safety/Humility: establishing a culturally safe environment by grouping students sharing the same background, interests, hobbies together under the supervision of 1 or 2 mentors. Mentors will also engage an orientation session about cultural safety before starting.
MDIP 2024 Workshops
- Dawson College Dental Clinic Workshop:
On February 10th, the MDIP team hosted students from Dawson’s Enriched Science faculty to tour the dental clinic and took part in a few fun practical activities with McGill Dental Students. It was a pleasure to have so many brilliant and inquisitive minds with us. - College Saint Anne:
On March 15th, the MDIP team hosted high school students from College Saint Anne. They toured the clinic and received a presentation from the MDIP student team all about their experience as dental students.
Get involved!
The recruitment process of the mentors will start soon. Mentors will have to attend an orientation session about cultural safety/humility. Mentorship sessions will take place in the form of a small group with 1-2 mentors per group. The mentors will be matched with the mentees based on their interests, hobbies, preferences. mcgilldentalinclusionprogram [at] gmail.com (Email the MDIP to get involved!)