To accept or not accept individual applicants based on what they “might do” statistically does not take into account the many turns that any life may take. I know of several male dentists - my former husband included - who do not practice full-time, switched to other professions, became stay at home dads or just chose to not work and live off the largess of others. To chose to accept applicants based on whether of not they will “give back” to the dental school is a narrow view as well. There are many ways to contribute to the world. Certainly raising children is “giving back” to the world at large and being well educated as a dentist gives a woman a sense of self-esteem that may enhance her skills as a mom. Raising children well contributes to the next generation and the world and is a far bigger contribution to the world than donating to a dental school.

In my opinion, our field is overly self-absorbed. Many dentists and dental schools think predominantly, “what’s in it for me” rather than “if I give to others, I get what I need, too”. Dental schools need to choose candidates based on their abilities and also try to discern what is in the hearts and souls of candidates to choose compassionate students who realize that we are all in this world together and need to realize our inherent link to one another. Those are not gender related feelings.

Men and women putting in quality time to raise a family is going to be much more benficial to the community than ensuring that everyone puts in a forty hour work week. Everyone has an equal right to education, and how they choose to use that education is entirely personal. My sister has a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, but devotes her time to tutoring learning disabled math students. Her education gave her many tools to becoming a good teacher, wife, and mother. Was her seat in the program wasted since she doesn’t practice full time? I believe her contributions are equally as important as if she were a therapist.

As a result of their education, people are most likely going to benefit the community in other ways that may or may not include full time employment in a particular field.

In an ideal world husbands would do the child care on an equal basis with the women, but this won’t happen in my lifetime, so, yes, women will have to take time off to mother. But they don’t quit dentistry and in fact are much more productive after their children are grown and work more hours when men are “slowing down”.

To me the issue is rather who will take ove (i.e. purchase) the practices that have been developed mosty by male dentists, who work long hours to serve their patients. Another factor is the number of foreign born dental students’that will probably not settle in the US for their entire practice lifetime.

I often wonder what the admissions groups think when they
accept students..is it for their status or what is best for the dental patient population. We have a rather unique situation in Connecticut in that a state financed scholl has
accepted a greater percentage of non-Connecticut residents than in state residents. Selfishly,I guess, I look at that as a diminsihed pool of potential buyers of my practice. Since I’ve been affiliated with the school, which I did graduate from in 1978, I would say that less than 20% of the graduating dental class settle in Connecticut.

I agree that most women, not all, will practice limited hours and therefore may not be candidates to own a dental practice. I think that it should be part of the consideration in admisssions policy but not the final determinant between a male and a female candidate.