RCOs Foster Community and Career Success

Registered Campus Organizations (RCO) play an important role in creating a meaningful dental school experience for our students. Joining an RCO helps to create life-long friendships and a deeper sense of community while attending UCSF. The School of Dentistry houses the most clubs of any UCSF professional school.

The Hispanic Student Dental Association (HSDA) is one RCO making a difference. HSDA aims to eliminate oral health disparities in the Hispanic community. “I can’t believe I am making an impact because it’s always something I dreamed of doing, and that was one of the reasons I chose UCSF,” said Michelle Martinez, junior academic chair of HSDA.

Additionally, the club hosts its yearly “Building Bridges” conference, an event to guide pre- dental students on the path to success. “We strive to create a welcoming environment for all who may not have had exposure to a career in dentistry, and offer enriching networking and professional opportunities sponsored by UCSF alumni and led by current UCSF dental students.,” said HSDA about the yearly conference.

Another RCO creating an impact in our campus’s community is the Student National Dental Association (SNDA). Its mission is to highlight and increase the number of minorities in dentistry, specifically African American and Black students.

The club hosts multiple workshops a year along with its most popular event, the annual Impressions Conference. Around one hundred pre-dental students each year attend workshops, hear from guest speakers, and obtain resources to make applying for dental school a smooth process.

“Being able to connect with dental students, not only through those workshops, but also as a potential mentor in the future, hearing their perspectives on dental school and what it takes to be a dental student, and apply for dental school, those relationships, and that exchanged dialogue is just irreplaceable. You won’t find it anywhere else than being here in person at a conference like that,” said Betty Birbo, president of SNDA.

For more information on what RCOs are available to join, visit the UCSF campus groups website.