Texas dental journal
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Texas dental journal · Jan 2014
A student operated, faculty mentored dental clinic service experience at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio for the underserved refugee community: an interprofessional approach.
As the number of refugees settling in San Antonio increases, so will their health care needs. Due to limited resources and stress, they suffer from acute and chronic diseases, reducing their potential for success in their new host country. The need for proper health education coupled with a stable holistic health care facility is essential for their future success. ⋯ The use of this interprofessional model has resulted in holistic and accessible health care for the refugees in San Antonio. Patients receive complimentary comprehensive care while students benefit from development of cultural competence reinforcement of humanitarian values. It is difficult to conclude which group is the biggest beneficiary of attending SARHC. As the dental students reflected, "We started attending the clinic as a service learning project. We then became their advocates, treated them at our dental school, and became knowledgeable about our community's dental clinics while offering tailored referrals."