Fox 9 feature highlights DDS student, rural dentistry
A School of Dentistry student and faculty member were featured on Fox 9 yesterday, sharing their passion for rural dentistry and information on the school's legislative bonding request.
Rebekah "Beka" Muhlenkamp, DDS '29, never expected to become a dentist. In fact, when she first met her mentor, Heather Holt, DDS '19, she had a panic attack in her chair. But Holt saw something special in Muhlenkamp, and encouraged her to pursue dentistry.
Today, Muhlenkamp is a first-year student with big dreams for the future. After graduating and completing the service requirements of her Health Services Professional Scholarship with the US Navy, she plans to return to northeastern Minnesota and help fulfill the need for rural dental providers.
"Growing up in a small town, the nearest dentist was about 35 minutes away," Muhlenkamp recalled in her interview. "So when a dentist retires, you're losing 50 miles of coverage."
Fox 9 featured Muhlenkamp alongside Angie Hastings, DMD, clinical associate professor and director of the Division of Community Outreach and Engagement, who shared information on the school's Outreach programs and Rural Dentistry Track. "If a young person has never been able to visit the dentist, how can they ever see themselves as one?," Hastings posed, sharing the need to encourage providers to consider rural areas and Health Professional Shortage Areas.
The news feature also showcased the school's bonding request, a $100 million request from the state legislature, matched with $50 million from the University of Minnesota, to transform Minnesota dentistry for the future.