American Student Dental Association Predental Chapter 

at the University of Houston 

What We Offer as ASDA PDC UH

General Member Benefits


- Exclusive access to special dental-related volunteering and social events through our nationally-recognized status and connection with Greater Houston Dental Society

- Receive all the benefits of a small, close-knit organization through our Family Program while having all the resources of a large organization

- Build a competitive resume and dental school application through the Dental Shadowing Program and various workshops (including DAT, RDA, and Mock Interview workshops) 

- Plenty of leadership opportunities outside of the officer team as a Peer Mentor through our Family Program

- Cash prizes or scholarships for active members recognized as Member of the Month, Member of the Year, and Assistant Historian


General Meetings

ASDA holds general meetings bimonthly in order to bring out dentists and dental health professionals to come speak to our members! We also update members on upcoming events and important announcements regarding opportunities. Our last meeting of the school year is our election meeting, where members have the opportunity to cast their vote for next year's officer team!

Dental School Tours

In the Spring, ASDA sponsors four (4) dental school tours to each of the dental schools in Texas, which include:


+ University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Dental Branch


+ University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Dental School


+ Texas A&M School of Dentistry in Dallas


+ Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine


Students are given the opportunity to listen to presentations done by the admissions staff and learn about the culture and school curriculum,  We also tour around the school building to see their operatories and classrooms.

Dental Shadowing Program

Every semester, ASDA offers the opportunity to shadow dentists to learn more about how dentists operate. There is a minimum point requirement to be in the program so be active as soon as possible. Contact the Dental Shadowing Chair (Gerardo) for more information.


Volunteer Events

ASDA offers a multitude of volunteer opportunities as a way to connect to the community and help pre-dental students work towards their volunteering hours for dental/hygiene school. There is a healthy mix of dental and non-dental volunteering in order for members to sign up for and decide where they want to volunteer. Below are some of our regularly/annually scheduled volunteering opportunities.

Texas Mission of Mercy (TMOM)

Our biggest event of each semester, ASDA goes together to an underserved location in Texas and volunteer at a mobile dental clinic in order to provide free basic dental care to those who either can't afford or don't have access. This is a high demand event so make sure to sign up on the dot!



Houston Humane Society

The Houston Humane Society is dedicated to, and working towards, ending cruelty, abuse and the overpopulation of animals while providing the highest quality of life to those in our care. ASDA students are assigned to assist in varies day-to-day tasks for the Houston Humane Society with a sweet treat of playing with the animals afterwards! We attend the Houston Humane Society. We attend Houston Humane Society a numerous of times a semester.

The Beacon

The Beacon is a non-profit organization that serves individuals experiencing homelessness by providing daily services, civil legal aid, counseling and mentoring and housing case management. Their mission is to provide essential and next-step services to restore hope and help end homelessness in Houston.


Give Kids a Smile

Annually the ADA (American Dental Association) and GHDS (Greater Houston Dental Society) sponsor an event at the dental school where underserved children in the Houston area receive free cleanings and dental care. Dentists and volunteers team up to give kids a smile!




Dentistry from the Heart

The mission of Dentistry from the Heart is to reach out to those in need of dental care, who are unable to afford it. Every Fall semester, ASDA volunteers attend this event in order to provide quality dental services to those in need.





Veterans Smile Day

The “Veterans Smile Day” mission is to provide free dental care and support to our military veterans as our small way of thanking them for their service. Their hope is that in the process, veteran’s will find a permanent dental home for themselves and their families.

Houston Food Bank

America's largest food bank, ASDA students are tasked with preparing and packaging food to send to families in need or those who live in hunger every day. We attend Houston Food Bank three times a semester.



Project C.U.R.E.

The largest provider of donated medical supplies to developing countries, students volunteer at their warehouse to help sort and get ready medical supplies to send out. Project C.U.R.E. is a way for students to get exposed to healthcare supplies and equipment and also help the cause.

Workshops

We provide various workshops throughout the year to help students navigate their way through the pre-dental track. Upcoming workshops include RDA, DAT, class scheduling, resume, dental school applications, and mock interviews.

Socials

We treat our members like family. By joining ASDA, you are joining a family! ASDA conducts socials every month where we have games, food, and fun! CDC guidelines will be strictly enforced. Socials include pre-health bowling and pizza, mingling with UTSD students, ASDA family socials, and much more. Take a break from studying and come socialize with us! 

Banquet

At the end of every school year, we like to celebrate the course of the entire year and have a shabang with our members, which is banquet! A professional but fun affair, students come to enjoy gourmet food and entertainment, while Member of the Year and Top 5 students are announced! Not only that, we will also announce Family of the Year as well. Banquet is an occasion you'll never forget, where memories are made for life! We will also announce the winner of the iPad raffle at this banquet, so save the date!

EVENTS
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