Predental students help the School of Dentistry in serving South Texas
Across South Texas, predental students are finding inspiration and hands-on experience long before they enter dental school, thanks to a unique community-based initiative led by , and , faculty in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry at the School of Dentistry.
Through a collaboration that spans from high school classrooms to community clinics, Lozano-Pineda and Meiners engage predental students from universities in Texas to expand access to oral health education and patient care, while inspiring future dental professionals to pursue their calling.
Predental students join School of Dentistry faculty members and dental students during visits to high schools, where they help educate youth about oral health care and share insights about the journey of pursuing an education and career in dentistry. They also participate in outreach and clinical experiences, serve their communities and gain firsthand insight into the School of Dentistry, what it’s like to learn, train and grow within the state’s leading dental school and what to expect from a future dental education.
Hands-on learning and community service
Lozano-Pineda, associate dean for external affairs and director of the Hispanic Center of Excellence (HCOE), began developing these outreach programs more than a decade ago as part of the School of Dentistry’s mission to serve South Texas.
“Our first relationship starts with the predental groups,” she explained. “Our School of Dentistry’s Admissions team visits universities across Texas to discuss dental careers and mentor predental students on what makes a competitive applicant, from prerequisites to professional readiness. Once that connection is made, we invite them to join us in recruitment outreach and clinical service activities.”
Under the guidance of Meiners, who serves as director of community learning, predental students gain firsthand experience in the realities of dental practice and patient care.
“When predental students join us in these clinical settings, they’re not just observing — they’re learning by doing,” Meiners said. “They assist in dental screenings, help with patient forms, translate for families and even take X-rays if they’re certified. It’s a win-win. They learn clinical teamwork while helping us deliver much-needed care.”
The program’s clinical outreach is supported by partnerships with Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation and Methodist Healthcare Ministries. These partnerships allow the School’s mobile dental clinic to deliver oral health services in underserved communities across South Texas, from Laredo and Corpus Christi to San Angelo, the Rio Grande Valley and beyond. Predental students often travel alongside dental students on these mobile van visits, gaining early exposure to rural and public health dentistry.
Alumni and peer role models
Another dimension of the initiative involves alumni mentorship. The School of Dentistry regularly hosts virtual sessions where alumni from South Texas universities share their journeys from predental student to practicing dentist or resident.
“It’s powerful for current predental students to hear directly from someone who once stood where they are now,” said Lozano-Pineda. “They see that their goals are achievable, and that it’s possible to make a difference in their own communities.”
Among the School of Dentistry’s alumni mentors is Pablo Medina, DDS. He began as a predental volunteer at St. Mary’s University, later earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from şÚÁĎÍř in 2022, and now practices locally in special needs dentistry. Selina Gutierrez, DDS, a 2018 graduate of the School of Dentistry who also completed her residency in advanced general dentistry at şÚÁĎÍř, is now the owner of Inwood Family Dental in San Antonio and continues to give back as adjunct faculty, helping to mentor the next generation of dental and predental students.
"My public health journey started as a pre-dental student. From the first mission trip I attended I knew the kind of dentistry I wanted to do and the patients I wanted to serve. These experiences not only offer valuable networking and chairside opportunities but also helps open their eyes and hearts to a different type of dental practice setting to consider for their future," said Meiners.
A pipeline strengthening South Texas
For both Lozano-Pineda and Meiners, the work goes far beyond outreach. It’s about building a lasting pipeline of compassionate, community-minded dental professionals.
“When they return to practice in South Texas, they already understand the community’s needs and the power of service,” said Meiners.
The School’s outreach and community learning activities are sustained through support from the Hispanic Center of Excellence, Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation and Methodist Healthcare Ministries, as well as through the dedication of faculty, students, and community partners who share common goals: improving oral health in our communities and shaping the future of dentistry.
