Fourth-year dental student Fatima Elkendari is used to being one of very few Black people in the classroom and on the clinic floor.
"I'm not what first comes to mind when people think of a dentist," she said. "But perceptions are changing."
Elkendari is leading the newly formed Schulich Black Dental Students Association. Established by six current students, the group aims to build a supportive and empowering community for Black students, as well as address barriers facing Black aspiring dentists.
Deborah Taiwo, Nanayaa Asantey and Fatima Elkendari (L to R) are founding members of the Schulich Black Dental Students Association, which aims to build a supportive community and address barriers facing Black aspiring dentists. (Megan Morris/Schulich Medicine & Dentistry)
"We've leaned on each other for support over the years, and we want incoming Black students to feel that supportive environment," she said. "It helps to have somebody who looks like you, who can understand and empathize with your experience on a deeper level."
Born and raised in Toronto, Elkendari grew up with close connections to dentistry - her mother is a dentist.
"I've always had a Black role model in dentistry, which is pretty unique," she said.
As a young person, Elkendari saw the important role dentists play in the community. Her mother, an internationally educated dentist from Sudan, worked with a predominantly East African immigrant community and strongly advocated for accessible care.
"I really saw my mom as more than a dentist," she said. "She was a community leader. I could really see how a dentist becomes a pillar of support for communities who otherwise are not acknowledged with regards to their oral health."
Tackling barriers for Black dentists
Black people are under-represented in the Canadian dental profession, but there isn't solid data to show how extensive the problem is or why it persists.
One of the Schulich Black Dental Students Association's initial goals is to better understand the issues at play, identifying barriers their peers may face in pursuing dentistry.
"We know it's not for a lack of interest on the part of Black youth," said Elkendari. "We really need to figure out the root of the problem. If they haven't considered dentistry, why not? And if they have, what are the barriers for them getting into dental school?"
The group is reaching out to other Black student groups on campus and locally in London, Ont. to gather and share information, build relationships and find fellowship.
Earlier this year, they hosted a mixer with the Schulich Black Medical Student Association, a group from which they're gaining inspiration and advice.
Patient advocacy is another focus, including building awareness about how Black patients access and experience oral health care.
"Black people are often seen as strong and tough, so there can be a lack of gentleness and care that we experience in dentistry," said Elkendari.
"It really serves all of us as health providers to learn in a diverse environment because we're serving diverse patient populations." - Fatima Elkendari, fourth-year Schulich dental student
Elkendari is confident the Schulich Black Dental Students Association will make an impact, even as she prepares to graduate this spring.
"We're laying the groundwork for future generations," she said. "I really trust my friends and peers to carry the torch; to keep pushing and advocating for Black students."
Ultimately, she hopes to see more Black students enrolled in Canadian dental schools in the coming years.
"There is a comfort when your dentist looks like you," she said. "We're seeing more women and people of colour breaking into the industry, and we need young Black people to see themselves here too."
