Hispanic Student Dental Association (HSDA) in San Antonio

“Last weekend, Jeancarlos Ferman (D25) and Samara Aoun (D24) attended the 2023 Hispanic Dental Association (HDA) in San Antonio, Texas — representing the Tufts Chapter of the Hispanic Student Dental Association (HSDA). They were accompanied by faculty members Dr. Forero, Dr. Herman, and Dr. Hong. 

Tufts students and faculty had a strong presence at the HDA Annual Meeting. Jeancarlos Ferman, one of the Student Trustees for the National HDA took on many responsibilities such as moderating sessions, engaging and networking with dental students and professionals from across the country, and managing the social media pages. Samara Aoun participated in the Scientific Poster competition presenting her research titled: Development and Validation of a Survey Assessing the Oral Health Knowledge of Healthcare Interpreters. Dr. Hong gave a brief presentation on being a foreign trained dentist in the US. Dr. Herman participated in the Women Leaders in Dentistry panel sharing her experiences as a Latina woman in the field. 

Saturday evening, all were invited to attend the Gala where Dr. Forero and Dr. Hong were both recognized as 2023 Faculty of the Year. Dr. Herman was recognized for her past leadership efforts in the HDA. Dr. Forero, Jeancarlos Ferman, and Claudia Martinez were recognized for being a part of the Communications Committee, which won committee of the year. Students were also able to connect with Boston University and Harvard University HSDA members and Massachusetts HDA members.

Featured in the images are Samara Aoun (D24), Jeancarlos Ferman (D25), Dr. Merelyn Hong, Dr. Martha Forero, Dr. Aidee Herman, Claudia Martinez (pre-dental), Dr. Christina Meiners (2023 HDA President), Boston University HSDA, Harvard HSDA, Massachusetts HDA”