Monumental Change Through Mentorship

For fourth-generation dentist Dr. Zerita Buchanan dentistry runs in the family, but it is so much more than the family business—it is what inspires her to make a difference in the lives of young students as a mentor and cheerleader for the next generation of diverse dental professionals. This summer, she began the Joseph L. Henry Oral Health Fellowship which will give her the opportunity to expand on her work as a mentor and an advocate for health equity.

“Every student I encourage to pursue dentistry will result in one more dental provider who can return to their local community and eliminate health disparities. It’s a multiplying effect. If I can give self-confidence to just one student and encourage them to pursue academic excellence, then my time on earth will be well spent,” Buchanan said.

As this year’s Joseph L. Henry Oral Health Fellow, Buchanan will pursue an MPH in minority health policy from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The Joseph L. Henry Oral Health Fellowship Program is a collaborative effort between Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) and the Office for Diversity Inclusion and Community Partnership at Harvard Medical School (HMS). It encourages dentists—particularly oral health leaders from groups underrepresented in medicine—to pursue careers in health policy, public health practice and academia. The program’s namesake, Joseph L. Henry was HSDM’s first African American full professor and served as interim dean from 1990-1991.

"Dr. Henry believed in the importance of mentoring and cared about the academic and career advancement of students, trainees and junior faculty without regard to race, ethnicity or gender. He was the consummate teacher, clinician, researcher, and role model," said Dr. Joan Reede, Dean for Diversity and Community Partnership at HMS.

Henry also served as an inspiration to Buchanan when she was considering the fellowship. “I started to read about Dr. Henry and how he established a dental clinic at Resurrection City as part of the Poor People’s Campaign initiated by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I was so inspired by his strong legacy and commitment to health equity that I knew I had to apply,” she said.

Since graduating from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry Buchanan has worked in private practice in the greater Atlanta area. Throughout her career, she has been actively involved in working to eliminate diversity gaps, recruitment shortcomings and unequal access to care in the field of dentistry, including establishing a national program for minority college students interested in dentistry. Her commitment to health equity was recognized by her undergraduate alma mater Spelman College when they named her a “Healthcare Hero,” and 2022 she was awarded the Tory Burch Foundation Fearless Fund Women of Color Grant which she used to launch a dental assisting school for HBCU students in Georgia.

“I hope that through my mentorship efforts minority students will see a face that looks like theirs in dentistry,” Buchanan said. “I hope to inspire dentists to treat their patients and each other with compassion. Words of encouragement can go a long way. The world of dentistry can be stressful at times, but kindness can create monumental change.”

As she begins her fellowship at Harvard, Buchanan will have the opportunity to tap into interdisciplinary areas of public health, government, business, and dental medicine and interact with leading scholars and nationally recognized leaders in minority health and public policy.

“I am most excited about being in a collaborative learning environment. I love that the fellowship allows me to interact with other dentists, physicians, and public health experts,” Buchanan said. “My great-grandfather practiced dentistry in Monroe, LA. He was a 1923 graduate of Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry and in the late 1930’s was appointed to take charge of Louisiana State Hospital Board’s mobile dental clinic. His commitment to public health deeply resonates with me and I am honored to continue his legacy of providing dental care to underserved populations. Our world needs public health leaders now more than ever.”