A desire to incorporate dental therapy into its healthcare delivery team inspired the United States Coast Guard to pursue a new partnership with the Division of Dental Therapy in the University of Minnesota’s School of Dentistry.
With the new five-year partnership model, which began in fall 2024, each dental therapy class will include up to two guardsmen.
For Karl Self, director of the Division of Dental Therapy, the Coast Guard’s desire for partnership reflects strong confidence in the program. “What really excites me is that a major branch of our military felt our program was worth engaging with in an effort to incorporate this new member of the oral health care team into their workforce,” he says. “They understood that we would provide a quality education, and that folks would return to the Coast Guard as an asset to their care delivery teams.”
The learners coming into the program from the Coast Guard bring with them a different variety of life experience than traditional dental therapy learners; they typically are older and have a history of service.
“These students come with passion, but also experiences in healthcare,” Self says. “They’ve been EMTs in the military, or have been involved with care at a level that our other applicants have not. That previous experience will be a huge positive that will help support the passion that all of our students have.”
A desire to serve fellow service members
The first two students to join the program in fall 2024 are good examples of that experience and passion.
Jasmine Chapman (BSDH ’26, MDT ’27) “had a very long journey” to where she is today. Born in Kathmandu, Nepal, she first traveled to the United States as an exchange student and decided to stay. She joined the Coast Guard after graduating with a biomedical degree in hopes of pursuing professional education.
“I have always had a passion for healthcare and serving others,” she says. That passion drove her to become a health services technician for the Coast Guard, where she received training as a dental assistant. She enjoyed the opportunity to work with her hands and serve in a smaller community setting. The opportunity to pursue dental therapy excited her, as it provides the chance to further her skills and pursue more hands-on care.
“I am loving what I’m learning at the University of Minnesota,” she says. “I’m trying to soak in every bit so I can use it to serve the military population. There’s so much more to keep learning, and I’m looking forward to it.”
As she learns, Chapman looks forward to the impact she will have on her fellow service members. “Being in military health services for 10 years, I’ve seen how the shortage of providers not only puts service members at risk and affects operational readiness, but also puts pressure on providers trying to care for them,” she explains. “It makes me happy that I can do something to help and ease that burden.”
Javier Carrasquillo Marrero (BSDH ’26, MDT ’27) joined the Coast Guard “after witnessing its critical role in humanitarian efforts during Hurricane Maria in 2016.”
Marrero’s work included being part of a Hurricane Response Team in Louisville, Kentucky, and an anti-terrorism unit in the Kingdom of Bahrain; training as a health services technician in Petaluma, California; and service as a health services technician and collateral dental assistant in Ketchikan, Alaska.
“During these experiences, I realized the significant shortage of dental providers within the service,” he says. “Recognizing this need sparked my passion for dental therapy and motivated me to pursue this career path.”
Marrero has enjoyed learning and practicing the technical skills necessary to provide care, and looks forward to training in restorative procedures and participating in outreach opportunities. “I hope to be well-trained to impact both civilian and military communities positively,” he says.
He knows that his training as a dental therapist will make him a better clinician and guardsman. “Addressing the need for accessible dental care within the military will allow me to contribute directly to the wellbeing and resilience of those who serve,” he says.
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