An Interactive Website to Facilitate In-State Retention of New Dentists and Recruitment to Underserved Areas

Some U.S. states have more difficulty than others in recruiting or retaining dentists. Part of the problem is that often dental students are not aware of opportunities across geographic regions of either their home state or the state where they were educated. With student input, the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics designed and launched an interactive website that provides basic demographic, economic, and other meaningful information to help dental students locate potential practice locations and identify current employment opportunities in Iowa. Although this website is not a recruitment or retention panacea, it provides an easy method for dental students to explore all or parts of the state as they go about making one of the most important decisions of their careers. The website also provides a showcase for current practitioners and communities to demonstrate what they have to offer as practice opportunities.