Harvard dental student finds his niche in community care
For Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) student Ryan Lisann, completing one of the last requirements of his four-year D.M.D. program — a three-month externship at Charles River Community Health Center in Brighton — was an experience that will shape his career. “I’m really passionate about education and wanting to work with kids, so getting to work in a community health setting and treating pediatric patients confirmed the path I want to take,” Lisann said. “Seeing patients arrive at a clinic, particularly young children, with a mouth full of cavities is incredibly disheartening. It’s clear that education is part of the solution.” Lisann hopes to use early childhood dental education to address disparities in oral health and fill gaps in care to lessen the need for fillings. After graduation, while his peers go on to residency programs and dental practices around the country, Lisann plans to work part-time and pursue a master’s degree...