Building Dental Futures
Hunt School of Dental Medicine Welcomes Class of 2030 at White Coat Ceremony
Sixteen El Pasoans among 60 future dentists who will begin their training at Texas Tech Health El Paso
For the newest students at the Hunt School of Dental Medicine, a white coat marks the start of dental school while also symbolizing a commitment to serving their patients and communities.
On Saturday, Aug. 22, 60 members of the Class of 2030 received their white coats at the school’s sixth annual White Coat Ceremony.
The event marked the beginning of their professional training and introduced students to the responsibilities that come with caring for patients. Sixteen of the 60 students are from El Paso, giving more than a quarter of the incoming class ties to the community they’ll serve.
For Julian Sarmiento, a Franklin High School graduate whose family has called El Paso home for three generations, the white coat marks the beginning of a professional journey made possible by his family’s support.
“Receiving my white coat means so much to me because it represents not only my own hard work and determination, but also everything my parents have sacrificed to help me reach this point,” Sarmiento said. “The white coat is also a reminder that I am entering a profession where people will place their trust in me to care for them.”
At the Hunt School of Dental Medicine, the lessons of service begin early. Each class’s first semester begins with a three-week immersion program in which students take a deep dive into the culture, language and healthcare needs of the communities they’ll serve.
“Today is not the day you become a dentist. Today is the day you begin becoming one,” Richard C. Black, D.D.S., M.S., dean of the Hunt School of Dental Medicine, told the students during the ceremony. “Your greatest growth will not simply be measured by what your hands can do. It will be measured by your judgment. Your humility. Your resilience. Your compassion.”
Patient Care From the Start
The Hunt School of Dental Medicine takes an early, hands-on approach to dental education as one of the few dental schools in the country where students begin seeing patients during their first semester. Their responsibilities grow as they develop the knowledge and clinical skills required to provide dental care.
Early patient exposure also gives students more time to strengthen their communication and listening skills and build trust with patients.
“Patients rarely remember the perfect crown margin or flawless restoration,” Dr. Black said. “They remember whether they felt heard. They remember whether someone took the time to explain. They remember whether the person behind the mask genuinely cared.”
Learning in the Borderplex
El Paso and the surrounding Borderplex provide students with a unique setting for their dental education. Students encounter patients across generations, languages and life experiences while learning about barriers to dental care, including cost, transportation and limited awareness of available resources.
Sarmiento said he chose the Hunt School of Dental Medicine because of its early clinical experiences and the opportunity to care for patients in the community where he grew up.
“Being able to receive my education in the same community that raised me and eventually give back to that community is something that is very special to me,” he said.
Students in the Class of 2030 arrive with experience ranging from scientific research to community service and direct patient care. Some grew up in El Paso or elsewhere in Texas, while others chose to move to the Borderplex because of the school’s emphasis on early clinical experience and community-based care.
For Raymundo Aragonez, attending dental school at Texas Tech Health El Paso is also a family affair. His sister, Miriam Aragonez, is a third-year medical student at the Foster School of Medicine.
“My sister has definitely been a guide for me and has been very helpful,” Aragonez said. “It’s just a very surreal moment because we’re first-generation students, and our parents don’t really have a background in healthcare. We’ve always wanted to give back to the community. It’s something we’ve had in our hearts.”
As Aragonez begins his healthcare journey, he’s looking forward to the Hunt School of Dental Medicine’s emphasis on early patient care.
“I appreciate that the Hunt School of Dental Medicine allows us to engage in that patient care early on, so that way we can build on it, develop people skills and really understand what the needs are for the community,” he said.
For Aragonez, those experiences are also preparing him for a future he hopes will keep him in his hometown. “Since I was born and raised here, in the future I want to be a dentist here in El Paso to be able to give back,” he said.
Building the Borderplex Dental Workforce
The Class of 2030 enters dental school as Texas continues to face a need for dentists in many communities, particularly in West Texas and along the border. El Paso County includes federally designated dental health professional shortage areas, underscoring the region’s need.
The class also reflects a central goal of the Hunt School of Dental Medicine: creating opportunities for students with roots in the region to train as dentists close to home and strengthen the future dental workforce.
When members of the Class of 2030 graduate four years from now, they will join a growing generation of dentists educated in El Paso with firsthand knowledge of the communities that make up the Borderplex.
Their journey began Saturday with a white coat. Over the next four years, they will fill those coats with the knowledge, experience and responsibility that come with caring for others, one patient at a time.
The ceremony was made possible through the support of donors who sponsored the students’ white coats. Through their contributions, every member of the Class of 2030 received a sponsored coat as they began their professional education.
About Texas Tech Health El Paso
Texas Tech Health El Paso serves West Texas and is dedicated to preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals. Established as an independent university in 2013, Texas Tech Health El Paso is a uniquely innovative destination for medical, nursing, biomedical sciences and dental education.
Focusing on excellence in healthcare education, research, and clinical service, Texas Tech Health El Paso has graduated more than 2,600 professionals over the past decade. For more information, visit ttuhscepimpact.org.