From Scholarship to Specialty Care: Dr. Sylvette Ramos-Díaz’s Journey
In 2022, Dr. Sylvette Ramos-Díaz, DDS, MPH, received a $25,000 scholarship from the DTA Foundation, sponsored by the Robert J. Sullivan Family Foundation. During her dental school journey, she became passionate about preventive dentistry and serving historically marginalized populations. Dr. Ramos-Díaz co-founded the Hispanic Oral Health Prevention & Education (H.O.P.E.) Program through the North Carolina Albert Schweitzer Fellowship (NC ASF). H.O.P.E. was implemented at a free, student-run dental clinic in central North Carolina, which predominantly served Spanish-speaking patients.
Originally from Puerto Rico, Dr. Ramos-Díaz used her bilingual, cultural, and clinical skills to create dental content in Spanish to help address the health disparities being faced by the patient population being served at the clinic. Through the H.O.P.E. Program, patients were also able to participate in free oral microbial testing that helped tailor their dental treatment plans down to their oral microbiome!
Dr. Ramos-Díaz graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with her Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree with honors in 2024. During her time in dental
school, she dedicated hundreds of hours to volunteering through the Student Health Alliance Coalition (SHAC) Dental Clinic as a Clinic Coordinator, and she also nationally represented dental students as a member of the ADEA Student Financial Aid Advisory Committee (SFAAC) and the ADA Institute for Diversity in Leadership (IDL).
With the financial burden of dental school reduced, Dr. Sylvette was able to pursue a Pediatric Dentistry specialty residency at the James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children and her Master of Science in Dentistry (MSD) degree from the Indiana School of Dentistry. Her residency training has allowed her to focus on caring for younger patient populations, as well as patients with special healthcare needs.
“I am deeply grateful to the Dental Trade Alliance Foundation and the Robert J. Sullivan Family Foundation for their support. I received this scholarship during a particularly challenging time in my life, when student loans alone were not sufficient to cover my educational expenses.”
Dr. Sylvette also recently completed the Leadership Education in Neurodivergent Disabilities Training Program (Indiana LEND), which trains professionals from numerous disciplines to deliver high-quality services, resulting in improved care for persons with neurodivergent disorders. Now nearing the completion of her residency, Dr. Ramos-Díaz is on her way to making a meaningful impact in pediatric oral healthcare and academia by becoming a Clinical Attending Faculty at High Point University!
“I am passionate about teaching and committed to making dental education more financially accessible. I plan to pursue a career in academia as clinical faculty, and in the future, I plan on establishing a charitable scholarship fund to support the next generation of leaders in dentistry.”
Her story is a powerful reminder that scholarship support helps students graduate and opens doors to advanced training, specialized care, and greater impact in communities that need it most.