Task Force Appointment
Dr. Salma Elwazeer is 1 of 2 Dentists Appointed to Association for Prevention Teaching and Research’s National Task Force
The appointment supports Texas Tech Health El Paso’s mission to improve the unique health care needs of socially and culturally diverse border populations
Salma Elwazeer, B.D.S., M.D.S., M.P.H., FRSPH, FICD
Salma Elwazeer, B.D.S., M.D.S., M.P.H., FRSPH, FICD, assistant professor and director of Interprofessional Education at the Texas Tech Health El Paso Hunt School of Dental Medicine and clinical assistant professor at Foster School of Medicine, has been selected as one of only two dentists to serve on a national task force workgroup by the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research.
The Healthy People Curriculum Task Force’s Clinical Prevention and Population Health Curriculum Framework 5th Revision Workgroup is composed of 47 interprofessional faculty from various health professions. As a group, they’ll focus on evidence-based, health promotion and disease prevention interventions in the clinical setting.
“The Clinical Prevention and Population Health Curriculum Framework provides a common core of knowledge for clinical health professions. It highlights prevention efforts for individuals and the entire community,” Dr. Elwazeer said. “I’m excited for the opportunity to serve at the national level where I can share my expertise to empower health care students and communities.”
Dr. Elwazeer’s workgroup will focus on “clinical preventive services and health promotion” and propose changes. Their goal will be to provide an updated framework and curriculum that is responsive to the needs of interprofessional health care education and communities at large. The Hunt School of Dental Medicine offers the most innovative dental curriculum in North America and was the first in the country to require Spanish curriculum in the student immersion programs Dr. Elwazeer leads. Because of that innovative curriculum, Dr. Elwazeer will provide a fresh perspective to the task force.
Dr. Elwazeer, who joined Texas Tech Health El Paso in May 2021, has a robust background in dental public health and education. She has been instrumental in developing the school's Community Health Certificate Curriculum and the student immersion programs, which introduce incoming dental and medical students to our Borderplex culture.
Dr. Elwazeer earned her Dental Degree from Ain Shams University, Egypt, and completed her pediatric dentistry residency and master’s degree in Pediatric Dentistry from the same institution. She was appointed as faculty at the Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Dental Public Health at Ain Shams University before moving to the U.S., where she earned her Master of Public Health from Purdue University, IN. She completed her dental public health residency at the University of Texas Health San Antonio. She’s a diplomate of the American Board of Dental Public Health and a fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health and the International College of Dentists.
While practicing as a pediatric dentist at Ain Shams University, Egypt, Dr. Elwazeer realized the importance of clinical prevention to help improve the overall health of local communities. This experience inspired her to focus on teaching a new generation of dentists about the importance of preventive care.
“Being part of the appointed national experts to work on this task force will provide me with the opportunity not only to share perspectives and expertise but also provide exposure to innovations and advancements in this field,” Dr. Elwazeer said. “This aligns with the Texas Tech Health El Paso mission to improve the lives of people in our state and our community by focusing on the unique health care needs of socially and culturally diverse border.”
About the Hunt School of Dental Medicine
The Hunt School of Dental Medicine opened in 2021 and is the only dental school on the U.S.-Mexico border, and the first in Texas to open in more than 50 years. The school offers the most innovative curriculum in the country, preparing students for the future of dentistry with high-tech simulation and an advanced fabrication laboratory. A first for any dental school in the nation, students begin clinical training and patient interaction during their first semester. It’s also the first and only dental school in the nation that requires Spanish language courses.
As upward of 75% of dental school graduates open practices near their dental schools, Hunt School of Dental Medicine graduates are expected to address the oral health care needs along the U.S.-Mexico border for generations to come.
About Texas Tech Health El Paso
Texas Tech Health El Paso is the only health sciences center on the U.S.-Mexico border and serves 108 counties in West Texas that have been historically underserved. It’s a designated Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution, preparing the next generation of health care heroes, 48% of whom identify as Hispanic and are often first-generation students.
Established as an independent university in 2013, Texas Tech Health El Paso is a proudly diverse and uniquely innovative destination for education and research.
With a mission of eliminating health care barriers and creating life-changing educational opportunities for Borderplex residents, Texas Tech Health El Paso has graduated over 2,400 doctors, nurses and researchers over the past decade, and will add dentists to its alumni beginning in 2025. For more information, visit ttuhscepimpact.org.