Breaking down barriers to dental care, UF grad Ryan Jin brings public health to the people

Ask recent University of Florida graduate and aspiring dentist Ryan Jin what motivates him and the answer is simple: in all aspects of his life, he wants to serve others.

When he was a student in the Bachelor of Public Health program at the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions, Jin’s servant leadership included volunteering at a dental clinic and caring for Alachua County’s residents with low income. Jin saw the impact the practice had on patients — many of whom had not seen a dentist for years — and he gained an appreciation for the factors that affect people’s access to oral health care, from insurance coverage issues to transportation problems and language barriers.

Following his graduation from UF in 2023, Jin began studying this fall at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine — the graduate school he had dreamed about attending for years. Being admitted to a top-ranked dental school was no fluke. In addition to his volunteer work as a UF undergrad, Jin interned with the City of Gainesville, and volunteered as a teaching assistant and supplemental instructor for challenging chemistry courses. He also completed two significant research projects about dental care that may have helped tip the scales even more in his favor.