About Dr. Zerita Buchanan
Graduated from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry Spelman College, I’ve been the beneficiary of many mentorships throughout my life.
The unfailing support and guidance from my parents and mentors helped to give me a high level of confidence and self-esteem which was needed as I navigated my career in science. My father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all dentists. I was always deeply fascinated by science and as I learned more about dentistry and the autonomy the career provided, the more I began to desire joining the family business. I joined my father’s dental practice in 2014 and have been practicing alongside him ever since.
I am deeply passionate about improving the quality of life for those around me and strive to create health equity for all Americans. As a dentist, I have discovered that healthcare is more than a profession. Healthcare is a complicated system in which diversity gaps, recruitment shortcomings and unequal access to care are uniquely woven together. Since graduating from dental school I have found a niche in the motivation and cultivation of young minority students interested in health careers, specifically those on a pre-dental track.
For the past four years, I have served as the Assistant Director of the Increasing Diversity in Dentistry (IDID) pipeline program.
IDID is a national program for minority college students interested in pursuing a career in dentistry. Founded by Dr. Jeanette Sabir-Holloway, IDID is comprised of students from various backgrounds. Nearly 50% of our members are first-generation college students who were raised in single-parent households. The majority of our students have matriculated through Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
As the Assistant Director I help to organize dental symposiums, enrichment and shadowing opportunities, DAT prep and dental school application assistance for our students. The students I mentor in IDID call, text, email and even engage with me on social media. They ask me real questions and expect me to provide honest and relatable answers. If I can give a student the confidence to pursue this challenging yet rewarding field of dentistry, then my goal has been accomplished.