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Vidal G. Balderas | UT Health San Antonio

Contact

balderas@uthscsa.edu

Departments & Divisions

Vidal G Balderas, B.A., D.D.S., M.P.H.

Associate Professor/Clinical

As a public health dentist, Dr. Balderas is experienced in providing dental students real world experiences in the delivery of dental care to special populations developed by his own personal experience as a dental director of a Federally Qalified Community Health Center and from a teaching position in the Department of Community Dentistry and Comprehensive Dentistry. Dr. Balderas has over twenty years of being a course director and clinical faculty in supervision of fourth year dental students for school-based, migrant farm worker, children's mobile detnal van program in the San Antonio Independent School District. Dr. Balderas, as a director, was selected to lead a short term mission to US/Mexico border, where dental students were exposed to the utilization of portable equipment in the delivery of primary dental care to "colonia" residents along the border. In 2011 he was asked to develop a new program for fourth year dental students to include a rotation in primary dental care for the homeless population at Haven for Hope (HFH) in colloboration with San Antonio Christian Dental Clinical San Antonio. Dr. Balderas roles and contributions in the administration aspect for each of these programs has servied to assit in  course development and contributes to grant outcome data collection for funding of programs for their continuation and expansion.

Dr. Balderas has service experience with international missions where he has been recognized as a conference speaker. He also utilizes his foreign mission field experience for teacing the pre-dental, dental students, residents. Dr. Balderas plans, coordinates and accompanies dental students and residents with trips into Nicaragua, Honduras, Mexico and Guatemala.

  • Professional Background

    Education

    • 2008 - Residency - Dental Public Health - UTHSCSA-Dental School Department of Community Dentistry
    • 2006 - MPH - Public Health Admin - UTHSC at Houston, School of Public Health
    • 2005 - Clinical Fellowship - Hispanic Faculty Developement Depart Comm Dent - UTHSCSA Hispanic Center of Excellence
    • 1984 - DDS - Dentistry - UTHSCSA
    • 1980 - BA - Arts - St. Mary's University
    • 1978 - AAS - Applied Science - St. Phillip's College
    • 1975 - AS - Science - San Antonio College
    • Clinical Fellowship - Geriatrics - South Texas Geriatric Education Center

    Appointments

    • 8/2011 - Assistant Professor/Clinical and Director DS 4 Rotation " Primary Dental Care" for the Homeless - UTHSCSA-DS, Department Comprehensive Dentistry, San Antonio
    • 7/1987 - Faculty and Course Director - UTHSCSA/SAISD Migrant Child Dental Care Program, Comprehensive Dentistry / Ricardo Salinas Clinic, San Antonio
    • 1/1987 - Assistant Professor and Clinical Assistant Professor - UTHSCSASan Antonio

  • Instruction & Training

    • 8/2013 - Present, Pre-Doctoral Student Supervision, American Dental Education Association
    • 9/2011 - Present, Pre-Doctoral Student Supervision, UTHSCSA-DS rotation at Haven for Hope
    • 8/2006 - Present, Selective 8035 Mercy Ministries Laredo
    • 8/2003 - Present, Pre-Doctoral Student Supervision, UTHSCSA-DS
    • 8/2003 - Present, Pre-Doctoral Student Supervision, Christian Medical and Dental Association

  • Research & Grants

    Grants

    Federal

    Funding Agency Health Resources and Services Administration Title Dental Hispanic Center of Excellence Status Active Period 7/2013 - 6/2017 Role Co-Investigator Grant Detail The UT Health Science Center San Antonio Hispanic Center of Excellence (HCOE) implements multiple strategies to address the need for more Hispanic dental professionals through enhanced recruitment efforts and linkages with South Texas high school districts and institutions of higher education to establish an educational pipeline that will increase the number of Hispanic applications to dental school. BOLD workshops including dental related hands on activities take place, in San Antonio, Brownsville, Harlingen, Mercedes, and Laredo. The Learning Enhancement for Achievement in Dentistry (LEAD) program is the cornerstone of the pipeline-building strategies for the HCOE. The LEAD summer program provides a 7-year, continuous and interlinked pathway of experiences bridging preparation for dental school in college to support for academic success after enrollment. LEAD 1-3 activities include shadowing dental offices, learning strategies, test-taking workshops, leadership and communication skills, a Dental Admissions Test (DAT) preparation course, and core science mini courses to develop competitive dental school applicants. The LEAD 4-7 assists the Hispanic dental students through participation in pre-matriculation, pre-clinical, and mentorship activities to enhance their academic performance in dental school. A fellowship for eight Hispanic Faculty Fellows, over the course of the HCOE 4-year grant period, includes faculty development for teaching, grant writing, research, student mentorship, and advancement in promotion and tenure to enhance faculty retention. Cultural competence is addressed with a course and experiences embedded within the curriculum for all dental students. Pre-dental and dental students, along with faculty fellows will participate in mentored research experiences. Improved clinical education relative to minority health issues is targeted through cultural competence, research, and community-based dental education and training at clinical sites througho

    State

    Funding Agency San Antonio Independent School District Title SAISD Migrant Farm-Worker Children Mobile Van Program Status Active Period 1/1987 - Present Role Principal Investigator Grant Detail