From Student Research Assistant to Future Dentist: Hannah Bloom Reflects on Her National Dental PBRN Experience

• Member Spotlights

What can a single semester of research teach a dental student about the profession she is about to enter? For Hannah Bloom, a fourth-year dental student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry, the answer reshaped how she thinks about patient care. Her time working with the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network gave her hands-on research experience and reinforced her commitment to evidence-based care.

Learning Research From the Inside

Hannah joined the Network as a student researcher, where she supported a range of research activities, including patient recruitment, data collection, chart reviews, survey administration, and study coordination. Her involvement lasted one semester and the following summer, but the experience gave her a firsthand look at how practice-based research is conducted, and how research findings make their way into real-world clinical settings.

Skills That Carry Into the Operatory

Working alongside faculty, staff, and research team members helped Hannah strengthen her communication and collaboration skills. She gained experience discussing research with patients and learned how much successful studies depend on teamwork. The role also gave her the chance to build skills in data collection and organization, while deepening her understanding of how practice-based research informs everyday dental care.

Seeing Research Change Patient Care

The most meaningful lesson Hannah took from her experience was the direct link between research and everyday clinical practice. “This experience reinforced the importance of evidence-based dentistry and showed me how research can directly improve patient care and clinical decision-making,” she said. Her work with the Network also deepened her appreciation for the role research plays in advancing the dental profession and improving treatment outcomes for patients.

Carrying the Work Into Her Final Year

Now entering her fourth year (D4) at the UAB School of Dentistry, Hannah continues to stay involved in research. Her experience with the Network inspired her to pursue additional research opportunities throughout dental school, including biomaterials research. She credits her time with the National Dental PBRN with strengthening her commitment to evidence-based patient care and helping her understand how clinical research fits into everyday dental practice.

Outside the lab, Hannah serves as an Admissions Ambassador for the UAB School of Dentistry Class of 2027, a role that lets her help welcome the next generation of students into the profession, much like the mentorship she found during her own time with the Network.

What This Means for Our Network

Hannah’s experience shows what is possible when students get involved in research early. Through the National Dental PBRN, students gain practical research skills, work alongside experienced investigators, and see firsthand how research improves patient outcomes, and the Network gains motivated collaborators who carry evidence-based habits into their careers. If you work with dental students or residents who are curious about practice-based research, we encourage you to connect them with the Network and help build the next generation of research-minded clinicians.