EL PASO, TEXAS / ACCESS Newswire / April 24, 2025 / In the flatlands of North Texas, where cattle outnumber dentists and the nearest clinic may be hours away, Georgia Hejny charted an unlikely course.
Georgia Hejny will graduate this May as a member of the inaugural Hunt School of Dental Medicine class.
Raised in Venus, a rural town of fewer than 8,000 residents, Hejny is on the cusp of graduating from the Hunt School of Dental Medicine - part of the inaugural dental class at Texas Tech Health El Paso. Her path from ranch to clinic reflects the school's ambition: to address the considerable gap in dental care across underserved regions of the Lone Star State.
Her early experiences with the health disparities of rural life inspired her to specialize in orthodontics. Hejny was accepted into UT Health Houston's orthodontic program. She and a fellow classmate were the only two students chosen this year.
Impressively, 10 students from the Class of 2025 secured highly competitive residency placements nationwide, including at Yale University and Rutgers University.
"I always knew I wanted to make a difference in small towns like mine," Hejny said. "I never dreamed I'd be part of something so groundbreaking. It's been an incredible ride!"
Among the "First 40" students in school history, Hejny experienced a unique curriculum focused on early clinical exposure and community impact. She performed her first dental filling during her first semester - a rarity among dental schools. She later served as Student Government Association president and was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to serve on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in 2022.
Her passion for dentistry was reinforced in the Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic during Hejny's third year. She crafted dentures for a patient in his 30s who had struggled with addiction and lost all his upper teeth.
"He hadn't smiled in years," she recalled. "Seeing him look in the mirror for the first time with his new teeth - it was life-changing for both of us. Moments like that remind me why I chose this path."
The dental school has already made an impact on oral health care education. Its innovative approach includes teaching Spanish language proficiency, business acumen, and public health advocacy alongside technical skills - preparing graduates not just as dentists but as community leaders.
"It hasn't been easy," she said, referencing her daughter born this past year. "But I've had incredible support - from my family and from this school - that has made it possible."
Texas Tech Health El Paso serves 108 rural counties in West Texas and is a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution dedicated to preparing the next generation of health care heroes. Established as an independent university in 2013, Texas Tech Health El Paso is a uniquely innovative destination for health care education.
Texas Tech Health El Paso has graduated over 2,400 professionals over the past decade, and will include dental graduates beginning in 2025. For more information, visit ttuhscepimpact.org.
Contact Information
Marty Otero
Media Relations Specialist - National Media
maotero@ttuhsc.edu
915-215-6017
SOURCE: Texas Tech Health El Paso
