Let’s learn more about Joseph “Joe” Samona, DDS, our third preceptor in this Shadowing: Behind the Scenes Series!
Joe Samona, DDS is a deaf dentist based in Sterling Heights, Michigan, at Forever Young Dentistry. He graduated from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, becoming the second deaf student to earn a degree there. After graduation, he pursued additional education through a one-year Advanced Education in General Dentistry program at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Upon completing his education, he returned to Sterling Heights to work as an associate dentist with Dr. Michael Young at Forever Young Dentistry.
Joe’s passion for dentistry extends beyond his academic achievements. His journey was shaped by the mentorship of Dr. Stephen Stefanac, a clinical professor at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, and Professor Marita Inglehart. Together, they created a 30-minute oral health education video in American Sign Language (ASL), aiming at educating the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community, particularly young deaf students in schools for the deaf nationwide. The video helped raise awareness of the importance of oral health and empowered the Deaf community to better understand their care. Joe’s platform has also allowed him to connect with deaf students pursuing careers in dentistry. His mentorship and leadership have created new opportunities for representation in healthcare, and his efforts led him to provide a shadowing experience for his mentee, Grace Phelan, BS.
Peek into Joe’s experience as a shadowing mentor
We invited him to share his insights into his shadowing experience, which will be divided into two parts: video and written texts.
Transcript: Hello! My name is Dr. Joe Samona, and I am a Deaf dentist.
The first question is:
What healthcare field am I working in now? And why does this field interest me?
Right now I’m working in the dental field.
Why did I become a dentist? The first thing you see on people is their smile and their teeth. Growing up, I lip-read a lot. Some people didn’t have healthy smiles, or didn’t like showing their teeth. It made it hard for me to communicate with that person. I want to help people have healthier teeth and smiles, so I can better communicate with them. Dental is really a mix of everything I love to do; I love medicine, science, engineering, designing, and helping other people.
The second question is:
From my recent shadow experience with Grace, what did I learn?
That experience was very memorable, just amazing! Growing up, shadowing a Deaf dentist wasn’t a possibility. I shadowed a hearing dentist. From that experience, I’m happy for that person to have the wonderful opportunity to shadow a Deaf dentist. To see how a Deaf dentist operates in an office and how they communicate with patients and staff. I hope the person can learn something new from that. I learned how that person was very motivated.
How can I ask many questions about how to communicate with staff?
That experience gave me a wealth of information.It also empathized how to advocate for myself.
The third question is:
Why is it important for Deaf and hard-of hearing students to look for shadowing opportunities?
The right opportunities allow you to know the in’s and out’s of each field; dental, medicine, nursing, engineering, etc. It will give you an idea what it’s like for a Deaf person to work in that field. How to communicate with patients, how to work with staff, how to operate an office. That kind of opportunity is great. The opportunity to see and picture yourself in their shoes on how to work in that field.
Written portion of interview
As a healthcare professional, have you experienced shadowing someone before you decided your career path?
Initially, I had considered pursuing a career in medicine or engineering. However, one day, I visited my dentist's office and realized I had never thought of dentistry as a potential career. After shadowing my dentist and a few other specialists, I concluded that dentistry was the right path for me. Throughout my lifetime, I never had the chance to shadow a deaf dentist, and I believe that experiencing such an opportunity could have made a significant difference for me at that time.
If you were to have this opportunity, would this shadowing opportunity have changed your career path? Why or why not?
Without the shadowing opportunity, I might have pursued a career in medicine or engineering. I am grateful for the chance to shadow a dentist because it profoundly influenced my decision to become a dentist myself.
What advice would you like to share with prospective D/HH trainees?
Going into medicine is hard and with a disability it is 10x harder. But. The reward you get having the degree and getting to work in the field is amazing. Make sure you have good support systems, as this will help you go a long way.
Joseph Samona’s shadowing mentee: Grace Phelan, BS
Grace Phelan, BS, connected with Joe during her research project at the Summer Healthcare Academic Research Program (SHARP) in the summer of 2023, where she worked with her research mentor, Elizabeth Ayers. This collaboration resulted in Grace’s first publication, “Deaf Dentists Diversifying Healthcare.” Grace was also involved in the Mentor Supported Shadowing Program (MSSP), which facilitated her shadowing experience with Joe at Forever Young Dentistry in Sterling Heights, providing valuable insights into the daily operations of working as a Deaf dentist. Grace has been accepted into University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine and will begin her studies in fall 2025.
