Faces of Opportunity – Toby Imler

While he worked in a private dental practice, UNMC third-year dental student Toby Imler watched as some patients who couldn’t afford to pay for services were turned away.

Of course, not all private practices operate to that extreme.

But Imler, the recipient of the Edgar and Minnie Hunt Memorial Scholarship for male students in UNMC’s College of Dentistry, observed the role billing plays in health care and wanted to find a way to serve more patients.

Toby Imler

An internship in Alaska provided the contrast he needed to embark on a different career path. The ten-week stint allowed Imler to work with the National Health Service Corp, a government agency that employs health care providers who work in underserved areas across the United States. The agency serves Native American and Alaskan patients and pays for basic dental care.

While Imler’s father, Toby Imler Sr., D.D.S., worked as a dentist with the National Health Service Corp for 26 years, the younger Imler’s Alaskan summer work was his first true exposure to the program and the opportunity it provides for patients.

“I really enjoyed that experience,” Imler said. “The patients are so grateful for everything you do for them. They had such a different attitude from some of the private practice patients who were often demanding and unrealistic.

“From a provider’s perspective, even though your government salary is considerably less, you get to serve all of the patients who need care regardless of their ability to pay.”

Ballot initiative forum The Edgar and Minnie Hunt Memorial Scholarships are awarded to male students in UNMC’s College of Dentistry. This valuable and necessary award could be negatively impacted with the passage of an affirmative action ban prohibiting consideration of gender, race, ethnicity and national origin in public education, public employment and public contracting. UNMC’s Faculty Senate will sponsor a forum on the ballot initiative that will include representatives from both sides of this issue. Join the discussion on Wednesday in the Wittson Hall Amphitheater, Room 3034 from noon to 1 p.m.

Imler has recently been accepted in the National Health Service Corp program. This development makes the Hunt Scholarship all the more important to him, he said.

“Because of a two-year commitment to the National Health Service Corp after graduation, I won’t earn as high a salary as my colleagues,” Imler said. “This scholarship eases my financial burden and allows me to focus on my education.”

Imler said the small class sizes and excellent faculty contribute to the stellar dentistry program at UNMC. In addition, he appreciates UNMC’s commitment to public health and underserved communities. While his government assignment could take him away from Nebraska, he hopes to return to serve the patients who need the most care.