The Contemporary Health Career Institute in Exton provides low-income students with the chance at a fresh start as dental assistants, writes Melissa Jacobs for Main Line Today.

CHCI was established 12 years ago and offers a fully certified educational program to people interested in pursuing a career in dentistry. The family venture was created by Dr. Jonathan Scharf and his son, Jeffrey.

The 80-hour state-approved curriculum was designed by the elder Scharf.

“Many dental assistant programs are one to two years of full-time classes, so people can’t work and go to school,” Scharf said. “I knew we could do this faster.”

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The program costs under $3,000 and is held on Sundays so as not to interfere with students’ regular jobs. Some students can also attend for free thanks to a grant awarded three years ago by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.

“Our school, and being a dental assistant, would be great for many people, but some couldn’t afford to enroll,” said Jeffrey Scharf. “The grant gave us a way to provide them with that opportunity.”

Read more about the Contemporary Health Career Institute in Main Line Today here.

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