Students, faculty and staff of the College of Dentistry are expected to adhere to the Code of Professional and Academic Responsibility, and the Medical Center's Behavioral Standards in Patient Care, and The Health Sciences Student Professional Behavior Code. These documents call for high standards of professional and humane behavior in caring for patients. Extramural experience in dental practice is a required component of the curriculum. Students are placed in the offices of dental practitioners, public institutions or other health delivery systems in urban and rural areas throughout the state. One of the goals of the extramural experience is to provide the student with a view of dentistry as it is actually practiced.
Electives provide an effective way to satisfy the individual needs and interests of the students.
Fourth-year students are required to take two elective courses. Enrollment in additional elective courses requires the approval of the course director and the appropriate Academic Performance Committee. During the course of study, any student may be denied permission to continue in the formal educational program if, in the opinion of the faculty and administration, that student's character, attitudes, mental or physical fitness cast grave doubt upon the student's capabilities as a dentist. The Doctor of Dental Medicine degree is awarded to those students who have satisfactorily completed every required component of the dental curriculum and have applied for graduation.