Students have the opportunity to utilize innovative educational methodologies, including on-line learning activities. Various cooperative efforts with local, state, and federal agencies provide dental services for special-needs populations. Dental graduates are well prepared to enter advanced dental education programs and to practice their professions in a wide range of private practice, public service, and academic settings. The Doctor of Dental Surgery curriculum integrates the basic, behavioral and clinical sciences. The Dental School has its own biological science faculty who assure that students develop a solid understanding of oral and craniofacial health and its relationship to overall health.
Students begin their patient care experiences during their first year of study.
Students acquire a full range of clinical experiences including treatment of emergency, medically compromised, and physically and mentally challenged patients. The comprehensive patient care approach to clinical education prepares students for the demanding responsibilities of dental practice. The Dental School seeks to enroll the highest caliber of students who will become exemplary health care professionals. Quality is the preeminent criterion in the admissions process. The Dental School has established admissions criteria which permit flexibility in the choice of an undergraduate program, while maintaining an emphasis on strong scholastic achievement.