Dental Medicine in Glendale

Fast Facts

Degree

Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.)

General Requirements

• Bachelor's degree
• Minimum overall GPA of 2.75
• For the 2009-2010 application cycle, a minimum science and overall GPA of 2.75 will be required
• Approximately 50 semester hours of prerequisite course work
• DAT academic average score of 18 or higher desired
• Three letters of recommendation

Length of Program

4 years, full-time

Class Size

110

2008 Class Profile

• Female: 47%
• Male: 53%
• Average Age: 26
• Average Overall GPA: 3.39
• Class Size: 111
• Top Home States: Arizona (28%), California, Utah

Curriculum

• Basic, behavioral, and clinical sciences
• Preclinical simulation studies
• Practical clinical dentistry
• Community clinical rotations

Career Opportunities

• General dental practice
• Graduate education in any of the dental specialties
• Armed services (military)
• Public Health Service or Indian Health Service
• Dental industry
• Dental education
• Administration

US Employment Projections through 2014

• For every three dentists who retire, only two dentists enter the profession
• Demand for dental care will be strong as generations age while retaining their teeth longer, which increases demand for complex dental work and preventive care

Median Salary (2003)

• General Dentist: $177,340
• Specialist: $300,200

Admission Requirements

To be competitive, an applicant should have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and must possess both a science and a total GPA over 2.75 (although 3.20 will be generally competitively necessary) on a 4.00 scale. A minimum science and overall GPA of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale is required to receive a supplemental application.

0. Complete prerequisite courses.
0. Submit competitive scores on the Dental Aptitude Test (DAT). Scores in the area of 18 or higher will be expected for the Academic Average, Reading Comprehension, and Perceptual Ability sections. The DAT test must have been taken no more than 3 years prior to application.
0. Submit three letters of recommendation. One must be from either a pre-dental advisory committee or a science professor. The others, preferentially, should be from either someone with a DO/MD, DDS/DMD degree and/or someone who can testify to the integrity and ethical standards of the applicant. Letters written by immediate family members will not be accepted. All letters of evaluation must be submitted directly from the evaluators. The Office of Admissions will not accept letters submitted by students.
0. Demonstrate a sincere understanding of, and interest in, the humanitarian ethos of health care and particularly dental medicine.
0. Reflect a people/service orientation through community service or extracurricular activities.
0. Reflect proper motivation for, and commitment to, health care as demonstrated by previous salaried work, volunteer work, or other life experience.
0. Possess the oral and written communication skills necessary to interact with patients and colleagues.
0. Agree to abide by Midwestern University Drug-Free Workplace and Substance Abuse Policy.
0. Applicants will be subject to a criminal backgroud check. In most cases, a misdemeanor conviction will not affect admission. Afelony conviction could affect admission, as could failure to disclose a misdemeanor or felony.

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Program Description

The incoming first-year class (Class of 2012) of Midwestern University's College of Dental Medicine-Arizona (CDMA) will matriculate in August 2008 and will have the rare opportunity for its members to be a part of an inaugural class at a University with a long tradition of providing outstanding educational experiences to students in medicine, pharmacy, and other health-related disciplines. CDMA students will learn the interdisciplinary roles that are a part of the future delivery of optimal oral health as a component of overall general health. Midwestern University's CDMA administration and faculty are leaders committed to excellence in education and patient treatment and who contribute to the future of the profession. The faculty will provide a collegial and positive environment for student learning in one of the most worthy and needed professional disciplines of our health care system.

College of Dental Medicine-Arizona Goals and Values

• Contribute to the overall growth and academic excellence of Midwestern University by supporting the mission and goals of the University
• Foster a humanistic and character-developing environment for students
• Foster a holistic (emphasizing the importance of the whole and the interdependence of its parts) and compassionate approach to patient care
• Provide interdisciplinary education to allow other health science students to learn about dental education and health, and dental students to learn how to use, and interact with, the other health science professionals
• Graduate competent dentists who possess the levels of clinical judgment, understanding, empathy, technical skills, and independence to begin professional practice
• Instill a sense of community in graduating dentists
• Instill a life-long learning philosophy of dental education in oral health care among students
• Promote and expand research and scholarly activity among faculty, staff, and students; to integrate research with teaching and clinical care activities within the College and the University
• Be a leader in development and application of new technologies for education, research, and oral health care
• Develop and maintain a high quality, innovative, evidence-based, patient-centered, faculty-led, "seamless" oral health educational and delivery system

Program Focus

• Evidence-based critical inquiry
• Preventive, minimally-invasive clinical orientation
• Understanding of research and a commitment to service

Mission

The mission of the Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine-Arizona is to educate competent clinical dentists of strong character and high ethical standards who serve the needs of the public and improve the health and well-being of society. The College promotes evidenced-based critical inquiry allowing for a preventive, minimally invasive clinical orientation, with an emphasis on research and service in the practice of dentistry.

Vision

The vision of Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine-Arizona is to be recognized by 2015 as national and international leaders in:

• Providing dental education for the 21st-century student through curriculum innovation and advanced technology.
• Seamless, integrated, clinically-based, patient-centered education, founded in preventive health and evidence-based science.

Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine-Arizona — striving to improve America's health through education and community service.

Accreditation

The Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine-Arizona is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) and has been granted the accreditation status of "initial accreditation." CODA, which operates under the auspices of the American Dental Association (ADA), is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the national accrediting body for dental education programs at the post-secondary level in the United States. For further information, please contact the American Dental Association, 211 E. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611; 800/621-8099.

Midwestern University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission/A Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC/NCA), 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602.

Related Links

Dental Medicine as a Career

American Dental Association (ADA)

American Dental Education Association (ADEA)

Arizona Dental Association Student Chapter (AzDA)