About the College of Dental Medicine Program

Dean's Message
Vision
Mission
Accreditation

Portrait of Program DirectorDean's Message

The Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine faculty and staff believe our primary purpose is to educate and mentor students to become competent, compassionate and caring health care professionals and community leaders.

As a dental student in Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine you will be a valued part of the newest and most up-to-date educational program in dentistry in the country. The campus of MWU is situated in Glendale, Arizona, part of the “Valley of the Sun” of the greater Phoenix area, and offers an outstanding educational experience as well as an ideal climate and the opportunity for unlimited outdoor enjoyment.

The incoming first-year class (Class of 2012) 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. 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.

The administration and faculty consists of leaders involved in contributing to the future of the profession and who are committed to excellence in education and patient treatment. The faculty will provide a collegial and positive environment for student learning in one of the most worthy and needed professional disciplines of our healthcare system.

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

Richard J. Simonsen, DDS, MS
Dean, College of Dental Medicine

Vision
It is the vision of Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine to be recognized by 2015 as national and international leaders in:

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

Mission
The mission of the Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine 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.

Accreditation
The Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) degree program is the newest addition to Midwestern University’s interdisciplinary health care programs of study. This program in dental education is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) and has been granted the accreditation status of “initial accreditation.” Based at MWU’s Glendale (Ariz.) Campus, the College of Dental Medicine offers a four-year curriculum that includes academic coursework in the basic sciences, the behavioral sciences, and the clinical sciences; preclinical simulation studies; practical clinical dentistry; and community clinical rotations that follow the guidelines of the American Dental Association and the Commission on Dental Education. Upon completion of the program, student doctors will be eligible for licensing in the State of Arizona and the Southwestern United States through the Western Region Board Examination, and throughout the country upon passing other regional board examinations.

For further information, please contact the American Dental Association, 211 E. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611; 800/621-8099.