Instructional Program

College of Dental Medicine-Arizona

The College of Dental Medicine-Arizona's goals are divided into four categories that include teaching, research, patient care and service.

The Goals for Teaching are to:

1. Foster a humanistic and character-developing environment for students
2. Foster a holistic and compassionate approach to patient care
3. Foster interprofessional education with other Midwestern University colleges and programs
4. Graduate competent dentists who possess the appropriate levels of clinical judgment, understanding, empathy, technical skills, and independence to begin professional practice
5. Develop and implement a curriculum that leads to competency
6. Encourage a broad and encompassing diversity
7. Ensure the respectful treatment of students as professionals and future colleagues in the profession
8. Promote faculty and staff recruitment, development, and retention to assure continued excellence and success of the College
9. Ensure mutual respect among faculty, staff, and students and to recognize the diverse roles these individuals play in the educational process
10. Promote ongoing programs for faculty to promote teaching effectiveness and student learning
11. Provide members of the faculty and staff with greater recognition to elevate morale, improve effectiveness, and enhance job satisfaction
12. Instill a sense of community in graduating dentists by providing community-based opportunities for the enhancement of pre-doctoral education
13. Improve access to dental care for Arizona's indigent and underserved populations
14. Avail students to the use of new technology in learning and patient care
15. Encourage critical thinking and life-long learning

The Goals for Research are to:

1. Promote research and scholarly activity among faculty
2. Promote learning through student research and scholarly activity

The Goals for Patient Care are to:

1. Maintain a patient care program that provides students with the educational experiences they need to become competent practitioners
2. Maintain a patient care program that provides patients the high quality care they need for good oral health
3. Create patient-friendly clinics that strengthen the clinical learning environment and demonstrate our respect for patients as a valuable resource and an essential component of our teaching program
4. Support and encourage both individual and collective efforts to meet the oral health needs of populations with special healthcare requirements

The Goals for Service are to:

1. Inform members of the University and the dental practice community regarding the educational, research, and service missions and achievements of the College
2. Provide educational programs for dental and other health professionals