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Program Overview
Welcome to the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry!
Our school presents you with the tools, technology and rich educational experience to achieve your goals and become a competent, well-rounded dental professional.
D.D.S. Curriculum
Students enjoy a challenging clinical education in a supportive environment that is rich with opportunities for professional growth and community involvement. A first-year class is admitted each fall. Fall semester begins in mid-August and spring semester in January. Semesters run for 16 weeks and the required summer sessions, which begin in May, run 12 weeks. The D.D.S. curriculum includes basic science and dentistry courses.
One of the School’s most popular programs offers learning experiences beyond those
available in the classroom or clinic. The School’s community outreach program enables
dental and dental hygiene students to refine clinical skills and develop a broad understanding of the health and social responsibilities they will have as dental professionals. Students will fulfill this requirement with rotations in the Mobile Dental Unit, Walker Methodist Health Center, Prairie Winds Dental Clinics and other sites.
Summer Research Fellowship
During a 10-week period in the summer, students can undertake a structured research program. Summer research fellows take projects from start to finish in a dynamic program designed to further their careers in education and research. Some students continue doing research during the academic year.
Dental Student Life
Dental students participate in a variety of organizations, clubs and committees that provide an introduction to professional life, help them shape the future of dentistry as well as give back to the Twin Cities community. Students are involved in organizations such as the American Student Dental Association, Hispanic Dental Association, Global Perspectives, Student Council, Student Ambassador Program, and many more!
Student Exchange Program
The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry has a number of student exchange agreements with renowned international schools. Currently, we have active exchanges with University of Århus, Denmark; University of Bergen, Norway; University of Heidelberg and University of Greifswald both in Germany; and St Radboud University in Nijmegen in The Netherlands. Our students and students from each of these schools "exchange" places for approximately three months. Our students and the visiting international students have the opportunity to be exposed to the culture of another country, study dentistry and treat patients in another educational system, gain another perspective on the dental profession, health care and travel.
Advanced Technology
The School of Dentistry is advanced in its approach to providing an education that incorporates state-of-the-art technology. Dental students spend time in the 3M Foundation Dental Simulation Clinic, a facility designed to create a realistic clinic environment. It helps the students learn the eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity skills, techniques and procedures they’ll use to treat patients by practicing restorative procedures on simulated patients. Each workstation is equipped with a lifelike mannequin, complete with a head, shoulders, and realistic oral cavity – flexible jaws, lips and cheeks, and a full complement of teeth.
Additionally, our Advanced Simulation Clinic features 20 workstations, each with its own patient simulator, enhanced with virtual reality-based technology. The interactive enhancements include motion-tracking systems linked to an infrared camera and a computer. Software includes on-screen textbooks, patient histories and radiographs for over 100 clinical procedures of varying difficulty, and the ability to track, evaluate and record student performance in real-time.
The Twin Cities – A Diverse and Thriving Place to Live!
The Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan is the 16th largest area in the country and has more than 3 million residents. The Twin Cities is a large cultural center that is home to many art museums, restaurants, theatres, sports arenas, parks, lakes, and shops. Residents enjoy year-around recreational activities including hiking, swimming, boating, fishing, cross-country and downhill skiing, and ice skating.
The Twin Cities is a thriving community that is becoming increasingly diverse. It is home to a large population of Hmong, Somali and Liberian communities. And, a significant concentration of American Indians and Chicanos/Latinos also reside in the metropolitan.
To learn more about why you should consider making the Twin Cities your home, please visit the U of M’s Wish You Were Here web page.
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