Tufts University Dentistry School (TUSDM) is an American private dental school located in the Chinatown neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, and is connected to the Tufts Medical Center. It is one of 8 graduate schools comprising the University of Tufts. Founded in 1868 as the Boston Dental College by Dr. Isaac J. Wetherbee, the university is the second oldest dental school in the city, and one of the oldest in the country. In 2013, Tufts is the second largest dental school in the United States, with a class size of about 190 students per class.
Tufts Dental Medicine is renowned as one of the most prestigious dental schools in the United States, and a center of academic and clinical excellence. Student body is carefully selected for their academic ability, personal character and community service experience. As with many medical and dental schools, acceptance of Tufts Dental Medicine is highly competitive, with a single digit rate of about 4%.
Tufts Dental Medicine, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine at Boston University consist of three dentistry schools in the Boston metropolitan area.
TUSDM educates pre-doctoral and post-doctoral students. The majority of students pursue Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD). In addition to the DMD degree, TUSDM offers a combined DMD/MS (Master of Science in Dental Research) and DMD/MPH (Master of Public Health) degree. Postdoctoral students, who have earned a DMD or DDS degree, may specialize in Oral and Maxillofacial, Endodontic, Periodontic, Orthodontic, Prosthodontic, Dentistry and Implant Dentistry Surgery, as well as certificate programs in Craniomandibular Disorders and Orophasial Pain, Advanced Dental Technology, and Programs Research, Dental Implant Fellowship, and Advanced Education in Dentistry Aesthetics.
In 2011, Dr. Huw F. Thomas, former Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Alabama was named the 16th Dean of TUSDM. In the same year, TUSDM was recognized nationally for leadership in teaching, research, community service, and diversity by the Gies Foundation's United States Dental Education Foundation (ADEA) with William J. Gies 2011 Award for Extraordinary Achievement by Academic Dental Institution.
Video Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
History
Founded on June 3, 1868 as Boston Dental College by Dr. Isaac J. Wetherbee, the first organized dental university graduate in the United States, Baltimore College of Dental Surgery. The college was incorporated into Tufts College in 1899 and is located at 416 Huntington Avenue in Boston. In 1929, Tufts Medical and Dental College started affiliation with Boston Floating Hospital for Infants and Children, as well as Boston Dispensary. This merger resulted in the formation of an association known as the New England Medical Center (NEMC), which would be the name of the hospital attached to the current Tufts Dental School until the 1990s. The union was partly caused by the fire, and the ensuing destruction of the USS Boston Floating Hospital (ID # 2366), the hospital moving for sick children in Boston Harbor. In 1948, Tufts Medical and Dental College sold the Huntington Avenue building to Northeastern University, and moved closer to NEMC on 136 Harrison Avenue. In 1954, Tufts Dental College became "Tufts University School of Dental Medicine". The school will remain at the Harrison Avenue location until 1971, when it was moved to its current location, 1 Kneeland Street. The building is only 10 stories high, but designed with future expansion in mind. In 2009, the building was expanded by 5 floors, vertically. It's seen by the world of architecture as unprecedented; design and execution have won several architectural awards. In 2013, the University announced plans to update the third and fourth clinical floors, to fit the newly renovated second floor.
Maps Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
Reception
For the 2010-2011 application cycle, 4,475 applications are accepted for 184 seats available in Class 2015. The DAT Academic Average is 20, tied for 11 national, and PAT averages 20, tied to 20 nationwide. The average registered student has a cumulative GPA of 3.64, and a 3.54 GPA of science.
While in the past international applicants are considered to enter the School of Dental Medicine, for the 2012-2013 application cycles applicants with no US citizenship or permanent residency will not be considered for the DMD program.
Student class profile
There are about 184 students per class, making it the second largest dental school in the United States. Class 2015 has an average age of 24; ranging from 21-38. The classroom consists of students from 29 states.
The school has more than 7,000 alumni consisting of individuals from all fifty states and thirty nine countries. Tufts University of Dental Medicine (TUSDM) embraces diversity in all its dimensions. TUSDM is one of the top 10 dental schools in the United States for African-American/Black/Hispanic/Latin American enrollment, excluding Black Historical College (HBC) from Howard and Meharry. Almost half of Class 2015 identifies as Asia (45%) and 49% Classes are female.
Curriculum
The Tufts University School of Dental Medicine (TUSDM) curriculum is a competency-based curriculum. It has been designed and modified over the years to reflect the changing needs of the dental profession and the community. The primary mission of the school is patient-centered. The goal is to develop dental practitioners who are able to utilize the basic principles of human biology and human behavior in relation to their technical skills in diagnosing, treating, and preventing oral diseases. TUSDM graduates should be able to integrate interdisciplinary knowledge and conduct procedures with regard to patient health. They must understand the importance of lifelong learning to continually improve their knowledge and skill base. D.M.D. program, which was extended over a four-year period, consisting of a series of:
- didactic (lectures and seminars)
- patient simulation (patient's simulation clinic, introductory clinical experience, and workshop)
- clinical experience (group practice, rotation and Community Service Service).
Facilities
In 2009, Tufts Dental completed $ 68 million, a five-storey vertical expansion. The vertical expansion of a new two-story clinical patient house, a new 108-seat simulation laboratory and teaching facilities for students, as well as a conference center for Continuing Education and administrative offices.
The design for the five-storey expansion, by ARC/Cambridge Resource Architecture, integrates contemporary forms and materials within the existing building framework. In contrast to the heavier shapes of existing structures, vertical additions use glass curtain wall systems and aluminum and white metal panels, which are extended to street level. The exit staircase at the corner of the building has also been converted into a glass beacon that marks the gateway to Boston's Tufts Health Sciences Campus.
Expanded and improved facilities better position the Dental School to increase enrollment, hire more faculty, and realize a community service tradition, benefiting more than 18,000 patients annually from the City of Boston and the larger New England community.
The project includes updates to the entire building infrastructure, incorporating new lifts and updated life-safety systems, as well as new generators.
In addition, expansion has helped the various departments work together more effectively with the use of two internal staircases, one connecting the clinical floor and the second linking the administration and Advanced Education departments.
Research
Tufts Dental provides many opportunities in research both through student and corporate research. The Student Research Fellowship Program provides predoctoral dentistry students with the opportunity to earn a salary while undertaking research under the supervision of the University faculty. The Deans Research Scholarship is a new initiative directed at dental students who come to help them get involved with research as soon as they enter the dental school.
The research areas in Tufts Dental include: Bone Remodeling, Sjösgren Syndrome: Dry and Dry Eyes, Dental Materials, Research Division of Public Health and Oral Medicine, Public Health and Community Services, Craniofacial and Molecular Genetics, Integrated Network Engineering, Biostatistics, Prosthodontics and Operative Dentistry, TMD and Orophasial Pain.
Student organization
The School of Dental Medicine has more than 20 student organizations. Some organizations present at Tufts Dental include: Delta Sigma Delta (DSD), American Student Dental Association (ASDA), and Bates Student Research Group.
Delta Sigma Delta (DSD)
Delta Sigma Delta is an internationally recognized dental brotherhood and was originally founded in 1882 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Tufts hosted Mu Bab, who was implanted before the turn of the 20th century when the school was known as Boston Dental College.
As an active social organization, Delts is involved with ongoing voluntary efforts in the Boston community, as well as routine health care and dental charity events.
Every year, the Brotherhood hosts a variety of recreational events to honor its members for their hard work and ease the tension in dental school. Falling barbecues, winter holiday parties, and Senior Send-offs are some of the highlights of the larger social gatherings being held. Other retreat-style events such as ski trips and Bruins games are also scheduled throughout the year. A friendship among members helps in their education, as Delts is a top class lecturer and knowledgeable alumni who helps guide young people with scholastic assistance, as well as clinical help.
This very prestigious organization is a great opportunity to mingle with members in your own class, mingle with seniors, and meet with members in other chapters during regional conventions.
American Student Dental Association (ASDA)
The American Student Dental Association was founded in 1971 to represent, serve and support the needs and interests of dental students. As a national professional organization, ASDA provides a forum for dental student expression problems. ASDA currently has more than 14,000 predoctoral members in each of the 55 branches of US dental schools.
ASDA Tufts University School of Dental Medicine Organization Objective:
- Improve the welfare of dental students
- Just dental care advocates
- Represents the needs, interests, and welfare of associate members
- Identify and promote necessary changes in dental education
- Introduce and promote organized dentistry
- Disseminate related information to dentistry students
- Increase dental and delivery care to everyone by identifying common dental needs
Bates Student Research Group
The Bates Student Research Group (SRG) is a student-managed organization that promotes student research in dentistry and related disciplines. Our main goal is to cultivate an environment where students who are interested in enriching their dental education through research are encouraged to do so.
The Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry
Dean Thomas received B.D.S. (Dental Degree) from Guy's Hospital, University of London, England, in 1975. In 1978, he received a Dental Dentistry Certificate from Eastman Dental Center, Rochester, NY, and M.S. (Dental Research) from the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY. From 1978 - 1980, he was appointed Assistant Professor, Department of Dentistry, at the University of Texas Medical Sciences Center in San Antonio. In 1980, he moved to the University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, where he received a Ph.D (Biomedical Sciences) in 1986. From 1980 to 1992, he held the appointment as an Assistant and then Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics Medicine Teeth, University of Connecticut Health Center.
From 1992 to 2003, he was Professor and Chairman, Department of Dentistry at the University of Texas Medical Sciences Center in San Antonio and made additional appointments as Professor, Department of Pediatrics and Cellular Department and Structural Biology. He was appointed Dean of the School of Dentistry at the University of Alabama in Birmingham in January 2004. On August 1, 2011, he was appointed Dean and Professor of Pediatric Dentistry at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine.
References
External links
- Official website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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