Dental Medicine Doctor (DMD)

• Admission Requirements
• General Requirements
• Curriculum

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Mission

The Mission of the Ponce Health Science University-School of Dental Medicine is to prepare culturally competent, excellence-driven, ethical dental practitioners with empathy and academic preparation to provide dental care to underserved populations. In order to accomplish this, the school is committed through a curriculum design to four interrelated activities: teaching, research, patient care, and service. Development and discovery, dissemination, and use of knowledge toward the enhancement of oral health is a major component of our mission.

Vision

Shaping oral health education to improve people’s lives; both at individual and community levels in collaboration with other health professionals.

Dental Education Program Goals

The School of Dental Medicine commits to its Mission by adopting the following Goals to guide its future decisions:

• To provide dental students with a high-quality educational curriculum that integrates evidence-based knowledge in biomedical, dental, and behavioral sciences and the necessary clinical skills to become competent and ethical professionals.
• To deliver patient-centered, comprehensive oral care to underserved populations, including those with special needs such as the disabled and elderly within our community.
• To enhance recognition of the institution’s commitment to excellence in basic and clinical research, scholarship, and creative pursuits, supporting existing investigators and recruiting new highly qualified researchers.
• To promote and support continuous education to faculty and staff to achieve excellence in education and service.

Graduate Profile

Our General Dentistry graduates will be competent in the practice of assessing, preventing, and treating diseases of the oral cavity for patients of all ages, including people with special needs, within the scope and context of primary dental care. General Dentists work within the broader general healthcare system, including professionals in Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacists, Psychologists, and many others. For that reason, SDM will prepare our graduates with ethical and interprofessional skills by providing an integrated curriculum with all five schools of PHSU. Our graduate’s competencies align within these five areas:

Critical Thinking

Evaluate and integrate biomedical, epidemiological, and behavioral fundamental principles and research outcomes using critical thinking for evidence-based clinical practice. Graduates will recognize how determinants of health may affect individual and population oral healthcare outcomes.

Courses: Biomedical Sciences Courses; The Dental Profession II; Endodontics; Epidemiology and Public Health; Evidence-Based Treatment Planning I-II; Fixes Prosthodontics & Implantology; Interprofessional Perspective Health Disparities; Operative Dentistry; Oral and Maxillofacial Growth and Occlusion; Oral Surgery; Orofacial Oncology; Orofacial Pain; Pain Control and Anxiety; Pediatric Dentistry; Periodontics; Prevention of Oral Disease and Cariology; Removable Prosthodontics; Research Methods & Literature Review; Special Populations; Special Topics in Periodontics and Endodontics; 3rd year Comprehensive Clinic; 4th year Comprehensive Clinic and Extramural Rotations

Health Promotion

Develop and participate in prevention and educational health promotion strategies based on risk assessments for individuals of all ages, including oral cancer screenings.

Courses: Clinical Skills; The Human Behavior; Interprofessional Perspective Health Disparities; Oral Medicine and Diagnosis; Orofacial Oncology; Prevention of Oral Disease and Cariology; Review for Integrated National Board Examination; 3rd year Comprehensive Clinic; 4th year Comprehensive Clinic and Extramural Rotations

Professionalism

Recognition of ethical principles and legal issues and applying them accordingly in decision- making while providing dental care. Graduates will demonstrate self-assessment and professional lifelong learning skills.

Courses: Clinical Skills; The Dental Profession I-IV; Evidence-Based Treatment Planning II; Fixes Prosthodontics & Implantology; The Human Behavior; Pediatric Dentistry; Periodontics; Removable Prosthodontics; Review for Integrated National Board Examination; Technology and Innovation; 3rd year Comprehensive Clinic; 4th year Comprehensive Clinic and Extramural Rotations

Practice Management, and Interpersonal Skills

Demonstrate effective management of a general dental practice, including technology resources, interpersonal skills, and communicate effectively with individuals from a diverse population.

Courses

Clinical Skills; The Dental Profession I-III; Fixes Prosthodontics & Implantology; The Human Behavior; Interprofessional Perspective Health Disparities; Introduction to the Clinic and EHR; Technology and Innovation; Orofacial Oncology; Prevention of Oral Disease and Cariology; Removable Prosthodontics; Review for Integrated National Board Examination; 3rd year Comprehensive Clinic; 4th year Comprehensive Clinic and Extramural Rotations

Patient Care

Manage oral health care, including assessment, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment planning with informed consent for patients of all ages and those with special needs.

1. Prevent, identify, and manage dental and medical emergencies.
2. Manage pain and anxiety in patients of all ages.
3. Diagnose and assess temporomandibular disorders.
4. Diagnose and management of periodontal diseases.
5. Perform and complete restorative procedures that preserve tooth structure, replace missing or defective tooth structure, maintain function, are esthetic, and promote soft and hard tissue health or defective tooth structure, maintain function, aesthetic, and promote soft and hard tissue health.
6. Diagnose and manage occlusal abnormalities.
7. Manage teeth replacement for partially and completely edentulous patients with a fixed prosthesis, removable prosthesis, and dental implants.
8. Diagnose and manage pulpal diseases.
9. Diagnose and manage surgical treatment needs.
10. Diagnose and manage oral mucosa and osseous diseases.

Courses

Biomedical Sciences Courses; Clinical Skills; Endodontics; Fixes Prosthodontics & Implantology; The Human Behavior; Interprofessional Perspective Health Disparities; Medical Emergencies in Dental Setting; Operative Dentistry; Oral and Maxillofacial Growth and Occlusion; Oral Maxillofacial Diagnostic Methods and Imaging; Oral Medicine and Diagnosis; Oral Surgery; Orofacial Oncology; Orofacial Pain; Pain Control and Anxiety; Pediatric Dentistry; Periodontics; Prevention of Oral Disease and Cariology; Removable Prosthodontics; Research Methods & Literature Review; Review for Integrated National Board Examination; Special Populations; Special Topics in Periodontics and Endodontics; 3rd year Comprehensive Clinic; 4th year Comprehensive Clinic and Extramural Rotations

Graduation Competencies

1. Evaluate and integrate biomedical, epidemiological, and research outcomes using critical thinking for evidence-based clinical practice.
2. Recognition of ethical principles and legal issues and applying them accordingly in decision- making while providing dental care.
3. Demonstrate effective management of a general dental practice, including technology resources, interpersonal skills, and communicate effectively with individuals from a diverse population.
4. Develop and participate in prevention and educational health promotion strategies based on the fundamental principles of behavioral sciences and risk assessments for individuals of all ages, including oral cancer screenings.
5. Manage oral health care, including assessment, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment planning with informed consent for patients of all ages and those with special needs.
6. Prevent, identify, and manage dental emergencies.
7. Manage pain and anxiety in patients of all ages.
8. Diagnose and assess temporomandibular disorders.
9. Diagnose and manage periodontal diseases.
10. Perform and complete restorative procedures that preserve tooth structure, replace missing or defective tooth structure, maintain function, aesthetic, and promote soft and hard tissue health.
11. Diagnose and treat malocclusion and space management.
12. Manage teeth replacement for partially and completely edentulous patients with a fixed prosthesis, removable prosthesis, and dental implants.
13. Diagnose and manage pulpal diseases.
14. Diagnose and manage surgical treatment needs.
15. Diagnose and manage oral mucosa and osseous diseases.
16. Demonstrate self-assessment and professional lifelong learning skills.

Admission Requirements

Ponce Health Sciences University strongly suggests that applicants apply with a BA / BS. Pre-dental coursework must be completed at a college-level institution accredited by the Council of Higher Education of PR or a US accrediting organization. Candidates who have completed the degree (BA/BS) will be given preference. However, a BS or BA degree is not a requirement for admission. Candidates applying for admission must comply with the following minimum requirements, including a minimum of 90 credits, to be considered. Candidates are encouraged to prepare beyond the minimum requirements by enhancing their preparation in basic and behavioral sciences.

Independent of the degree an applicant is pursuing or pursued, completion of the following courses is required:

Course Title	Credits
Biology	8
Chemistry	8
Organic Chemistry	8
Physics	8
Mathematics	6
Behavioral and Social Sciences*	6
Spanish	12
English	12

*Any two of the following: Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Ethics, Political Sciences, and/or Economics.

In addition to the above requirements, we strongly recommend coursework in Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Genetics, and Microbiology.

2. Bilingual in English and Spanish (read, write, speak, and understand)
3. A minimum GPA of 2.7 (on a four-point scale) is required for applying.
4. A minimum SGPA of 2.7 (on a four-point scale) is required for application.
5. Minimum DAT score of 15 (Average of the academic average and the perceptual ability). The scores must be no more than three years old.
6. Minimum of three recommendation letters (recommended that one letter will be from volunteering at a community activity).
7. Minimum of 24 hours of shadowing at a dental office.
8. Required immunizations prior to admission:
   1. Tdap booster
   2. MMR (2 doses)
   3. Hepatitis B (3 doses)
   4. Varicella (2 doses)
   5. Polio (if under 21 years old)

These requirements may vary according to the Centers for Disease Control CDC and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations.

Selection Criteria

Applicants to PHSU-SDM will be selected based on academic achievement, fitness, aptitude for the study, and other personal qualifications. The SDM Admissions Committees also consider special aptitudes, language and mechanical skills, stamina, perseverance, and motivation. All students must possess the physical and emotional capabilities required to independently undertake the full curriculum and achieve the school’s levels of competence. Students will be admitted based on individual qualifications.

The SDM Admission Committee will evaluate and weight applications considering several factors, which include:

1. Academic Performance
2. DAT scores
3. Essay
4. Extracurricular activities
5. Experience in the health field (research, community service, shadowing, and others)
6. Letters of Recommendation (a minimum of three)
7. Interview

Accepted applicants who are still completing the degree must successfully complete all courses in progress at the academic level they had been performing at the time of application. The deadline to provide a completed academic transcript is June 30 of the entering year.

How to Apply

PHSU-SDM candidates must submit the primary application through ADEA AADSAS. Visit https://www.adea.org/GoDental/Apply/ for more information. Application cycles open in the summer. Our institution will be found as Ponce Health Sciences University School of Dental Medicine. The deadline for AADSAS and PHSU’s secondary application is December 15th before the requested admission date. Each candidate is contacted by email acknowledging receipt of the application and notifying the required secondary application and documents (portfolio with evidence of extracurricular activities, essay, and recommendation letters). Once the candidate pays the application fee and provides all documents, a file will be opened. Visit www.psm.edu for more information regarding requirements, school policies, cost of attendance, and other important details related to the program.

Registration, orientation period, and commencement of classes take place in the second half of July.

Graduation Requirements

To receive the DMD degree, every student must fulfill the following requirements:

1. Have satisfactorily completed all coursework and examinations as required by the curriculum.
2. Have completed clinical experiences and extramural activities.
3. Pass all required competencies examinations.
4. Have shown a behavior considered acceptable to academic instructors and supervisors.
5. Have received the recommendation of the Dental Faculty as presented to the Promotions Committee. The Committee reviews both cognitive and attitudinal aspects of performance. The decisions on each student are then submitted to the Dean for the corresponding administrative process.
6. Have settled all financial and library obligations with Ponce Health Sciences University.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

A Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy will be established to ensure that dental students complete the academic program within the acceptable time frame and the minimally accepted quality of performance. This policy will also ensure that the Student Financial Aid requirements set forth by federal regulations have been met. The SAP will apply to all dental students enrolled in Ponce Health Sciences University School of Dental Medicine. A student’s academic progress is evaluated twice each semester.

General Requirements

1. Time Frame for Completion of the Academic Program
   A dental student will be allowed a maximum time frame of two years of enrollment beyond the standard required for the completion of the program. Summer enrollment is considered part of the academic year for the purpose of this measure.

Program	Standard	Maximum
Doctor of Dental Medicine	4 years	6 years

2. Completion of Program Requirements
   1. Course Requirement
      Students must complete all courses within the established time frame.
   2. Performance Requirement
      A student must pass each course. Any student failing to meet this standard of performance will be referred to the Students Promotion Committee to determine the action to be taken.
   3. Fundamental knowledge examination
      A passing score for Fundamental knowledge will be required for promotion to the clinic.
   4. Competencies examinations
      All dental students will be required to take and pass all competencies examinations before graduation.
   5. Professional Behavior Requirement
      The students must conduct themselves in accordance with the norms for professional conduct set forth by the Ponce Health Sciences University and the corresponding accreditation agencies.

Grade Requirement

The Ponce Health Sciences University Dental Program does not measure academic progress by cumulative grade point average. To graduate, the dental student should pass all required and elective courses. Satisfactory Academic Progress will be reviewed twice each semester by the Student Assessment Committee.

Students must approve all courses with a minimum of C (in a scale A, B, C, F).

An “I” (Incomplete) grade will only be allowed under very special circumstances as determined by the professor. The student must complete the “I” (Incomplete) by the following semester, or an - “F” will be recorded for that course. The “I” (Incomplete) grades are part of the academic record as are the final grades.

Academic Probation

Any student failing to meet Ponce Health Sciences University dental program performance requirement will be referred to the School of Dental Medicine Students Promotion Committee and placed on academic and financial aid probation. The following guidelines will be applied:

1. If the student fails one course, he/she should remediate the deficiency during the summertime.
2. If the student fails two or more courses or fails a course a second time, he/she may be considered for either repetition of courses or dismissal.
3. If the Students Promotion Committee determines that the student must repeat one or more courses during the summer or the next academic year, the student is considered in academic probation.
4. If the Students Promotion Committee determines to dismiss the student from the dental program, the student must be informed about his/her right to appeal.
5. If the dismissal decision is reversed by the due process, the student will be considered in academic probation.

Appeal Process for Academic

Students who are notified by the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs about a decision of the Students Promotion Committee that he/she must repeat failed courses during the next academic year or to be dismissed from the dental program, have the right to appeal the decision within seven working days after receiving the notification.

The appeal or due process presented below must be followed.

The student will appeal in writing to the School of Dental Medicine Students Promotion Committee (SPC) and include all relevant documentation to support the request. The Committee will evaluate the reasons and evidence submitted to determine if they change their initial decision. The SPC has ninety-six (96) hours to submit its decision to the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs, who will notify the decision to the student.

If the SPC sustains the adverse decision, the student has the right to appeal to the Dean of Dental Medicine. The appeal must be submitted in writing within seven working days of receiving the notification. The Dean of Dental Medicine will evaluate the appeal and the student’s academic record. The Dean can appoint a three- member Ad-Hoc Committee to re-evaluate all evidence. Rejection of the appeal by the Dean is final.

If an Ad-Hoc Committee is appointed, they will notify the student in writing of the date and the time when the appeal will be evaluated. The Ad-Hoc Committee has ninety-six (96) hours to submit a recommendation to the Dean of Dental Medicine. The Dean of Dental Medicine will consider the Ad-Hoc Committee recommendation and make the final decision within ninety-six (96) hours. Any decision will be reported to the student in writing. The decision made by the Dean of Dental Medicine is final.

The same process described above will be followed in the case that the adverse decision made by the Committee is for non-academic reasons, such as unacceptable professional behavior. The Department Chairperson, the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs or the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs will refer the case to the SPC. If the recommendation of the SPC is to dismiss the student, the appeal process described above may be activated.

If an adverse decision is made due to non-academic reasons and the Dean of Dental School sustains the decision after the appeal process, the student may appeal to the Vice-President for Academic Affairs and then to the President.

Financial Aid Eligibility

Financial Aid eligibility is contingent upon satisfactory academic progress. Please refer to the institutional policy on Satisfactory Academic Progress published by the Office of Financial Aid.

Enforcement

The Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs shall have primary responsibility for overseeing this policy and will provide all dental students a copy of this document upon admission to Ponce Health Sciences University School of Dental Medicine.

The President, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the Vice President for Student Affairs, as well as the Dean of Dental School, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs, Registrar, and Financial Aid Director will receive all pertinent data to ensure proper enforcement of the policy here set forth.

Tuition and Fees

For more details on PHSU tuition and fees, please refer to: Tuition and Fees 2024-2025.pdf

ALL TUITION AND FEES ARE PAYABLE ON OR BEFORE REGISTRATION.

*Ponce Health Sciences University reserves the right to increase the tuition or other fees as deemed necessary. *