Challenges and Solutions
Ismail : The graduation requirements are designed to meet the Commission on Dental Accreditation ( CODA ) standards . At Temple Dental , we have the following requirements : passing all didactic courses , passing all preclinical courses , completing discipline-based experiences that prepare graduating students to practice dentistry , passing competency examinations , and completing Phase I care for 30 patients and full ( Phase I and II ) care for 15 patients . Since most of our patients have extensive dental needs , most of these experiences can be met with full care for 15-20 patients . Temple Dental students are assigned 50-70 patients just in the comprehensive care clinic . Temple Dental has moved to digital practice , and students are now competent in taking 3-D scans and designing prostheses . The school is fully paperless , and we have a system for evaluating care outcomes and rewarding students for managing health and oral health .
PDJ : How much weight is given to what is reported when deciding between applicants and why ? Are most dental schools accepting the ADAT scores or DAT scores and which do you prefer ? What are you seeing in your applicant pools these days ?
Wolff : In our holistic approach to admissions , we also consider an applicant ’ s academic history and the unique variety of noncognitive qualities presented by each applicant . The DAT , the examination that we utilize for predoctoral admissions , is just one of many factors taken into consideration when selecting a class . Penn Dental Medicine has been fortunate to see an increase in applications over the past few years while the national pool , though currently stable , has been in slow decline .
18 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2024 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL