Dental Clinical Specialty Foundations Certificate
Overview
The goal of the Graduate-Level Certificate in Dental Clinical Specialties Foundations (DCSF) Program is to enhance the capacity of US or international dental school graduates to compete successfully for advanced dental education training positions at the School of Dentistry at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, now called UT Health San Antonio (UTHSA), as well as at other universities. The DCSF Program will provide course work to build participants' capacity in eight marketable skills that are essential for admission and successful performance in an Advanced Dental Education program and career evolution in contemporary dental practice: (1) research methods, (2) scientific writing, (3) critical appraisal of scientific evidence, (4) application of evidence-based practice in educational and dental practice settings, (5) capacity to apply basic science foundations for oral health care in patient assessment management, and (6) capacity to apply knowledge of precipitating and exacerbating factors interlinking oral health disorders and general health maladies in patient assessment and management. Students also will acquire (7) teaching skills and (8) patient management skills via faculty mentoring and instructional/clinical assisting activities in the UTHSA School of Dentistry's Center for Oral Health Care and Research.
Admissions Requirements
The CDCSF program will accept applications year round. Students are admitted to the certificate programs through registration as postdoctoral certificate students in the School of Dentistry.
1. Graduation from a Dental School with a D.D.S., D.M.D., or non-U.S. equivalent prior to matriculation.
2. DCSF application and payment of application fee, $200. Application materials include:
- Completed DCSF application
- Three letters of recommendation
- Original transcripts from all the schools attended. In addition, international applicants must have transcripts evaluated by evaluation firms such as ECE or WES including GPA calculations. All transcripts and evaluation reports must be received prior to application deadline.
- A copy of the Test of English as a Second Language (TOEFL) results if an international student and English is a second language. TOEFL (iBT format). A minimum score of 92 or above on the iBT is required of all applicants.
- A current copy of applicant’s CV
3. Once admitted into the DCSF Program, the following information must be provided to the Director before matriculation: 1) each candidate will need to provide proof of current immunizations; 2) each candidate must demonstrate that they have health insurance or purchase student health insurance, and 3) each candidate must complete a criminal background check through the University. A candidate cannot matriculate until all official transcripts are verified.
The DCSF is committed to an equal opportunity selection process for positions in the program. The candidate application and selection process will be race/ethnicity neutral. Additionally, gender, sexual orientation, age, and national origin are not considered in the application, recruitment, or selection process. Consistent with the policies of the UTHSA School of Dentistry for predoctoral and postdoctoral education programs, the DCSF will employ a holistic, individualized, and full-file candidate review process that includes a wide variety of information about each applicant's readiness for the program. This process ensures that each applicant is evaluated as an individual candidate and not in a way that makes the applicant's race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, or other characteristics a defining element of the application.
Degree Requirements
Certificates will be awarded upon the student's successful completion of the prescribed DCSF curriculum with a 3.0 minimum grade point average, recommendation of the program director to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and certification by the Dean to the President.
Sample of Plan of Study
Fall Semester Credit Hours
DCSF XXXX Teaching and Clinical Assisting Methods I (TCAMI) 3
DCSF XXXX Foundations and Advancements in Clinical Dentistry I (FACDI) 3
DCSF XXXX Contemporary Research Methods I (CRMI) 3
DCSF XXXX Critical Appraisal of Dental Literature I (CADLI) 3
Fall Semester Credit Hours 12
Spring Semester Credit Hours
DCSF XXXX Teaching and Clinical Assisting Methods II (TCAMII) 3
DCSF XXXX Foundations and Advancements in Clinical Dentistry II (FACDII) 3
DCSF XXXX Contemporary Research Methods II (CRMII) 3
DCSF XXXX Critical Appraisal of Dental Literature II (CADLII) 3
Spring Semester Credit Hours 12
Total Credit Hours: 24
The goal of the DCSF Program is to enhance the capacity of U.S. or international dental schools’ graduates to compete successfully for advanced dental education training positions at the UTHSA-SOD or other universities.
Program Outcomes: At the completion of the program the student will:
(1) Demonstrate comprehension of basic science foundations for oral health care in patent assessment and management decisions.
(2) Demonstrate comprehension of precipitating and exacerbating factors inter-linking oral health disorders and general health maladies including infectious, immune, inflammatory, metabolic and aging linkages, and human behavior including diet, tobacco and opioid use.
(3) Formulate research questions and hypotheses to guide the design of a research study that explores an unanswered research question pertinent to clinical dentistry.
(4) Develop a protocol for implementing an evidence-based research study including a detailed literature review and apply evidence-based practice principles to a patient care scenario.
(5) Apply a critical appraisal process to find, assess and disseminate evidence pertinent to clinical research questions.
(6) Conduct a critical appraisal of evidence for an assigned research question and present the appraisal via a Critically Appraised Topic (CAT) presentation.
(7) Apply effective teaching methods in classrooms and the clinic.
(8) Apply effective clinical assisting methods during patient care.