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WesternU introduces International Dentist Program

by Rodney Tanaka

February 27, 2018

Read 2 mins

Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Dental Medicine is introducing an International Dentist Program, with the first class set to begin in March 2019. (Jeff Malet, WesternU)

Dentists from other countries will be able to obtain a Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree — qualifying them for licensure and practice in the U.S. — through a new program to be offered by Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Dental Medicine (CDM), pending WesternU Board of Trustees approval.

The program will be about 26 months long, typically beginning in March and ending two years later, in mid-May. The first class is expected to have five students. Only applications from U.S. citizens or permanent residents will be accepted for the 2019 entering class.

Dentists from foreign countries must obtain a U.S. dental degree to become licensed to practice here. Students in this international program will complete a 10-week course that reviews the first two years of CDM’s curriculum. These students will then join third-year CDM students for two years of clinical training.

CDM’s International Dentist Program has been granted the accreditation status of “approval without reporting requirements” by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation.

The program brings CDM in line with other dental schools in California that offer international programs, said CDM Associate Dean for Clinical Initiatives and Program Development David Lazarchik, DMD.

“There is a high demand for this program,” Lazarchik said. “We believe it will increase the diversity of our class and the university community. It will be a great service to these dentists who can’t utilize their skills in this country without that degree to get a dental license. This extends the global reach of WesternU.”

Click here to visit the Doctor of Dental Medicine – International page for prospective students: http://prospective.westernu.edu/dentistry-idp/welcome/

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