The objectives of this program are to prepare dental graduates for a career in dental research during a five year training period, which combines certification in a clinical specialty with studies for a Ph.D. degree in a biomedical discipline. Candidates admitted to the clinical component of the program (certification in periodontology, orthodontics, endodontics, oral maxillofacial surgery, oral diagnosis, pedodontics or restorative dentistry) and to one of the areas of concentration of our Ph.D. program in biomedical sciences (oral biology, immunology, cell and developmental biology, neurobiology, cell physiology, pharmacology, molecular biology) will be considered for the dentist/scientist award on a competitive basis by an institutional committee. Ability and commitment to research will serve as major criteria. The pool of candidates will include the eligible students from our current certificate/Ph.D. program. This program, which has been in effect for over 5 years and has currently 10 students, will serve as a guideline for integrating the clinical and basic science education. The students start by strengthening their weakest area first (clinical or didactic), and try to complete the bulk of their clinical requirements and the qualifying examination for the Ph.D. during the third year. Their last 2 to 2.5 years are spent, under the guidance of a mentor, on a solid research project, suited for the development of the dentist-scientist candidate into an independent investigator. At the end of this training period the candidate will be awarded the Ph.D. degree, and the specialty certificate, and is expected to have applied for independent research support.
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