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College of Dentistry hosts successful accreditation visit
by Tom O’Connor, UNMC Public Affairs
Published UNMC Today: Thursday, November 1, 2007
The 22 members of the Visiting Committee of the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation spent Oct. 23-25 assessing the UNMC College of Dentistry's programs, students, faculty and staff, and left with a favorable impression.
As they do for each U.S. dental school every seven years, the committee is charged with evaluating the college's effectiveness and outcomes. Based on the self-study document prepared by college faculty as well as on-site observations and interviews, the accreditation team was highly complimentary of the College of Dentistry's dental, dental hygiene, and advanced dental education programs, said John Reinhardt, D.D.S., dean of the College of Dentistry.
The college's last accreditation review was conducted in 2000. Since then, the college has had numerous accomplishments that were noted by the site visitors. These include:
- Outstanding performance on dental and dental hygiene national board examinations. The average score of dental students on the Part I examinations ranked the UNMC College of Dentistry in the top five in the country for the past three years among 56 dental schools and No. 1 in the country on the most recent Part II exam. The dental hygiene class of 2006 national board score also ranked No. 1 in the nation among 256 programs.
- Impressive growth in research productivity. Annual College of Dentistry NIH -funded support in 2000 was $37,000 and currently exceeds $4.8 million. The college now ranks 21st in the United States for NIH support, but 9th in the country on a full-time equivalent faculty basis, since the college has a relatively small number of faculty.
- Strong postgraduate programs in endodontics, general practice, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry and periodontics. The site visitors complimented the college for its excellent postgraduate clinical and classroom courses.
- Vast improvements in the college's facilities, including a state-of-the-art instrument sterilization and distribution system, a modern simulation clinic, and an ongoing plan for equipment replacement and clinic renovations.
- Notable service-learning, distance education and outreach programs, which have provided more than $1 million of services donated to needy, underserved children through Children's Dental Day and other programs.
- Exceptional interaction and cooperation with state agencies, organized dentistry and non-profit charitable organizations in addressing the oral health needs of Nebraskans.
"I'm extremely proud of the outstanding accomplishments of our faculty, students and staff over the past seven years. We had many positive outcomes to report to the accreditation site visit committee," Dr. Reinhardt said. "The accomplishments we reported to the accrediting group are truly a team effort, and they reflect positively on the talent, dedication, and spirit at the UNMC College of Dentistry."
Dental education accreditation, initiated in the early 1900s, is conducted today by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), which operates under the auspices of the American Dental Association. It is a peer review mechanism that includes the involvement of members of the discipline, the broad educational community, employers, practitioners, the dental licensing community and public members. All of these groups participate in a process designed to ensure educational quality. The official report of the College of Dentistry's accreditation status will be sent to the college following the commission's meeting in February.
Date Published: Thursday, November 1, 2007