Dental Scientist Training Program

The Dental Scientist Training Program (DSTP), also known as the D.M.D./Ph.D. program, is one of only 13 such programs supported by a National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Health training grant. It is also financially and administratively supported by the Colleges of Dental Medicine and Graduate Studies. The program is designed to facilitate the development of superior students into individuals who can provide the innovative leadership required in oral health sciences. The integrated program provides the training for the attainment of both the D.M.D. and Ph.D. degrees. Accordingly, the program seeks to incorporate the best qualities of the dental and graduate programs into a cohesive whole and to foster exceptional training in both clinical and research areas.

The DSTP consists of faculty members drawn from both basic and clinical sciences departments. The program directors with internal and external steering committees are responsible for the operation of the program. The primary purpose of such an administrative structure is to guide the Dental Scientist Training Program and its participants toward the highest quality of intellectual curiosity and the accomplishment of academic excellence. 

The DSTP is an integrated program with both the D.M.D. and Ph.D. degrees conferred upon a student at the very end of the program, and only upon successful completion of the program.  The curriculum is essentially the same curriculum for the D.M.D. and the Ph.D. programs, just integrated.  Since DSTP students begin with the first year of D.M.D. training, they begin the dental school didactic curriculum in June, ahead of traditional Fall academic year start dates. DSTP students begins with 1 year of dental school, followed by 3-4 years of research, and then the final 3 years of the dental school curriculum. This paradigm helps students concentrate on their research and/or clinical work for better retention and offers a more satisfactory blend of academic and patient experiences. Additionally, dental students need continuity in their clinical training to maintain the skills acquired during their 2nd year of preclinical, laboratory-based dental classes. To stimulate and promote integration of the basic research skills and interests likely to be acquired during the years of PhD training, we provide 2 opportunities for DSTP students, during the clinical training, to gain knowledge about and actively participate in clinical and translational research through the Month in the Research Nexus and the Translational Sciences Clinic. DSTP students differ in the amount of time needed to complete their training; the average – based on 10 graduates to date – is 8.1 years.  

Curriculum

Year 1, Summer B, Header (5/29/25-8/8/25)

DBSCI724	Gross Anatomy	8
GENDT802	Introduction to Dentistry	3
Semester Total		11

Year 1, Fall B (8/25/25-12/12/25)

CLNDM805	Early Clinics I	3.5
DBSCI727	Dental Biochemistry	3
DBSCI728A	Cell Bio and Basic Histology	3
DBSCI728B	Oral Histology and Embryology	2
DPOH806	Preventive Dentistry	1
FXPRO801	Pre-Clinical Occlusion I	2.5
GENDT801	Dental Morphology	3
GENDT804	Nutrition and Oral Health	1
GENDT819	Infection Control	1
IP711	IP Foundations & TeamSTEPPS	1
IP###	IP Concentration Course	1
PERIO802	Periodontics I	2
GENDT831	Evidence Based Dentistry	0.5
Semester Total		24.5

Year 1, Spring (1/5/26-5/1/26)

CLNDM806	Early Clinics II	3.5
DBSCI723	Dental Microbiology	4
FXPRO805	Fixed Prosthodontics I	2
DBSCI725	Physiology	6
DBSCI729	Oral Immunology/Biology	4
MATSC801	Dental Materials	2.5
PROS820	Implant Prosthodontics I	2.5
STOMA880	Behavioral Science	2
Semester Total		26.5

Year 2, Summer A, Header (5/1/25-8/14/25)

CGS720	Laboratory Rotation	4
CGS721	Laboratory Rotations	4
###970	Research	3 - 6
Semester Total		11 - 14

Year 2, Fall B (8/25/25-12/12/25)

MCBP745	Topics in Oral Health Sciences	0.5
MCBP747	Oral Health Science Seminar Series	0.5
CGS768	Techniques & Experimental Design	2
###970	Research	3 - 6
Semester Total		6 - 9

Year 2, Spring (1/5/26-5/1/26)

CGS772	Learning From the Literature	2
CGS770	Principles Practices & Professionalism	2
MCBP745	Topics in Oral Health Sciences	0.5
MCBP747	Oral Health Science Seminar Series	0.5
###970	Research	3 - 6
	Dissertation
Semester Total		8 - 11

Year 3, Summer A, Header (5/1/25-8/14/25)

###970	Research	3 - 6
Semester Total		3 - 6

Year 3, Fall B (8/25/25-12/12/25)

CGS727	Designing Rigorous Research	1
MCBP745	Topics in Oral Health Sciences	0.5
MCBP747	Oral Health Science Seminar Series	0.5
CGS700	Intro to Biostatsistics	4
###970	Research	3 - 6
	Any additional department specific requirements
Semester Total		9 - 12

Year 3, Spring (1/5/26-5/1/26)

MCBP745	Topics in Oral Health Sciences	0.5
MCBP747	Oral Health Science Seminar Series	0.5
###970	Research	3 - 6
	Dissertation	8-11
Semester Total		15*

Year 4, Summer A, Header (5/1/25-8/14/25)

	Dissertation	15
Semester Total		15

Year 4, Fall B (8/25/25-12/12/25)

MCBP745	Topics in Oral Health Sciences	0.5
MCBP747	Oral Health Science Seminar Series	0.5
	Dissertation	14
Semester Total		15

Year 4, Spring (1/5/26-5/1/26)

MCBP745	Topics in Oral Health Sciences	0.5
MCBP747	Oral Health Science Seminar Series	0.5
	Dissertation	14
Semester Total		15

Year 5, Summer A, Header (5/1/25-8/14/25)

	Dissertation	15
Semester Total		15

Year 5, Fall A (8/18/25-12/19/25)

MCBP745	Topics in Oral Health Sciences	0.5
MCBP747	Oral Health Science Seminar Series	0.5
	Dissertation	14
Semester Total		15

Year 5, Spring (1/5/26-5/1/26)

MCBP745	Topics in Oral Health Sciences	0.5
MCBP747	Oral Health Science Seminar Series	0.5
	Dissertation	14
Semester Total		15

Year 6, Summer A, Header (5/1/25-8/14/25)

RSCH	Research in Area of Study	15
Semester Total		15

Year 6, Fall A (8/18/25-12/19/25)

CLNDM810	Early Clinics III	3
ENDO816	Principles of Endodontics	3
FXPRO806	Fixed Prosthodontics II	2.5
GENDT805	Operative I and Cariology	4.5
OMFS801	Oral Surgery I	1
ORAD800	Introduction to Rad Tech & Interp	2
ORTHO 801	Orthodontics I	2
RMPRO811	Complete Dentures Pros I	4.5
SDENT623	General & Systemic Pathology	3.5
SDENT838	Oral Medicine I	1
MCBP745	Topics in Oral Health Sciences	0.5
MCBP747	Oral Health Sci Seminar Series	0.5
Semester Total		28

Year 6, Spring (1/5/26-5/1/26)

CLNDM811	Early Clinics IV	2.5
ENDO817	Endodontic Technique	2
FXPRO807	Fixed Prosthodontics III	2.5
GENDT830	Operative II	4
OMFS805	Comp. Control of Pain/Anxiety Dentistry	1
ORTHO 802	Orthodontics II	2
DBSCI726	Pharmacology	4
PDENT800	Pediatric Dentistry I	1
RMPRO813	Complete Dentures II	1.5
RMPRO835	Removable Partial Pros	3.5
SDENT907	Oral Medicine II	1
MCBP745	Topics in Oral Health Sciences	0.5
MCBP747	Oral Health Sci Seminar Series	0.5
Semester Total		26

Year 7, Summer A, Header (5/1/25-8/14/25)

CLNDM812I	Junior Clinic Oral Diagnosis/Rad	1
CLNDM890	Orientation to Clinics	1
CLNDM896	Junior Attendance I	2
GENDT835	Treatment Plan Fundamentals	1
GENDT888	Preclinical Skills Assessment	0.5
OMFS806	Clinical Pathopsys of Com Med Cond	0.5
OMFS810	Physical Diagnosis	1
PEDOR825	Pediatric/Orthodontic Lab	1
PROS821	Implant Prosthodontics II	2.5
PERIO817	Periodontics II	1.5
Semester Total		12

Year 7, Fall A (8/18/25-12/19/25)

CLNDM813E	Junior Clinic Pediatric	0.5
CLNDM813I	Junior Clinic Oral Diagnosis/Radiology	1.5
CLNDM830	Continued Quality Improvement	1.5
CLNDM897	Junior Attendance II	3
DBSCI730	Clinical Genetics	1
ENDO813	Endo Special Topics	1
GENDT818	Introduction to Research Methods	2
PDENT801	Pediatric Dentistry II	1
PERIO818	Periodontics III	1.5
SDENT839	Oral Pathology I	3
MCBP745	Topics in Oral Health Sciences	0.5
MCBP747	Oral Health Sci Seminar Series	0.5
Semester Total		17

Year 7, Spring (1/5/26-5/1/26)

CLNDM814A	Junior Clinic Fixed Prosthodontics	1
CLNDM 814B	Jr. Clinic Endodontics	1
CLNDM814C	Junior Clinic Operative Dent	3.5
CLNDM814D	Junior Clinic Oral Surgery	1
CLNDM814E	Junior Clinic Pediatric Dent.	0.5
CLNDM814I	Junior Clinic Oral Diagnosis/Rad	1.5
CLNDM814J	Junior Clinic Periodontics	3
CLNDM814K	Junior Clinic Orthodontics	0.5
CLNDM814L	Junior Clinic Removable Pros	3
CLNDM827	Junior Treatment Plan Clinic	1
CLNDM831	Continued Quality Improvement II	1.5
CLNDM874	Oral Rehab Clin Experience I	2
CLNDM898	Junior Attendance III	3
GENDT807	Practice Management I	1
GENDT816	Patient Management	1
MATSC886	Independent Project	1
PROS830	Dental Implantology	1
SDENT840	Oral Pathology II	3
DPOH808	Dental Public Health	1
ORAD801	Radiology Advanced Topics	1
MCBP745	Topics in Oral Health Sciences	0.5
MCBP747	Oral Health Sci Seminar Series	0.5
Semester Total		32.5

Year 8, Summer A, Header (5/1/25-8/14/25)

CLNDM832	Cont. Quality Improvement III	1.5
CLNDM850E	Senior Clinic Pediatric Dentistry	0.5
CLNDM892	Senior Attendance I	2.5
GENDT806	Esthetic Dentistry	0.5
GENDT825	Comp Clinical Competency I	0.5
OMFS885	Advanced Concepts in OMFS	1
GENDT817	Practice Management II	1
SDENT846	Chronic Orofacial Pain Mgmt	0.5
Semester Total		8

Year 8, Fall A (8/18/25-12/19/25)

CLNDM833	Continued Quality Improvement IV	1.5
CLNDM851C	Senior Clinic Operative Dentistry	3
CLNDM851E	Senior Clinic Pediatric Dentistry	0.5
CLNDM875	Oral Rehab Clin Experience II	2
CLNDM893	Senior Attendance II	3
GENDT810	Advanced Dental Seminar Series	1
GENDT823	Advanced Treatment Planning	2.5
MCBP745	Topics in Oral Health Sciences	0.5
MCBP747	Oral Health Sci Seminar Series	0.5
Semester Total		14.5

Year 8, Spring (1/5/26-5/1/26)

CLNDM828	Senior Treatment Plan Clinic	1
CLNDM818	Ryan White Wellness Center	0.5
CLNDM834	Continued Quality Improvement V	1.5
CLNDM845	Oral Surgery Rotation	1.5
CLNDM852B	Senior Clinic Endodontics	1
CLNDM852C	Senior Clinic Operative Dentistry	1
CLNDM852E	Senior Clinic Pediatric Dentistry	0.5
CLNDM852J	Senior Clinic Periodontics	3
CLNDM852L	Implant Prosthodontic Clinic	1
CLNDM852M	Senior Clinic Removable Pros	3
CLNDM852N	Senior Clinic Fixed Prosthodontics	1
CLNDM871	Clinical Rest Dent Comp	7.5
CLNDM872	Oral Diagnosis Rotation	1.5
CLNDM876	Oral Rehab Clin Experience III	1
CLNDM880	Oral Head & Neck Cancer Clinical	0.5
CLNDM894	Senior Attendance III	3
CLNDM865	Off Campus Enrichment Sites	0.5
GENDT822	EBD Capstone	0.5
GENDT826	Comp Clinical Competency II	0.5
MCBP745	Topics in Oral Health Sciences	0.5
MCBP747	Oral Health Sci Seminar Series	0.5
Semester Total		31

Curriculum Total

388-403+

* In Dissertation years, total credit hours for each semester must equal 15.