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UMKC School of Dentistry Update


by MARSHA PYLE, DDS DEAN, UMKC SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY


T


he UMKC School of Dentistry (School) welcomed 109 dental and 30 dental hygiene students on August 18. These enthusias- tic, hopeful students come to the School with great credentials and experience. The overall DDS GPA is 3.6 while the DH entering GPA is 3.4. Sixty-three DDS students come from Missouri while 25 are from the state of Kansas. Nineteen in this class are legacy students, with a member of their family as an alumnus! We look forward to their successes in the com- ing years until they officially join us as the practitioners of tomorrow upon their graduation!


DDS CLASS OF 2020 Demographic


Total Students in Class Missouri Residents Kansas Residents


New Mexico Residents Arkansas Residents Hawaii Residents Kuwait Students Other States Males


Females


Many members of the faculty, staff, students


DAT Average Science GPA


#


109 63 25 5 2 3 4 7


54 55


19.3 3.65


Community Service Hours 200+


and entering classes joined the Missouri Dental Association at the MOMOM held in Independence in August. It was gratifying to be a participant and lend assistance to members of greater KC who need assistance in accessing oral health care services. I was personally moved by those we served, the number of volunteers and the continuing acknowledgement of members of the School community who participated.


The School is in the process of a self-study in preparation for an accreditation site visit in November 2017. The comprehensive review of our curriculum, facilities, research and finances in our ongoing quality improvement efforts is a worthwhile effort. Our self-review is continuous, and the accreditation prepara- tion process helps us focus our work to meet expected standards and prepare our school and its graduates for the future.


The School continues to plan for a small satellite in southern Missouri at MSSU. We received partial funding to begin the process of planning for the 15-student cohort satel- lite. We look forward to working with MSSU to assure a well-planned project will result in graduates’ commitment to serving the rural needs of Missouri.


The School faculty and staff lead the way on many fronts. We are proud of the leadership of members of the School of Dentistry who


A warm welcome has been extended to new faculty and staff serving in important leader- ship roles. Dr. Liz Kaz and Ms. Amy Widau head up our Continuing Education program planning. Dr. Keerthana Satheesh assumed the role of Chair upon the retirement of Dr. John Rapley in the Department of Periodon- tics. She is joined by Dr. Scott Gruwell, also a board certified Periodontist, who accepted the position as Director of the Advanced Education program in Periodontics in June. Dr. Gruwell joins UMKC with leadership ex-


RDH CLASS OF 2018 Demographic


7 1


#


Total Students in Class 30 Missouri Residents 23 Kansas Residents Males


Females Science GPA


have excelled in their respective leadership roles. Recently, Dr. Pam Overman, Associ- ate Dean for Academic Affairs, received the Esther Wilkins Lifetime Achievement award. This award is the highest award presented to a dental hygiene educator. Dr. Connie White, an active member of the Academy of General Dentistry for many years, was elected this summer as Secretary of the AGD. Richie Bigham, Assistant Dean for Student Programs, has been tagged as an American Dental Education Association national trainer in holistic admissions, while Dr. Brett Ferguson will assume the presidency this fall of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Congratulations to these faculty and staff of the School who are at the top of their game. They represent the School so well!


29 3.53


perience in the Air Force Perio AE programs and in private practice. In January 2016, Dr. Jodie Lee was appointed as the Director of the AEGD program. We are very privileged to have the leadership of these outstanding individuals join the School.


Third year student, Jessica Sliger, recently has received one of 10 national scholarships from the Dental Trade Alliance. Lastly, the UMKC Dental Hygiene Program was the winner of the Colgate Academic Recycling Contest for the 2015-2016 academic year. The DH stu- dents collected an astounding 32,998 pieces (653.74 pounds) of oral care waste and raised a total of $853.62 for the Rinehart Founda- tion. As the winner of the project, UMKC will receive a beautiful park bench made from recycled materials. f


ISSUE 5 | SEP/OCT 2016 | focus 41


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