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University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, located in the Pacific Heights area of San Francisco, has served the Bay Area community for 110 years. The school was founded in 1896 as the College of Physicians and Surgeons with programs in dentistry, medicine and pharmacy. In 1918, the college focused its education program solely on dentistry but retained its name as the College of Physicians and Surgeons until 1962 when the dental college was incorporated into the University of the Pacific. Pacific is a private university with its main campus located in Stockton, California, and its law school in Sacramento, California. In August of 2004, the University Board of Regents named its School of Dentistry as the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in honor of Dr. Dugoni, the dean for 28 years. Pacific became the only university in the United States or Canada to name its dental school after a current dean.
The Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry’s distinct mission is to educate competent beginning dentists in a humanistic environment. The entire school community, from students to administrators, embraces the humanistic philosophy that respects the dignity of each individual and fosters limitless potential for growth.
Pacific is the only dental school in the United States offering an accelerated, year-round predoctoral program where students are able to complete four academic years of instruction in three calendar years. This allows students the opportunity to enter private practice or specialty programs one year earlier than other dental schools. The school is also the originator of such curricular innovations as comprehensive patient care and competency-based education. Currently, the School of Dentistry has more than 500 students enrolled in six educational programs, including: predoctoral program leading to a DDS degree; two-year International Dental Studies program for foreign-trained dentists; two-year Graduate Orthodontic program; one-year Advanced Education in General Dentistry program; four-year residency program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Highland General Hospital, Alameda County Medical Center; and a three-year hygiene program leading to a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene.
The Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry operates 11 clinics within its San Francisco location and rotates students through its extramural clinics - the Union City Dental Care Center, Highland General Hospital and Advanced General Dentistry and Dental Hygiene Clinics in Stockton. The dental school provides more than $500,000 of uncompensated care on an annual basis, and another $10 million of care at substantially reduced prices, to assist the culturally and socio-economically diverse population of the San Francisco Bay Area. Pacific’s CARE Clinic provides free dental services to qualified San Francisco residents with HIV or AIDS through funding from the federal government’s Ryan White CARE Act. Pacific clinics handle 135,000 patient visits annually and provide outstanding clinical and practice management preparation for its students.
The dental school continues to be an advocate and leader in improving oral health care for people with developmental disabilities, particularly in California’s rural areas. The Pacific Center for Special Care has received more than $7 million in grants to expand and strengthen its successful community-based oral health care treatment and prevention program for people with developmental disabilities. The school has made significant strides in these areas by working with the California Department of Developmental Services, California Regional Centers and health care providers in rural communities for the past decade. It is a model program that sets the standard for community involvement.
Students at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry take an active role in serving the San Francisco Bay Area through the efforts of the Student Community Outreach for Public Education (SCOPE) organization. SCOPE, founded in 1994, provides dental health education to children, adults and the elderly. Each year, elected SCOPE officers organize 200 student volunteers, accompanied by faculty and staff, to participate in more than 50 community outreach programs serving approximately 1,800 patients. In addition, SCOPE hosts its annual Senior Smiles Health Fair where senior citizens receive complimentary dental screenings and a myriad of other health screenings. During the 2005-06 year, SCOPE expanded its services to include the Crest Cavity-Free Zone curriculum. Partnering with the Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco, several students made an eight-week commitment to mentor children at various Boys and Girls Clubs in San Francisco. The school received the first place Crest Healthy Smiles American Student Dental Association Community Dentistry Award in 2006 as a result of this community effort.
Technology is a focus at the dental school as it relates to both teaching and learning. The school’s state-of-the-art 6,000 square foot clinical simulation laboratory was one of the first of its kind in the nation in 1996. This high-tech laboratory enables first-year students to become skilled in their pre-clinical abilities at a pentagon station with computer-aided learning. Each workstation is equipped with a laboratory bench, a sophisticated mannequin, a computer terminal for interactive instruction, and network and Internet access. In addition, leaders in the profession conduct continuing education courses for dentists in the simulation lab throughout the year.
All students are also equipped with laptop computers and use inventive CD-ROM and Web-based educational materials created by faculty members. Students are able to “plug in” computers into network ports in the simulation lab and at various locations throughout the institution. Students can also access the school’s clinic management system from each operatory, allowing students to enter and edit treatments plans, view patient appointments and utilize a graphical charting system. In addition, the school recently constructed modern high-tech classrooms.
The dental school continues to be the top unit of the university in funded research. It maintains a strong presence as a clinical research center for businesses and foundations. Research affiliations with companies such as Block Drug, Biolase Technologies, Colgate-Palmolive, DENTSPLY International, Oral B, Procter & Gamble and Sonicare have been instituted. Major breakthroughs include clinical research on “Invisalign®,” the invisible braces for adults created by Align Technology.
Through its Division of Postgraduate Studies, the dental school has moved aggressively in the area of continuing education, particularly in aesthetic dentistry, endodontics and implants. The dental school’s comprehensive programs attract practitioners from across the country interested in cutting-edge dentistry. Many courses combine lectures, demonstrations and hands-on workshops to expose participants to the newest concepts, materials and techniques.
Leadership, at all levels within the institution, is a central theme at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry and is included in the school’s mission statement. Alumni, administrators and faculty members maintain a strong presence in local, state, national and international dental associations and are active in their communities. Students are exposed to various leadership opportunities during dental school and several hold national positions. All students are members of the American Student Dental Association and the California Dental Association.
With a focus on humanism, innovation, collaboration and leadership, the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry continues to position itself at the forefront of dental education.
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