Associations and Organizations

Social, fraternal and professional organization memberships are open to all students in the DDS program. These organizations represent a way to become more involved in the industry and present opportunities to meet new professionals and establish contacts that will last a lifetime. We also encourage you to become involved with Pacific's student body association and strive to become a member of our honor societies.

Professional Organizations

• American Dental Association (ADA)     website
• American Student Dental Association (ASDA)
  All University of the Pacific dental students are members of ASDA and, concurrently, student members of the American Dental Association with all the rights and privileges of such membership. Benefits are detailed in publications distributed by these organizations. 
• California Dental Association (CDA)     website
  University of the Pacific students were the first of California's dental school population to take advantage of the student membership category offered by the California Dental Association. A modest annual dues fee provides each student member with CDA publications, access without charge to CDA meetings, and the opportunity to enroll in CDA's group disability insurance plan.
• American Dental Education Association (ADEA)      website
  The council of students is one of seven councils of the ADEA. The school's elected representatives to this council participate in the ADEA annual session and regional meetings. The council of students has an administrative board consisting of a vice president who serves on the ADEA executive committee, and a chairperson, vice chairperson, secretary, and member at large. The council elects several student delegates who have full voting privileges in the ADEA House of Delegates.

Fraternal

The University of the Pacific has chapters in three of the four national professional dental fraternities: Alpha Omega, Delta Sigma Delta and Xi Psi Phi.

A professional dental fraternity is a Greek letter organization of individuals, bonded together by ritual, which limits its membership to dental graduates and students enrolled and satisfactorily pursuing courses in an accredited school of dentistry. It is not an honorary fraternity or recognition society.

A professional dental fraternity aims to promote the high ideals and standards of its profession; to advance the professional knowledge and welfare of its members; and to provide a medium through which its members, with a common interest, can develop everlasting friendships.

Professional Dental Fraternities:

• stress the importance of high professional ethics and practices
• conduct an extensive program of speakers, tours and forums that are designed to broaden the professional knowledge of its members
• grant scholarships and awards that encourage professional proficiency and provide a service to the school and community
• work to complement the curriculum of the school
• foster social functions that stimulate the development of life long friendships

The associated student body of the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry is composed of students enrolled in the doctoral program. Business affairs of the organization are conducted by the student executive council that consists of the elected student body officers, the president and vice president of each class, and elected representatives to selected agencies of organized dentistry. Any student may meet with the student executive council, but only duly elected officers may vote on issues under consideration. The council and individual classes select representatives to the following school committees: curriculum; library; faculty appointment, promotion and tenure; student appeals; museum; postgraduate education; safety; store; student clinic advisory; infection control, and academic advisory.

Pacific is rather unique in that it supports two associations which honor outstanding dental students. Pacific is proud to honor the accomplishments of its outstanding dental students who demonstrate superior clinical and scholastic achievements.

• Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) is a national dental honor society which honors superior dental students based on scholarship and character at the end of their DDS education. OKU is known as the Phi Beta Kappa of dentistry. The Delta Delta Chapter of OKU was founded at Pacific in 1933. Within a few weeks of graduation, faculty, who are members of OKU, review the list of the top 20% of the class and select the individuals they consider to be in the top 12%. Those selected are inducted into membership during an elegant ceremony just prior to graduation.   More info...
• Tau Kappa Omega Honor Society (TKO) is an honor society which is unique to Pacific. Pacific feels that it is very important and appropriate to recognize and celebrate student excellence and achievement while still in school. Student members are challenged to continue to uphold their honor student distinction. By their actions and successes, they serve as role models for other students within the School of Dentistry.

TKO was founded in 1927 by Dr. Kenneth Nesbitt. The Greek Tau Kappa Omega means honor and service to alma mater . TKO has established principles in scholarship and service and has served as an incentive for professional accomplishment.