Those of us who work at the Dugoni School of Dentistry are fortunate to be inspired each week by the motivated students in our classrooms, clinics and hallways.
Inspiration came early to some of these budding dental professionals who figured out at a young age that they would like to pursue careers in oral health care. Others came to their decisions later in life. In either case, a network of friends, family, alumni, students, faculty members and staff advisors impacted their decision along the way.
As students move from inspiration to action in pursuit of their educational dreams, our Office of Student Services is there to advise them, provide information and resources and manage the entire admissions process. As you’ll discover in this issue, the activities of this office are varied. They include everything from hosting an annual dental camp for middle school students to meeting with predental student clubs, reviewing applications, coordinating student interviews, managing financial aid packages, arranging housing, answering questions from parents and much more.
This issue of Contact Point also highlights a few other innovative and inspiring developments. We’re moving forward with changes to the group practice model in the Main Clinic to improve the student experience and patient care. The changes will include a shift to eight smaller group practices with second- and third-year students working side by side in order to provide students with an experience that more closely resembles private practice. We also cover a popular new course in predental ceramics offered on the Stockton campus by a visual arts professor to help students develop their perceptual ability and hand dexterity.
Another major initiative has been our search for new facilities in San Francisco. The following pages share an update about a new school home we are pursuing in downtown San Francisco to replace our Pacific Heights facilities. Creating facilities designed for the next 40 to 50 years is part of the implementation of our strategic plan, Advancing Greatness, and will help keep us on the leading edge of dental education.
As you think back to your own dental education, I’m sure you can recall people and moments that inspired you. This issue will give you a taste of some recent school activities that are motivating the next generation of dental professionals. We hope these updates will inspire you, too, and make you just as excited about the future of the dental school and profession as we are.
Dr. Patrick J. Ferrillo, Jr.
Dean
