7 Year Dental Program (D.D.S)
Description
Detroit Mercy offers a special academic program which enables highly qualified applicants to earn a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in addition to the baccalaureate degree in seven calendar years, rather than in the traditional eight years.
The selected students in the Seven-Year Dental Program spend most of the first three years at the McNichols Campus doing pre-dental studies in the College of Engineering & Science. The last four years are in the .
Students may earn a Bachelor of Science with a major in Biology or a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Chemistry. In addition to the basic science courses required of all dental school applicants, Seven-Year Program students must meet all of the requirements of their major and the University Core Curriculum. This includes course work in speech, English, mathematics, computers, religious studies, philosophy, history and culture, ethics, and social responsibility. They also participate in a two-week orientation to dentistry in the summer after the first year, take courses in histology and physiology in the summer after the second year and participate in the dental gross anatomy course as an audit during the third year. Students may choose to major in Biology or Chemistry for this program.
For more information on the 7-year Bachelor of Science in Biology / Doctor of Dental Surgery or 7-year Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry / Doctor of Dental Surgery programs, please see the University Catalog.
Contact:
Dr. Elizabeth Roberts-Kirchhoff, Assistant Dean
robkires@udmercy.edu
313-993-1021
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Faculty Advising
Are you interested in studying medicine or dentistry after graduation from college?
At Detroit Mercy you'll work with a faculty advisor who is knowledgeable about the preparation needed to apply to professional schools. Together, you'll choose appropriate courses for application to medical or dental school and assist you in choosing the outside volunteer work that will give you the experience of working in a health care setting.
Your faculty advisor reviews your academic progress with you periodically to make sure that your grade point average is consistent with your goals. Your advisor provides you with information about taking the admissions test for professional school, filling out medical or dental school applications and obtaining the letters of recommendation that are essential to your application. Finally, the faculty conduct practice interviews with you to help you over the jitters of your first medical or dental school interview.
If you decide that medical or dental school is not for you after all, the faculty assist you in revising your plans and getting started in a new direction.
Have questions about which path is for you? Please feel free to contact:
Dean Katherine Snyder
snyderke@udmercy.edu
313-993-3362 -
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Choosing a pre-medical focus
Science Focus
Pre-Med – Biology: Biology traditionally provided the basic foundation for medicine, exposing students to the wide variety concepts inherit to the "study of life". With the advent of biotechnology, biology offers students the opportunity to focus technologic breakthroughs in such areas as genetics, cell biology, and physiology into their medical pursuits.
Pre-Med – Biochemistry: Biochemistry focuses on the chemistry of molecules essential for life. This includes the molecules of the human body, the processes these molecules undergo to sustain life and the changes that occur in these molecules when a disease occurs. Physicians need a good foundation in biochemistry to understand the molecular basis of disease.
Pre-Med – Chemistry: The study of chemistry emphasizes analytical skills and critical thinking with regard to the molecular world. The study of the structure and reactions of molecules allows a future physician to understand the relationships between drugs used to treat disease and the human body.
Pre-Physican Assistant - Biology: A physician assistant (PA) is a person who assists a physician in his or her practice of medicine. The duties of physician assistants are as varied as the subspecialties they practice.
Technical Focus
Pre-Med – Engineering: The advancements of technologies in medicine are vast and ever expanding, including robotic surgery, artificial limbs and organs, and advanced imaging and monitoring systems. Doctors of the future will not only use such technologies, but many will modify or develop new systems to meet the needs of their patients. In addition, engineers develop excellent problem-solving capabilities – and diagnosing and treating patients is a lot like problem solving. Students in the pre-med engineering track program can concentrate in either general/mechanical engineering or electrical engineering.
Information Focus
Pre-Med - Computer Science: As sophisticated information and computing technologies play ever increasing roles in health care, and data from medical research and genome projects expands exponentially, medical professionals with a technical background are extremely valuable. A degree in computer science provides the pre-medical student with a variety of technical skills for leveraging the role of software in medicine.
Pre-Med - Mathematics: As the complexities of medicine increase and treatments are personalized through customized genetic or drug treatments, medical professionals are called upon to solve complex problems, think critically, and derive meaning out of large amounts of data. The flexibility of requirements for a degree in mathematics allows students to foster and demonstrate these important skills while completing other pre-medical requirements.