Student Life

The UMSOD Pathways Program is designed to provide students a framework from which to investigate areas of their choosing within dentistry. They work with faculty throughout the four-year program and engage in different types of scholarship through elective courses and capstone projects, depending on which pathway they choose.

These investigations (selective educational experiences and immersion projects) occur in research laboratories, clinics and private practices, and in global and local community settings, to provide "real-world" experiences. Students also become proficient in articulating their experiences through written and oral reports. In many cases, projects are accepted for publication in peer-reviewed journals or presentation at national conferences. Above all, the Pathways Program provides students the opportunity to develop habits of self-directed lifelong learning and encourages them to seek out, commit to and complete a meaningful capstone project. The overarching goal of the Pathways is to provide a space within the curriculum to ignite passion, foster purpose and sustain individual professional identity formation.

Flexibility is the foundation of the Pathways. Students can select from two Pathways:

The Selectives Pathway provides a breadth of experiences through participation in elective courses from the D2 to the D4 year, allowing students to enrich their DDS curriculum based on their own individual experiences and showcase these interests.

The Immersion Pathway provides an in-depth focus on a chosen topic by the student and completion of a capstone project, where there is an expectation of dissemination of the results through scholarship that will inform the profession.

The Pathways Program is also based on mentorship. From the beginning of the D-1 year, each and every student is assigned a "Guide'' - a faculty member who meets with the student one-on-one and provides guidance within the Pathways Program, and in many cases, within the full spectrum of the student's education and career efforts. Both the faculty and the students embrace this and appreciate the valuable time together. In the D2 year, if a student chooses the Immersion Pathway, they will select their project and engage a faculty mentor, who provides guidance in the specific project, its planning, execution, completion and dissemination of results. All faculty members serve as guides to one or more students in the Pathways Program, regardless of the pathway chosen. This program has dramatically enriched and enhanced the students' appreciation of the faculty. Upon exit interviews in the D-4 year, one of the top three items of value that the students identify is "the faculty." They describe their faculty as "going the extra mile" to support their professional development through this and other programs in the school. Similarly, faculty members consistently report that the opportunity to get to know students on a deeper level through the Pathways Program guide system, is one of the greatest benefits of the program. The Pathways Program has brought us together in myriad ways as a community.