Electives

senior electivesPredoctoral Electives – Special Topics Courses

Third- and fourth-year dental students are provided the opportunity to register for elective courses which cover a wide range of topics. Electives are offered during the fall and spring terms. Courses are held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:00-7:00 p.m. (see course descriptions below for session details).  Each elective course consists of an 8-hour commitment for 0.50 credits or a 15-hour commitment for 1.00 credit. Please read the course descriptions below which include the time commitment and number of credits.

Policies & Eligibility

Third-year dental students may register for no more than one (1) elective per term. This limitation is inclusive of the third-year Research with Mentor course (ODSC 599).

Fourth-year dental students may register for no more than two (2) electives per term, which is exclusive of any clerkship course or the Research with Mentor course (ODSC 599).

Any student wishing to enroll in an elective course must be in good academic standing.

Grading

All elective courses are graded as pass/fail. Instructors may assign exercises and assessments at their discretion; however, at minimum, attendance is required at all course meetings dates in order to achieve a passing grade. Please see course descriptions for additional grading criteria.

Students who do not request to have an elective course dropped from their schedule prior to the first meeting date will receive a “W” on their transcript to indicate withdrawal from the course.

Upon successful completion of the elective course(s), credit will be given under the special topics course, DNTS 548, and it will appear on your official transcript.

Registration

When choosing your elective(s), please carefully check your schedule to ensure you are available to attend all sessions, and for D4 students also make certain that multiple elective courses do not have overlapping session dates.

Please use this link to register for the electives: www.surveymonkey.com/r/TWWBPQJ

Questions may be directed to:

Mrs. Ellen Seed
eseed@umaryland.edu

 

Offerings for Fall 2023

 

DNTS 548: A Mindfulness Approach to Clinical Excellence

Instructor(s): Dr. Douglas Drewyer

Credits: 0.5

Capacity:  16 students

Dates:  Mondays – 10/2, 10/16, 10/30 and 11/13 from 5:00-7:00 pm in room 9105

Course Description: As you read the course description, keep in mind that this is a conversational class.  Through your participation we will uncover, unravel and consider the power behind what we do, how we do it, and who we might be in service with most effectively from here on out.  Those who have come before you in this time together continue to reflect on the impact, the resources and the empowerment they took away as the reward for their participation.  I look forward to providing the space to discover just what it means to you to be a dentist in the 21st century.  During our conversations, we will explore practices for dealing with the daily rigors of professional life.  Students will be introduced to useful, relevant concepts for improving their understanding, communication, planning and partnership services.  Rooted in ancient wisdom traditions, philosophical distinctions will be offered to the student/practitioner for immediate incorporation into their daily lives.  Lecture topics include: developing awareness of self and surroundings; the practices of dentistry are the practices of life; staff relations and training; entering private practice; conflict resolution and team development; business practices and ethics; personal values and consolidation.

Grading Requirements: Grading is pass/fail, based on attendance (100% is expected).  Specific Criteria: each session will include a one page written assignment exploring the distinctions shared during that class.  Credit will only be complete when a course evaluation is submitted to Dr. Drewyer.

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THIS COURSE IS FULL

DNTS 548:  Direct Veneer and Diastema Closure

Instructor(s):  Dr. Guilherme Arossi (course director) with assistance from Dr. Sarah Rollor, Dr. Isadora Garcia and Dr. Yvette Alania  

Credits: 0.5  

Capacity: 30 students 

Dates:  Monday, 10/2, Lecture on Veneer Prep 5:00-7:00 pm in room G307; Wednesday, 10/4, from 5:00-7:00 pm in the Clinical Simulation Lab; Monday, 10/9, Lecture on Composite Layering from 5:00-7:00 pm in room G310 and Wednesday, 10/11, from 5:00-7:00 pm in the Clinical Simulation Lab; Monday, 10/23, Lecture on Finishing, Characterization and Polishing from 5:00-7:00 pm in room G307 and Wednesday, 10/25, from 5:00-7:00 pm in the Clinical Simulation Lab 

Course Description:  Re-establishing a patient’s lost dental esthetic appearance is one of the most important topics for contemporary dentistry. New treatment materials and methods have been coming on the scene, day by day, in order to achieve such an aim. As the dental curriculum has shifted to a more conservative philosophy, composite resin restorations are becoming the favored restorative material. This didactic/hands-on course aims to focus on the simulated clinical protocol where we will teach up-to-date, step-by-step direct veneer restorations aiming to provide students with the skills necessary to gain confidence to perform these procedures. This may be a treatment option for patients with the esthetic problems of anterior teeth; patients that students are dealing with in the daily clinical sessions. The students will perform: (1) facial preparation design, (2) composite placement for facial veneer and diastema closures using polychromatic stratification technique and (3) simplified, effective finishing and polishing procedures.  

Grading Requirements:  Attendance to all sessions of this elective is required for a passing grade. The course director may have additional requirements. 

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DNTS 548 – Future Academic Clinician-Educators (FACE 1)

Instructor(s): Dr. Sarah Rollor and Dr. Nisha Ganesh

Credits: 0.5

Capacity:  25 students

Dates:  Wednesdays – 9/13, 10/25, 11/15 and 12/13 from 5-7 pm in room G310

Course Description:  The primary objective of this course is to provide exposure and insight into careers in Academic Dentistry.  The elective will primarily focus on: 

  1. Introduction & Principles of Adult Education
    1. Panel of dentists consisting of various pathways to academia
  2. Experiential Learning Application Sessions
    1. Panel of dentists that teach in pre-clinic and pre-doc
  3. Service
    1. Community vs. academic service
    2. Academic dentists in role of society
    3. Academic admission
    4. Committees within the school
  4. Research & Scholarly Activity
    1. Panel of ADCFP Fellows
    2. Discuss current research projects

Grading Requirements:  Attendance to all sessions of this elective is the minimum requirement for a passing grade. The course director may have additional requirements.   

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DNTS 548 – Future Academic Clinician-Educators (FACE 2)

Please note that this elective has a pre-requisite requirement of participating in FACE 1.  This listing is for informational purposes only.  Students have already been chosen for this elective.

Instructor(s): Dr. Sarah Rollor and Dr. Nisha Ganesh

Credits: 0.5 per semester – two semester commitment

Capacity:  5 students

Course Description:  The FACE 2 elective is a continuation of FACE 1 and will span over the course of two semesters.  Total credits for this elective is 1.0. 

Session information:  This elective is a hands-on educational research project that will allow students to focus and reflect on a specific area and how potential changes in our curriculum may impact the future in Academia. 

The primary objective of this curse is to provide exposure and insight to careers in Academic Dentistry.  The elective will primarily focus on:

  1. Students each will be assigned a mentor
    1. Meet once a month
    2. Develop a research project
  2. Students are to prepare a portfolio that includes the work they have prepared over the course of the year
    1. Faculty interviews
    2. Conceptualize →procedure→ analysis
    3. Literature reviews
    4. Gathering, analyzing and reporting quantitative/qualitative data
    5. Two reflective essays
  3. Three students will be selected to represent the University of Maryland School of Dentistry at the ADEA Annual Session.
  4. Poster presentation of their research at ADCFP fellows

Grading Requirements:  Attendance to all sessions with assigned mentor is the minimum requirement for a passing grade. The course director may have additional requirements.