Postgraduate Dental College (PDC)
Program Description.
The MS of Science in Oral Biology degree program is incorporated within existing Army, Navy, and Air Force Advanced Dental Education Residencies. A certificate attesting to successful completion of the residency is awarded by the Military Service upon satisfactory completion of all elements listed in the curriculum (by location) and a Master of Science degree from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (USU) is awarded to graduates who have successfully completed their research requirements, however, both certificate and MS Degree must be earned for either to be awarded. All residencies are programmatically accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). The program combines formal research requirements with postgraduate specialty certificate programs to educate, train, and comprehensively prepare military dental officer specialists to support the Military Health System, the National Security, and National Defense Strategies of the United States and the readiness of our military forces. Coursework successfully completed in the certificate programs concurrently fulfills requirements for the MS degree program. The program provides an integrated foundation in the biological, material, and clinical sciences (as it relates to the major field of study) to prepare military dentists for careers in clinical dentistry, dental education, and clinic leadership roles in their respective Service. The mandatory research component culminates with the completion of military-relevant research and documentation of results in either a publishable paper or thesis format. The program’s educational focus concentrates on training students as intelligent consumers of the scientific literature, along with instilling critical thinking and problem solving skills that are applicable to any military assignment. Within the MS Degree program, there are 7 major fields of study and 1 area of concentration (subspecialty) that correspond to recognized dental specialties, taught within 19 existing military residencies, at 6 separate military installations throughout the United States. These major fields of study include Comprehensive Dentistry, Endodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Orofacial Pain, Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Periodontics, and Prosthodontics. In addition, the concentration or subspecialty of Maxillofacial Prosthetics resides within the Prosthodontics Major. Graduates are well prepared and expected to pursue certification by the specialty certification board applicable to their major field of study. Finally, professional military development is integrated into the curricula to develop not only clinicians but also officers who are prepared to lead and support our nation’s defense through a keen awareness of the greater mission.