Departments
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17 July 1998 |
Vol. II, No. 2 |
Feature Article
New dental Ph.D. program launched
A new Ph.D. program in oral biology will be offered by the Goldman School of Dental Medicine in the 1998-99 academic year. The program, aimed at students wishing to pursue careers in oral biology research, will teach modern scientific approaches to oral biology and oral disease.
"We are extremely enthused to be adding this program to our academic offerings," says SDM Dean Spencer Frankl. "Oral diseases present unsolved scientific challenges and novel biological phenomena. We maintain our dedication to remaining in the forefront of research and prevention, and this will enable us to further that quest by educating the new generation of researchers."
The need for Ph.D. programs in oral biology has been emphasized by the American Association of Dental Schools since 1986, when it recognized the emergence of oral biology as a unique discipline.
"The new program will add another dimension to graduate programs at the school," says Frank Oppenheim, chairman of the SDM department of periodontology and oral biology, which is administering the degree jointly with MED's division of graduate medical sciences. However, he says, the degree will not be a substitute for the existing doctorate of science in oral biology, a three-year program enabling dentists to expand their knowledge in basic science research related to oral biology. "In contrast," he says, "the new program will train students whose goal is to pursue research in oral biology as their primary professional activity, and it will require five years of study with extensive didactic and research training."
"One interesting aspect of the program is that we are one of the very few schools in the country to award the degree via the dental school," says Dean of the School of Medicine Aram Chobanian. "This really further identifies oral biology as a combined discipline between dental and medical science."
SDM Assistant Professor of Oral Biology Philip Trackman, coauthor of the initial proposal, believes that the program will greatly enhance the school's academic and research activities. "It is exciting," he says, "to realize that this program will bring our research to a new level as far as science is concerned, which is an important element in keeping our academic environment fresh and on the cutting edge."
The program will recruit students with a background in the life and basic sciences who are interested in additional advanced training in dental and medical sciences. An approximate enrollment of three full-time students each year is anticipated. Applications are being reviewed for September 1998 admission.