Program Overview

Dental Public Health Certificate Program

The mission of the certificate program in Advanced Education in Dental Public Health at the School of Dentistry, The University of Texas at San Antonio is to educate specialists in dental public health to promote oral health and prevent dental disease at both the population and individual level, with a focus on the oral health needs of South Texas and the Texas-Mexico border communities.

Overview

The goal of the certificate program in Advanced Education in Dental Public Health at The University of Texas at San Antonio is to educate competent dental public health professionals to strengthen the capacity of the dental public health workforce. The DPH Program fulfills this goal by:

• Educating dental public health specialists in accordance with the guidance established by the American Board of Dental Public Health, and
• Establishing an educated dental public health workforce, which is critical to the implementation of the essential (core) public health functions.

Admissions Requirements

Admission into the Dental Public Health (DPH) Program is systematic and considers candidate applications based upon a holistic review of each application. Individuals are eligible to apply for admission if they have a dental degree (can be international) and have completed a master's degree in public health. These criteria for admission are established by the American Board of Dental Public Health.

An application must include:

1. Proof of having graduated from a dental school (both ADA accredited and non-accredited schools are eligible).
2. Proof of having graduated or of being on track to graduate from a master's degree program in public health from a United States University that is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).
3. A completed DPH Residency application.
4. Original transcripts, original foreign transcripts, and original foreign course evaluations (WES or ECE) from each university/school attended.
5. A one-page summary of career objectives with a description of career plans after completion of the DPH residency program.
6. Three letters of recommendation.
7. A current copy of the curriculum vitae.
8. Personal Interview if selected.

Degree Requirements

The curriculum is designed to provide the dental public health advanced education student with experiences leading to competence in the field of dental public health. At the completion of the program in dental public health, the candidate should have obtained fundamental knowledge of the philosophy, principles, and practice of dental public health, and developed skills in practicing dental public health, including research, administration, and education.

The program is arranged to address the competency statements, allowing the resident to develop core knowledge in the area. The required experiences and courses cover a wide range of information believed to be essential for graduates in the field. The curriculum consists of five content areas, including didactic coursework, research, rotations, undergraduate dental teaching, and field-clinical-and service learning experiences.

Sample Plan of Study

First Year

Fall| Credit Hours
PBHL 5011| Advanced Education In Dental Public Health 1| 1
PBHL 5014| Research Methodology in Dental Public Health 1| 1
Spring|
PBHL 5012| Advanced Education In Dental Public Health 2| 1
PBHL 5015| Research Methodology in Dental Public Health 2| 1
| Total Credit Hours: | 4.0

Objectives/Program Outcomes

1. To educate a culturally competent public health dentist that can address the oral health needs of children and adults;
2. To provide service-learning experiences that will ensure understanding of efficient and effective dental public health programs that increase access to community preventive services;
3. To cultivate professionals with advanced training in dental public health who can address oral health disparities and inequities;
4. To develop a dental public health workforce that is prepared to work in a dental public health career in academics, local, state and federal agencies;
5. To prepare candidates to challenge the examination for board certification by the American Board of Dental Public Health.

Courses

• PBHL 5011. Advanced Education In Dental Public Health 1. 1 Credit Hour.
  This course is designed to provide dental public health (DPH) students with the foundational knowledge about DPH topics and learn to critically review the scientific literature.
• PBHL 5012. Advanced Education In Dental Public Health 2. 1 Credit Hour.
  This course is designed to provide dental public health (DPH) students with the foundational knowledge about DPH topics and learn to critically review the scientific literature. Prerequisites: PBHL 5011.
• PBHL 5014. Research Methodology in Dental Public Health 1. 1 Credit Hour.
  This course provides a vehicle for dental public health (DPH) students to complete two research projects in fulfillment of the expectation of the American Board of Dental Public Health.
• PBHL 5015. Research Methodology in Dental Public Health 2. 1 Credit Hour.
  This course provides a vehicle for dental public health (DPH) students to complete two research projects in fulfillment of the expectation of the American Board of Dental Public Health. Prerequisite: PBHL 5014.