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Dental Scientist Training Program (DDS/PhD)

The UCSF integrated DDS/PhD program is one track of our NIH-sponsored Comprehensive Oral Health Training Program (COHORT). Beginning with the academic year 2004-2005, the UCSF School of Dentistry has created two exclusive and additional admissions slots for students electing to enroll in this federally sponsored DDS/PhD program. It is a program designed for those students who are seeking to become the leading scientific investigators of tomorrow.

Revolutionary discoveries and developments in such diverse fields as molecular biology, biotechnology, biomaterials, tissue engineering, and computer science will radically alter how we will diagnose and treat patients. In addition, there is an acute shortage of dental school faculty across the country, a scenario that is worsening each year. To deal with these and many other unforeseen changes in the profession, we need to develop a significant number of clinically trained scientists and scientifically trained clinicians. The program seeks to do this by integrating the UCSF DDS program and one of four PhD Options: Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics or Epidemiology.

The program lasts a minimum of eight years, and fully integrates both the DDS and PhD programs in two phases. In phase one, which lasts three years, students pursue the traditional DDS curriculum while performing summer research and lab rotations. In phase two, which lasts at least five years, students spend 20 percent of their time on clinical work, and 80 percent on PhD work (i.e., research). This second phase begins upon completion of the DDS program, and is intended to establish a parallel pattern of clinical and academic work that is similar to those followed by many young dentist-scientist faculty members. There are some funds available to support dual training.

The requirements for Graduate Division Admission include:

  • Statement of purpose (one page, single spaced)
  • Three letters of recommendation (usually from professors who are familiar with your research experience)
  • Original transcripts from all schools attended. If concurrently applying to the dental school, you will need to arrange for a second set of transcripts.
  • Original TOEFL scores (If English is not your native language)
  • Completed Graduate Division application by December 1. The application form is available at https://gdapply.ucsf.edu/apply/ocsphd

Information on other requirements for dental school admission, student health services, and housing can be found in the section pertaining to the DDS program. For more information or questions about the DDS/PhD program please contact:

Roger Mraz, OGRA Program Administrator
Office of Graduate and Research Affairs
513 Parnassus Ave., S-619A
San Francisco, CA 94143-0430
email: Roger.Mraz@ucsf.edu
tel: 415/502-7772
fax: 415/502-7763