Dental Scholars Track - Masters Program

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About us
The Dental Scholars Track is part of the Masters Program. The Dental Scholars Program is designed for students interested in applying to U.S. dental schools. This is a 30 credit program and, in contrast to post-baccalaureate coursework, this program leads to a graduate degree. The flexibility of our program helps students tailor a curriculum that combines their interests and strengths. Moreover, our block schedule enables students to create a less demanding schedule, which allows them to acclimate to graduate school, accommodate co-curricular activities, and ultimately succeed in the program. 69% of the students enrolled in our program between 2017 and 2020 successfully matriculated in medical and dental schools. This estimate is conservative because the data does not include medical and dental schools that do not report enrollment data to the National Clearing House. The 69% does not have students who enrolled in other health professions or Ph.D. programs. 

Courses at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine (RSDM) open to Master's students
We are located on the same campus, and our building is adjacent to RSDM. All students in the Master's program have an opportunity to learn from, and conduct research with, faculty members of RSDM. Oral Microbiology (3 credits) and Oral Immunology (3 credits) are dental school courses open to all our Masters students. Dental Histology (5 credits), Dental Neuroscience (4 credits), Dental Physiology (5 credits) and Dental Biochemistry (4 credits) are open to Master's students with special permission from Dr. Tsiagbe. 

Guaranteed interview at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine (RSDM) 

Master's students are eligible for a guaranteed interview at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine by earning a 3.7 GPA after at least 20 credits and a DAT score of at least 20 Total Science and 20 Academic Average or passage on National Boards parts 1 and 2 on the first take by BDS students. Our Master's students can take courses and be graded with first-year dental school students. The dental school courses represent an excellent opportunity for students to (1) strengthen their application for dental school and (2) enhance their learning, so they are better prepared for the first year of the dental school. 

Meet our advisor
Dr. Vincent K. Tsiagbe is the primary advisor for dental scholars in our Master's program. Dr. Tsiagbe is a faculty member and course director in RSDM. His research focuses on understanding the immunologic basis of B cell lymphoma development. In addition, Dr. Tsiagbe has many years of experience in dental school admissions. 

Our curriculum
Students require 30 credits with a grade point average of 3.0 (B-average) or better to graduate. Of these 30 credits, 9 credits come from the core (required) courses listed below. The remaining 21 credits are from elective courses. Based on each student's goals, strengths, and timeline, the academic advisor, Dr. Tsiagbe, helps students create a course schedule. Within the 30 credits, students can also select one or more medical school courses, with permission from Dr. Gaspers. The medical school courses for Master's students are: Genes & Molecules in Medicine (3 credits), Medical Biochemistry & Epidemiology (3 credits), Introduction to Physiology & Pharmacology (3 credits), and Medical Hematology/Oncology & Immunology (4 credits). Students take these courses with year 1 medical students in Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and are graded with them. 

International students
International students and international dentists are welcome to apply to our program.  We request international students to read all the information related to requirements for international students and apply early to give enough time for F1-visa related processes. The Rutgers Global office provides support to our students for Optional Practical Training (OPT) application and STEM OPT extension. Learn more about OPT. International students coming to our program will find a very supportive community of fellow students and faculty. In addition, the location of our campus in the New York Metropolitan area provides students with great exposure to co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. 

Our student community
Our pre-dental students, pre-medical students, biomedical research students, and alumni form a very cohesive and helpful community. Our graduate students celebrate each other's successes and are a constant source of inspiration to each other. The pre-dental society, under the guidance of Dr. Tsigabe organizes many programs focused on DAT preparation and community service. In addition, students collaborate on many levels through the pre-medical society, the peer mentoring program, Project BEAM, the Student Family Health Care Center, and many more organizations and programs native to SGS-Newark.