The College of Dental Medicine, one of the first dental colleges in the nation to become fully integrated with a research university in a world-renowned medical center, has origins dating to 1852. The College offers the D.D.S. degree as well as postdoctoral specialty education and dual degrees with other schools of the University, including the M.S. with certain specialties, the M.B.A., the M.P.H., and a Ph.D. and M.A. in the MA in Science Education and the M.A. in Biomedical Informatics. Over 2200 applicants recently sought positions in the class of 75 students. The four-year pre-doctoral curriculum is heavily biomedical. The students share much of the first two years of the P&S curriculum; this strong biomedical base serves well to support the medically oriented clinical years of the curriculum.
Community activities are extensive. The College has several off-site community-based facilities and a van for Head Start centers. The College is the major source of oral health care for the northern Manhattan area and offers that care at a reasonable cost. Special populations, including those with complex medical histories, are served through the College's clinics.
Approximately 96% of the D.D.S. students continue into postdoctoral education. Only 2 of the 57 other U.S. dental schools approach that percentage, and only one in three dental graduates in the U.S. match postdoctoral programs. The student body is rich in its diversity; 50% are women, 20% of the Year I class are "under-represented in dentistry" students, and a significant number of matriculating students hold advanced degrees, e.g. M.D., Ph.D., M.A., etc.
The College has a long tradition of excellence in research and supports research experiences with both internal and external short term training grants. Both the D.D.S. and specialty candidates are encouraged to be active participants in on-going clinical and basic science research within the Columbia University Medical Center.