In the 1920s, Columbia University recognized the need for the formal establishment of dental specialties, developing separate programs in orthodontics and oral and maxillofacial surgery. Since then, Columbia has led the way in dental specialty education, incorporating a wide array of post-doctoral programs that meet the specific academic and professional needs of today's oral health professionals. In turn, graduates of Columbia's post-doctoral programs in dental and oral surgery have distinguished themselves professionally through leadership positions in academia, public service, research, and private practice.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW:
CDM is authorized to grant certificates of training in advanced general dentistry and Endodontics. In three other specialties - Orthodontics, Periodontics, and Prosthodontics - an M.S. degree is awarded. CDM offers these programs to qualified graduates in dentistry who wish either to advance their training in general dentistry or to prepare for specialization in one of the disciplines listed above. The programs include advanced study in the clinical and basic sciences of dentistry.
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Periodontics online application
Division Director: Panos N. Papapanou, DDS, PhD pp192@columbia.edu
Program Director: James B. Fine, DMD jbf1@columbia.edu
This postdoctoral program prepares the licensed dentist to practice the specialty of periodontics, either in private practice or in academia. The program, which is thirty-six months in duration, consists of courses in the theory and practice of periodontics, as well as additional classes in the biological and medical sciences. In addition to its strong clinical emphasis, the program has a substantial and required research component. A Masters of Science degree in Periodontics is awarded upon successful completion. The program meets the educational requirements of the American Academy of Periodontology and the American Dental Association.
For more information about the periodontics program, including a course directory and detailed course descriptions, click here for a copy of the CDM 2002-2003 bulletin.
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Prosthodontics online application
Director: Dr. Kunal Lal kl341@columbia.edu
This postdoctoral program prepares the licensed dentist to practice the specialty of prosthodontics in private practice, academia, or a combination of the two. The three-year course of study covers advanced theory and practice of prosthodontics (including course work in complete and removable prosthodontics, fixed prosthodontics, implant prosthodontics, and maxillofacial prosthetics), as well as the basic and applied sciences.
Although it is strongly geared towards clinical dentistry - with an emphasis on diagnosis, treatment planning, and therapeutic application - the program also has a research component and gives students the opportunity to assist in the instruction of undergraduate dental students. The program leads to an M.S. degree in prosthodontics and is approved by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Interested individuals may also apply for a fourth-year maxillofacial prosthetics residency with stipend. The maxillofacial prosthetics residency is a 12-month ADA approved program that offers extensive training in the management of patients with acquired and developmental defects. This is an active program with close interdisciplinary ties to the academic medical center at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and with an affiliated institution, the Bronx V.A. Medical Center. Both postdoctoral programs have a strong commitment to education, research, and patient care.
For more information about the prosthodontics program, including a course directory and detailed course descriptions, click here for a copy of the CDM 2002-2003 bulletin.
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Endodontics online application
Director: Dr. Gunnar Hasselgren bgh1@columbia.edu
This postdoctoral certificate program prepares the licensed dentist to practice the specialty of endodontics, either in private practice or in academia. The two-year course of study covers advanced theory and practice of endodontics, as well as the basic and applied sciences. Although it is strongly geared towards clinical endodontics, the program is also designed to stimulate research activity and gives students the opportunity to assist in the instruction of undergraduate dental students.
For more information about the endodontics program, including a course directory and detailed course descriptions, click here for a copy of the CDM 2002-2003 bulletin.
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Orthodontics online application
Director: Dr. Thomas J. Cangialosi tjc1@columbia.edu
This full-time, ADA-accredited postdoctoral program begins in July of each year and extends for a period of thirty-six consecutive months, preparing the licensed dentist to practice the specialty of orthodontics either in clinical or academic settings. The program offers an intensive review of the biological and clinical sciences, but is strongly clinical in emphasis'providing advanced training in orthodontic procedures and techniques and instructing postdoctoral candidates on the use of fixed multibanded and bonded techniques, as well as removable, functional, and orthopedic appliances. The orthodontics curriculum prepares students for the American Board of Orthodontics examinations and engages students in research activities by way of a thesis requirement.
For more information about the orthodontics program, including a course directory and detailed course descriptions, click here for a copy of the CDM 2002-2003 bulletin.
Otherwise, if you have additional questions, contact Janina Alcoque, administrative assistant for the orthodontics division, at ja306@columbia.edu.
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Advanced education in general dentistry online application
Director: Dr. Greg Bunza gnb3@columbia.edu
The Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) post-doctoral program provides recent dental school graduates with clinical and didactic expertise in all phases of dentistry. Upon completion of the program, the dentist will be more prepared to approach the complex treatment decisions of modern-day dental practice. The curriculum consists of both clinical and teaching components: Fellows devote 60 percent of their time to the treatment of patients, while 40 percent is dedicated to electives that may include hospital rotations, research, pediatric dentistry, oral and maxillofacial surgery, periodontics, endodontics, public health, and ambulatory care.
CDM also offers a primary care track within the AEGD program, training primary oral health care practitioners to care for diverse patient populations in the context of family, culture, and community. The AEGD primary care program is designed for dentists with a strong commitment to working in community settings with medically compromised and special patients, including those with HIV/AIDS.
For more information about the advanced education in general dentistry program, including a course directory and detailed course descriptions, click here for a copy of the CDM 2002-2003 bulletin. Otherwise, if you have additional questions, contact the program director, Dr. Greg Bunza, at gnb3@columbia.edu.
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Dental Informatics
CDM and the Department of Medical Informatics in Columbia University's College of Physicians & Surgeons offer degrees in medical informatics'which focuses on the impact of information technology on health and disease from the molecular level to whole populations' with a concentration in dentistry. Students can choose from one of the four following tracks:
§ Bioinformatics - the structure and function of cells and cell components; genomics; proteomics
§ Bioimaging - the structure and function of organs and tissues; imaging techniques; visualization; physiologic modeling
§ Clinical Informatics - the delivery of patient care, nursing, and dentistry; electronic medical records; systems to improve the quality of health care and reduce cost
§ Population Informatics - the health of populations; systems to educate providers and patients; medical research systems
For more information on this program, please email the program's director, Dr. John Zimmerman or click here.
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Dental Sciences online application
(in conjunction with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Columbia)
Director: Dr.Letty Moss-Salentijn lm23@columbia.edu
The highly selective Master of Arts program in Dental Sciences is geared towards clinical trainees whose career goals include teaching and research on the university level. These students often go on to assume leadership roles as highly trained dental investigators and specialists, capable of translating the newest research findings and most sophisticated biological concepts into clinical practice.
Admission to the combined Master of Arts degree program is limited to a small number of students who have completed pre-doctoral dental training and possess a strong background in the basic sciences. Students trained at certain affiliated hospitals may be eligible for admission, if they are recommended by the corresponding clinical program director at Columbia. Applicants must not only fulfill all of the requirements of their chosen post-doctoral certificate program, but must also meet additional admissions criteria set forth by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Candidates are required to submit GRE scores, and may be asked to interview by a member of the CDM faculty prior to admission.
Over a two-year period, students complete one of two post-doctoral certification programs (endodontics or orthodontics) and, during a one-year extension, a graduate program leading to the MA degree in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Degree requirements include the completion of an original research project and the submission of an acceptable thesis. Students are expected to indicate an area of research specialization either when they apply for admission or during their first term in the program. Based on
this selection, an appropriate faculty committee will, with the student's participation, map out the academic program. Of the thirty required graduate credits, approximately two-thirds are dedicated to core courses and thesis-related coursework. The remaining one-third focuses on thesis preparation and on the design and execution of an original research project. All graduate work'including the research project'must be completed at the university.
Students must demonstrate satisfactory performance in both their clinical training courses and academic studies. While each of the combined courses of study has a specific set of requirements, the two programs are interrelated and must be completed at the same time. Furthermore, the Master of Arts degree will not be granted if the post-doctoral certification requirements are not met.
For more information, contact Dr.Letty Moss-Salentijn at lm23@columbia.edu.
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Admissions Procedures: Post-doctoral programs
Online application: See individual program
Contact information: 212-305-3875 tjc1@columbia.edu
Academic requirements: To be admitted to any of these programs, an applicant must hold a D.D.S., D.M.D., or equivalent foreign degree in dentistry.
The postdoctoral admissions committee uses the following criteria in the selection of candidates:
- Academic record
- Achievement in research (i.e. published articles in scholarly journals)
- Extracurricular activities
- Honors and awards
- Class standings
- Professional experience
- References
- Interview results
- National Board scores (U.S. applicants)
·TOEFL scores (foreign applicants)
- GRE scores (M.S. degree program applicants)
International students may also be asked to successfully complete a clinical competence examination.
Application requirements (all programs): Students must apply before October 1 for admission during the following calendar year. To apply for admission, candidates must submit:
- A completed application form (Click on the specialty in which you're interested; a link for the corresponding application will be at the top of the page): The completed application must be returned to the division to which you're seeking admission. You can use the general CDM address listed above, but please mark your application to the attention of the appropriate specialty program or division director.
- A check or money order, made payable to Columbia University, in the amount of $100: This fee is required of all prospective postdoctoral students; an application for admission cannot be considered until the fee has been paid or waived by formal action. The fee is not refundable and is not credited toward tuition.
- Copies of official academic transcripts: Applicants must submit certified copies of their grades for undergraduate, graduate, and any post-doctoral work completed. This material must be sent directly from the schools in question to the director of the postdoctoral division to which the applicant is seeking admission.
- Letters of recommendation (3)
- Official proof of licensure
Completed applications (with the exception of official transcripts, see above for details) to the following address:
Office of the Associate Dean for Advanced and Postdoctoral Education
Columbia University
College of Dental Medicine
630 West 168th Street
New York, NY 10032
Interviews: Upon reviewing applications, individual program directors may ask a candidate to undergo a personal interview at CDM.
Acceptance notification and enrollment information:
Within ten days after receiving notice of acceptance, the applicant must notify the postdoctoral admissions committee that he or she intends to enroll and must send a check or money order for the amount specified in the acceptance letter, made payable to Columbia University. This acceptance fee is credited to the applicant's tuition upon registration and is non-refundable.
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