Curriculum

Examine The Curriculum

The College of Dental Medicine at Vanguard University School of Medicine (VUSOM) offers a student-centered learning environment equipped with cutting-edge technology and innovative curriculum design. Our state-of-the-art facilities and modern teaching methods ensure that students receive comprehensive, hands-on training to excel in the evolving field of dental medicine.

Biomedical Sciences Education

The Biomedical Sciences (BMS) curriculum at the College of Dental Medicine, Vanguard University School of Medicine (VUSOM) is designed to equip first- and second-year dental students with a strong foundation in medical sciences, preparing them to address complex health issues in their future dental practices. Our expert BMS faculty includes PhDs in physiology, biochemistry, anatomy, and neuroscience, as well as MDs, dual-degree general dentists, and specialists.
The curriculum features over 15 courses and more than 100 case-based learning experiences, where students engage in small and large group discussions guided by faculty. Additionally, BMS faculty continue to support students throughout their education by providing medical history reviews for virtual patients, reinforcing the integration of medicine into dental practice.

Clinical Education

The College of Dental Medicine at Vanguard University School of Medicine (VUSOM) is committed to providing a comprehensive clinical education that equips students with the knowledge, skills, and professional attributes needed to become competent, compassionate, and culturally sensitive dentists. Our clinical training emphasizes patient-centered care while fostering ethical and professional behavior in real-world settings.
Students gain hands-on experience through a diverse range of clinical training sites, including VUSOM-affiliated health centers, school-based oral health programs, and externship sites in various healthcare settings. This immersive approach ensures that graduates are well-prepared to deliver high-quality dental care and make meaningful contributions to the field of dentistry.

Clinical experiences at Vanguard University School of Medicine (VUSOM) provide hands-on training in a variety of healthcare settings, allowing students to work with diverse patient populations. Key features of the VUSOM clinical curriculum include:

Early direct patient care integrated with the acquisition of foundational knowledge and clinical skills in the first two years.

Early service learning opportunities in a variety of community-based locations in the first two years, emphasizing how to meet the needs of the community through assessment, education, and preventive programs.

Preclinical simulation that allows you to develop foundational clinical skills through a multidisciplinary approach across all traditional dental disciplines.

Focusing on oral-systemic connections by integrating dental students into the human systems courses in the first two years, advanced case-based seminars and inter-professional clinical rotations in the last two years.

Unique inter-professional curriculum featuring case-based learning with small groups of students from several other WesternU health science programs, so you will learn how to work together for patient’s best interest.

Patient-centered WesternU dental clinic where as a student “associate” you work with faculty mentors to best meet the needs of patients by emphasizing low student-to-faculty ratios, short appointments, and increased opportunities for 4-handed dentistry in a new clinic with state-of-the-art equipment.

Extensive Community-based clinical education in a variety of locations in southern California and the region, where you will provide oral health care for diverse populations using a variety of delivery models.

Clinical Curriculum Structure

D1 Fall/Spring/Summer Terms (48 weeks) –Students are integrated into two of the medical core curriculum courses for basic science and then transition to the CDM taught human systems courses, typically 24 hours each week. Two to four afternoons per week are focused on clinical sciences, including foundational dental clinical knowledge, and dental clinical skills acquisition in a simulated setting. Students participate in community service learning in the formal curriculum, as well as off-hours through student clubs and organizations.

D2 Fall/ Spring/ Summer Terms (48 weeks) – Students continue with the human systems, primarily taking place in morning sessions. Afternoons will continue to be focused on clinical sciences in simulated and direct patient care settings, with increased participation in community service learning. In the D2 Summer Term, the students have their first direct patient care experiences in the Dental Center. Students will spend 32 hours/week in simulated and direct patient care activities focusing on the hard and soft tissue surgical skills of the dentist, along with clinical sciences didactic sessions in the summer session. The students will take the written National Board Dental Exam Part I prior to the D3 Fall Term.

D3 and D4 Years (86 weeks) – Continuing in the D3 Fall term, students will spend approximately 32 hours/week in direct patient care, both on campus at the Dental Center and in the Community-Based Clinic Network. Each student will participate in two, 7-week externship rotations during their respective junior and senior year. During the D3 and D4 year, students will also participate in advanced integrated clinical seminars and pursue clinical research opportunities. The students will take the written National Board Dental Exam Part II during the D4 Fall Term.