The Doctor of Medical Dentistry program at the University of Pennsylvania ranks first on US Dental School's list of top programs, as well as eighth on Top Ten Nation's list. UPENN offers a four-year DMD program that prides itself on excellence and allowing students to tailor their experiences according to their interests. For example, you can combine your prescribed course work with a subject like bioengineering or bioethics for a dual-degree option. In your first year at UPENN, you will begin clinical training on a team with other first-year students. You will then continue clinical training with that same team for all four years.
The Doctor of Dental Surgery program at the University of Michigan is ranked as third and sixth according to US Dental School and Top Ten Nation, respectively. This program places substantial emphasis on professionalism, having students participate in the White Coat Ceremony upon completing their first summer semester. This ceremony signifies your transition from student to health care professional, and the university considers this a landmark occasion. In this program, you will receive intense clinical training all four years, culminating in 10 weeks of exclusive and complex work in community-based clinics.
The Harvard School of Dental Medicine ranks first according to Top Ten Nation and 12th according to US Dental School. During the first two years of this 4-year, Doctor of Medical Dentistry program, you will study preclinical sciences with your classmates. This program considers dentistry a partner of medicine and will help you develop a foundational understanding of the workings of human diseases. You will then begin clinical work in your third year. It is in this third year that you will start to receive predominantly individualized instruction, which will continue until you graduate.
US Dental School ranks the University of Florida's College of Dentistry fourth on its list. This program provides two years of preclinical training followed by two years of intensive clinical courses. At the University of Florida, you can even pursue an integrated DMD/Ph.D. over a period of seven to eight years, shaving off a year or two from the time it would take to earn each degree individually.