3/4 Combined Degree Program
SUNY Fredonia and
SUNY Buffalo School of Dental Medicine
General Information and Requirements:
The Combined Degree Program is a seven-year dentistry program
developed between the State University of New York at Fredonia and the
State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Dental Medicine.
This program allows participating students the opportunity to receive a
baccalaureate degree in either Biology or Chemistry and a doctoral
degree in dentistry. The first three years of the program are completed
at SUNY Fredonia and the last four years are completed at SUNY Buffalo,
School of Dental Medicine.
I. Selection of Participants
Participants may be selected for the program in one of two ways --
A. High School Students:
- Must be in the upper one-tenth of their high school graduating class.
- Must have achieved at least a minimum of 93 high school grade average on a scale of 100.
- Attain a total score of 1300 (at least 600 Math and 550 Verbal) or
better on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or 29 on the American
College Testing Program College Entrance Examination (ACT).
- Must submit two recommendation letters to evidence maturity and a strong motivation for a career in dentistry.
- Prior to consideration for the Combined Degree Program, an
applicant must first be accepted to SUNY Fredonia through the normal
admissions process as a member of the entering first-year class and
paid the Fredonia Admissions Deposit.
- Prior to the beginning of the freshman year and after all of the
above criteria have been met, members of the SUNY at Buffalo Student
Admissions Committee will interview the applicant at the School of
Dental Medicine. It is the student's responsibility to have the
Fredonia Admissions Office forward all pertinent information to SUNY
Buffalo before the interview.
- Following the required interview, the applicant will be reviewed by
the Student Admissions Committee and a decision will be made on
acceptance into the Combined Degree Program. In order to be considered for the program, participants must be interviewed at the School of Dental Medicine, SUNY at Buffalo.
B. Second- and Third-Year College Students:
- May apply for the Combined Degree Program following completion of the first full year of study at SUNY Fredonia.
- Has met the conditions for continuance in the program (See II below).
- Requires the support of the Biomedical Professions Committee at
SUNY Fredonia in the form of a positive letter of recommendation to be
forwarded to the School of Dental Medicine.
- Three years (ninety or more credit hours) of study at Fredonia.
- Will have met all conditions for participation in the program prior to enrolling at the School of Dental Medicine.
II. Continuance in the Program
In order to remain in the program, the participant must achieve or maintain:
- A minimum overall 3.5 grade point average and 3.5 grade point
average (out of 4.0) in all science and math pre-requisite
undergraduate coursework completed. All science and math prerequisite
courses must be satisfied with a grade of C or higher.
- A minimum academic DAT (Dental Admissions Test) score of 20 and a
PAT (Perceptual Ability Test) score of 18. The DAT must be taken no
later than the fall semester of the third year of the program.
- Failure of the student to achieve or maintain the above standards will result in his or her removal from the program.
- Failure
of the student to be accepted into the Combined Degree Program or
discontinuance of the program following acceptance to SUNY Fredonia
will not preclude application to either the Early Assurance Program or
direct application to the School of Dental Medicine through its
standard application process.
- Based upon any of the above
deficiencies, student will not be considered in any future admissions
review process for the Combined Degree Program.
- Appropriate moral and ethical standards necessary for the eventual attainment of professional licensure.
III. Counseling, Advising, and Program
Upon acceptance into the Combined Degree program, the participant
will immediately schedule an appointment to meet with the Chairperson
of the Biomedical Professions Committee at SUNY Fredonia to review the
requirements of the program. The Chairperson (or his/his designee) of
the Biomedical Professions Committee will act as the program advisor to
the participants while they are enrolled at SUNY Fredonia. At this
meeting, the participant will receive an outline of the program as
approved by SUNY Fredonia. The student will be required to sign in
triplicate an Agreement of Participation that signifies his or her
awareness of the academic standards that must be maintained, the DAT
scores that must be achieved, the courses that must be taken while at
SUNY Fredonia, and the process and requirements for receiving the
baccalaureate degree from SUNY Fredonia following successful completion
of the first year (fourth year of the seven-year program) at SUNY at
Buffalo, School of Dental Medicine.
IV. Course Requirements
- Total of 120 credit hours required for SUNY Fredonia's B.S. Degree
SUNY Fredonia - 90 credit hours - as listed on the Combined Degree Checklist and Agreement Form
- Biology major course requirements
- Supporting courses
- College Core Curriculum courses
SUNY at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine - 30 credit hours
- Includes appropriate Biology elective courses to substitute for
Fredonia courses for the major as advised by the Biomedical Professions
Advisor
V. Clinical Experience and Documentation
Participants must gain experience in clinical dentistry while
enrolled the first three years of the program. The participant must
complete a minimum of one hundred hours of clinical experience. While
this requirement can generally be met by volunteering in private dental
clinics, the participant may utilize other clinical experiences in
dentistry to meet this requirement with the approval of the program
advisor at SUNY Fredonia. The participant is solely responsible for
ensuring signed documentation of completed hours is on file in the
Department of Biology.
VI. Summer Research
The School of Dental Medicine agrees to permit the participation of
interested students enrolled in the Combined Degree Program in student
research programs that are conducted during the summer months at the
SUNY at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine.
VII. Withdrawal from the Program
Participation by the student in the Combined Degree Program should
be regarded as a serious commitment by both parties, only to be
abrogated by extenuating circumstances. In such cases, it is the sole
responsibility of the student to advise SUNY at Buffalo School of
Dental Medicine officials and the Chairperson of the Biomedical
Professions Council at SUNY Fredonia at the earliest possible date.
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