Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics, Graduate Certificate

The Orthodontic Postgraduate program is 30 months in length and is composed of clinical training, didactic coursework, teaching experiences, and a research project leading to a research manuscript. ATSU-ASDOH awards a Certificate in Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopaedics to those completing the program. The School awards a Certificate in Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopaedics to those completing the program, and choice of Doctorate of Health Education (DHEd), Master of Health Administration (MHA), or Master of Science in Kinesiology degrees, offered through ATSU College of Graduate Health Sciences (CGHS)**, concurrently. Graduates of the program are educationally qualified to take the Phase III examination of the American Board of Orthodontics. The recommended ADA Accreditation Standards for Dental Specialty and the AAO Recommendations for Orthodontic Specialty are the basis from which the ATSU ASDOH program was developed.

**Please refer to supplemental handbook for information on optional programs through the ATSU College of Graduate Health Sciences. Note: Any required practicum hours for the CGHS programs must be done outside of orthodontic program hours.

Approximately 60 percent of residents’ time is devoted to clinical treatment, 20 percent to seminars and small-group classes, and the remainder to independent research and teaching. The program also provides orthodontic care for the Society of Saint Vincent De Paul as a service to the community.

Patient care begins within the first week of the program and culminates with comprehensive case examinations at the end of the final year. As part of The Center for Advanced Oral Health and in close cooperation with the Advanced Education in General Dentistry, our orthodontic program provides residents the opportunity for interdisciplinary seminars and treatment of complex cases.

The working hours of the program are 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Residents are expected to attend special programs that may be held in the evenings or on weekends. In addition, preparations for patient care and didactic courses, as well as research, are expected to require additional time.

Residents will:

• Attend bi-monthly surgical seminars with Banner Good Samaritan OMFS residents
• Attend the Tweed Study Course
• Attend professional conferences
• Complete rotations in TMD as well as craniofacial rehabilitation, and
• Complete a capstone research project in the field of orthodontics that will be suitable for publication in a major orthodontic journal.

The residents are also exposed to a variety of advanced treatment techniques including SureSmile, temporary anchorage devices (TADs), lingual braces, Invisalign®, soft-tissue lasers, digital orthodontic models and three-dimensional imaging.

Residents will take the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) examination prior to graduation and are strongly encouraged to complete the clinical examination and become board certified by graduation. To aid with ABO certification, residents will begin treatment on 10 board eligible cases within the first month of residency and will be expected to start an additional 50 cases in the first six months. In total, residents can expect to start approximately 70-80 cases, plus an additional 20-30 transfers during their 30-month residency.

Admissions

Application Process

The application process begins in mid-May of the year prior to anticipate enrollment. Applicants will need to create an account with the American Dental Education Association’s (ADEA) Postdoctoral Application Support Service (PASS) and complete the online application. Accounts may be created at https://portal.passweb.org/. Deadline for submission is August 15 prior to the fall of anticipated enrollment. ASDOH’s Certificate program participates in National Matching Services Inc.’s Postdoctoral Dental Matching Program. Please include your match number on your PASS application. Visit the Postdoctoral Dental Matching Program at https://www.natmatch.com/dentres/ to obtain your match number.

Contact ATSU Admissions at 866.626.2878, ext. 2237 or admissions@atsu.edu for assistance. All materials such as transcripts, board scores, and recommendation letters must be sent to PASS. ATSU Admissions does not accept application materials directly.

The School will send a secondary application to applicants via email after receipt of the PASS application. Deadline for submission of the secondary application is September 5.

Admission Requirements

Applicants for admission to the Certificate in Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopaedics program must meet the following requirements prior to matriculation:

1. Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) or Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree or equivalent from a U.S. or Canadian dental school
2. DMD or DDS and state board licensure eligibility
3. National Board Dental Exam (NBDE) scores Part I to apply.
   1. Passing scores for Part II will be required prior to matriculation.
4. Official GRE scores - (GRE Code #0581). Scores older than three years prior to admissions year will not be accepted. Send the GRE scores directly to: ASDOH Admissions, 800 W. Jefferson, Kirksville, MO 63501
5. Official college and dental school transcripts (if accepted only)
6. Three ETS® Personal Potential Index (ETS® PPI) evaluations. Information on this form may be found at www.adea.org.
7. Institutional evaluation form to be submitted by the dean of the applicant’s dental school.
   1. The dean may submit both a Professional Evaluation Form (PEF) and a PPI. Information on both forms may be found at www.adea.org.
8. Academic PEF to be submitted by the chair, the director, and faculty of the orthodontic department of the applicant’s dental school.
   1. These parties can submit both a PEF and a PPI.
   2. A practicing orthodontic PEF can be used if the applicant has been out of school for 3 or more years.
9. Email a curriculum vitae to Admissions at admissions@atsu.edu

If an applicant is invited for an interview, the applicant will need to provide a summary of research or poster.

Transfer Student Admission

ASDOH will consider transfer students on a case-by-case basis. Please contact Admissions at admissions@atsu.edu or by phone at 866.626.2878 ext. 2237 for more information.

Transfer Credit

ASDOH will consider transfer credit on a case-by-case basis. Please contact Admissions at admissions@atsu.edu or by phone at 866.626.2878 ext. 2237 for more information.

Advanced Standing Admission

ASDOH will consider advanced standing on a case-by-case basis. Please contact Admissions at admissions@atsu.edu or by phone at 866.626.2878 ext. 2237 for more information.

Grading

Certificate in Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopaedics program students earn a letter grade or pass/fail grade for each course.

Grading Criteria

Faculty are encouraged to use grading criteria, when possible, that is based on multiple methods such as examinations, quizzes, papers, projects, presentations, case studies and/or a final examination. Each course should have both formative and summative evaluation methods.

• Except for examinations and quizzes, each assessment method must have a grading criterion matrix (e.g., a grading rubric) established at the time the residents are notified of the assignment.
• Scores from each of the assessments shall be recorded as raw scores (e.g., not adjusted or graded on a bell curve).
• Course grades shall be recorded as raw scores with corresponding letter scores. Final grades for the course shall not be adjusted to a curve.

Grade	Value
A	90-100%
AU	Audit
B+	85-89%
B	80-84%
F	<79%**
F*	Indicates the course was repeated and not included in the GPA calculation
I	Incomplete – extenuating circumstances
W	Withdraw
WF	Withdraw fail
WP	Withdraw pass
Grades followed by #	Indicates grades that are not included in the GPA calculation

**Residents earning a 79% or below will be required to remediate course content and will receive an “F”. When residents successfully complete the remediation process with an 80% or higher, the grade of “F” will be changed to a “B”. If the resident does not successfully complete remediation in accordance with the school policies, the grade of “F” will remain. The resident must then retake the course at his or her own expense. This fee is determined by the Controller’s Office and is based upon a per credit equation.

Grading for Pass/Fail Courses

Grade	Value
P	Pass
F	Fail
I*	Incomplete - Extenuating Circumstances

* Students earning 79% or below will be required to remediate course content and will receive an “I” for the course. When students successfully complete the remediation process, the score of “I” will be changed to a “B”.

Graduation Requirements

Students in the Certificate in Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopaedics program at ASDOH must meet the following requirements for graduation. Each student must:

• Successfully complete all prescribed didactic clinical courses and modules (“B” or above).
• Complete one of the following degrees :
  • Doctor of Health Education (DHEd)
  • Master of Health Administration (MHA)
  • Master of Science in Kinesiology (MS)
• Take Part I of the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) examination process, the written examination
• Present six ABO board cases
• Submit a manuscript based on original research to a peer reviewed dental journal
• Attend the ATSU-ASDOH commencement ceremony