RSDM Increases Clinic Capacity

With a recent change in operations and curriculum, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine (RSDM) has increased the pre-doctoral students’ available time in the student clinics, where third and fourth years provide dental care under the supervision of faculty who are licensed dentists.

“It gives the students more opportunity and experience in these clinics,” said Michael Conte, senior associate dean for clinical affairs, “and the more patients they see, the better dentists they will be.”

Although pre-doctoral candidates have always been in the clinic five days a week, they only saw their family of patients at the student clinics for four days with a fifth day traditionally dedicated to rotation in specific areas such as oral surgery, pediatrics, urgent care/emergency, and radiology. Now, these experiences are on a rotating schedule rather than being anchored on a single day. This allows students to see patients at the predoctoral clinic on any weekday.

This flexibility in the students’ schedules will also benefit RSDM patients.

“We now have more chairs open so we can get more patients in every session,” said Natalie Scarpa-Lota, assistant dean for clinical affairs. “We're trying to increase access to care.”

Clinics are open Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm. In addition to student clinics, RSDM has graduate specialty clinics, a special care center, and two faculty practices along with community clinics. For more information on our clinics and patient care, please visit https://sdm.rutgers.edu/patient-care.