PROGRAM DIRECTOR:    C. Russell Jackson, DDS, MS
                                                       Diplomate of the American Board of Endodontics

GENERAL INFORMATION:

            The Department of Endodontics at West Virginia University offers a 24 month advanced education Master of Science program.  It is designed to qualify dentists for careers in endodontic clinical practice, teaching and research.

            A stipend plus tuition waiver will be provided for graduate students in Endodontics at the end of the first year for the Summer II Session and Fall/Spring Semesters.

            This program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association.  For details about the faculty, publications and alumni information, please visit the Department website at www.hsc.wvu.edu/sod/department/ endodontics.

PROGRAM GOALS:

• Provide the education and training necessary for graduate dentists to practice in the specialty of Endodontics.

• Provide the basis for a specialist in Endodontics to achieve Board Certification in Endodontics.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION TO THE ENDODONTICS PROGRAM:

1. Must have passed the National Dental Board Examination-Part 1 and Part 2.

2. Must have earned a DMD or DDS degree.

3. Must be a graduate of an accredited US or Canadian Dental School.

4. Must possess West Virginia state dental license.

5. Must display evidence of scholastic and clinical achievement that would indicate the applicant’s ability to progress in a program of this nature.  Generally, a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 is required.
   
   
6. Must apply to the program through the Postdoctoral Application Support Service (PASS, www.adea.org/pass) and have all application materials in PASS by September 1.   Please see the HOW TO APPLY section for more detailed information.
   
   
7. To become familiar with the West Virginia University School of Dentistry's policy and procedure for Bloodborne Pathogens and Infectious Diseases. (click here)
   
   
8. Provisionally accepted candidates to the WVU School of Dentistry advanced education programs must consent to and pass a criminal background investigation prior to final acceptance.

REQUIREMENTS FOR MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE ENDODONTIC PROGRAM OF THE SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY:

1. Fulfillment of University requirements for graduate study.

2. Twenty-four months (two academic years and two summer sessions) of consecutive full-time advanced study and clinical training at the School of Dentistry.

3. An approved master’s thesis based on original research completed during the course of study in an area related to Endodontics.

4. Must satisfactorily pass a final oral examination.

5. Must complete all didactic and clinical work in the required curriculum.

6. Must have demonstrated satisfactory clinical competency in Endodontics.
   
   
7. Completion of a minimum of 63 credit hours, including 35 hours of endodontic courses, a minimum of 11 hours of selected basic sciences subjects, six hours teaching practicum and a thesis (eleven hours).
   
   
8. Achievement of a 3.0 GPA or an overall competence in the student’s field.  A minimum grade of “B” must be earned in all work attempted in the master’s program.  A grade of “C” or below in two courses will require a faculty review of the student’s progress.  A third “C” or below will result in suspension from the program.

PROGRAM CURRICULUM:

            The curriculum includes courses in Endodontics, allied dental sciences and advanced courses in basic sciences.  It has been designed to conform to the educational recommendations of the Council of Endodontic Education of the American Association of Endodontists, the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association and the requirements of the Health Sciences Center Graduate Programs Office of West Virginia University.

GRADUATE COURSES:

Clinical Endodontics:  Graduate of an accredited dental school and admission to the Advanced Education Program in Endodontics or consent.  Clinical endodontic practice in the areas of: ordinary endodontic cases, complex endodontic cases, hemisection, root amputation, replantation, transplantation, endodontic implantation, vital pulp therapy, apexification, and bleaching.

Endodontic Theory:  Provides seminar discussions in the topics of:  basic endodontic techniques, advanced endodontic techniques, endodontic literature review, case presentation, and advanced endodontic theory.

Teaching Practicum:   Supervised practice in college teaching of dentistry.

Advanced Topics:  Investigation of advanced topics not covered in regularly scheduled courses.

Advanced Oral Surgery:  Advanced study of therapeutics, hospital protocol, and surgical aspects of oral surgery involving lectures, seminars, demonstrations, and clinical applications.

Research:  Research activities leading to a thesis, problem report, research paper or equivalent scholarly project.

Applied Biostatistics for Health:  Statistical models, distributions, probability, random variables, tests of hypotheses, confident intervals, regression, correlation, transformations, F and Chi-square distributions, analysis of variance and multiple comparisons.

Special Studies in Oral Pathology: Advanced study of local or systemic disease processes affecting oral structures through seminars.

Pharmacology and Therapeutics:  Dental student standing or consent.  Lecture and demonstrations on pharmacological actions and therapeutic uses of drugs.