Utah’s first ever Doctor of Dental Medicine class at Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine, South Jordan participated in a White Coat Ceremony Friday, August 19 at Hidden Valley Country Club in Sandy.
“The White Coat Ceremony usually signifies the entrance into the health professions,” said Dr. Harry Rosenberg, President of Roseman University, addressing Utah’s first Doctor of Dental Medicine class. “But today, for the inaugural class of DMD students, this ceremony has special significance. We congratulate you on your decision to become dentists, and your decision to join Roseman University College of Dental Medicine.”
A total of 64 students enrolled in the inaugural DMD class at Roseman University, selected from a pool of 1,220 total applicants. Approximately half of the students in the inaugural class are from here or have ties to the state, and many come from rural communities in the intermountain west, where there is a shortage of dental professionals.
In his comments to the students, Dr. Richard Buchanan, Dean of the College of Dental Medicine, South Jordan, said, “I’m sure your families are proud of you, and we share that pride because you have earned the opportunity be here.”
The DMD program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and has been granted the accreditation status of “initial accreditation”. The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education.
Pharmacy students at Roseman University’s Utah campus also participated in a White Coat Ceremony on August 25. The Class of 2014 is the sixth class to enroll at Roseman’s South Jordan campus, with a total of 112 students.
Dentistry and Pharmacy, along with other health care professions, have adopted the White Coat Ceremony to signify a meaningful milestone in the educational process, marking the students’ transition from the study of preclinical sciences to the study and practice of clinical health sciences.