Workman School of Dental Medicine

The HPU Workman School of Dental Medicine plans to welcome our inaugural class in August 2024. Interviews and selection of the inaugural cohort will begin in summer 2023. The application will open on May 1, 2023.

High Point University seeks doctor of dental medicine applicants with a broad and strong educational background. While a foundation in science is desirable preparation for dental school, well-prepared candidates also possess knowledge in humanities, social science, and the arts. Non-science majors are encouraged to apply. Preference is given to those who have completed upper division courses and display academic preparation.

The HPU Workman School of Dental Medicine student will advance the profession and, as such, we give preference to applicants who demonstrate a commitment to excellence and leadership through extracurricular activities and community service. This may include exposure to research experience, in-person observation or online review of dental procedures or attending dental-related informational programs.

HPU students are as diverse in their backgrounds as they are in their interests. As a private university, we seek to enroll individuals from all 50 states and many countries, and our current student body reflects that. HPU Workman School of Dental Medicine feels strongly about the need for diverse healthcare teams. Through its enrollment of students from various backgrounds, HPU directly advances that objective.

What is the application timeline?

The HPU WSDM application will be available on the school website starting May 1, 2023—we are NOT using the ADEA AADSAS application. Below is a timeline of our admissions process. Candidates can access an overview of the 2023-2024 application and are encouraged to review the application assistance document for a guided journey through the application portal, as well as examples on how to best submit information in the application.

What makes HPU WSDM admissions different?

• No required prerequisite courses and standardized tests (e.g. DAT)
• No application or supplemental fee—the only cost is the Acuity Insights (Casper & Duet) assessments
• An early commitment option for priority evaluation, interview, and admissions offers
• A rolling admission process with results as early as two weeks after an interview

Please note, the HPU WSDM is in the middle of the CODA accreditation process. All admissions activities are conditional on the accreditation status. The process may be delayed from unforeseen circumstances. Candidates will be notified IMMEDIATELY if there is a change.

What are the admissions requirements and how do I apply?

We have developed a comprehensive document outlining the details of our admissions model, including answers to common questions about our decisions, requests, and how to best prepare for success in the planning phase.

Our model includes a holistic review of candidates and does not have any required courses, degrees, shadowing hours, or standardized tests. Candidates are encouraged to share as much about themselves as possible so we have a full understanding of who they are and what they can bring to the HPU Workman School of Dental Medicine.

What is CARE?

The High Point University Workman School of Dental Medicine is developing the Clinician-Advocate-Researcher-Entrepreneur (CARE) Curriculum to prepare learners for the future of dental medicine. We are intentionally designing the curriculum to lead the country in an innovative, research-based approach that immerses learners in authentic practice experiences within their first semester. We will provide the opportunity for learners to develop lifelong skills that will help them adapt to emerging needs and serve their communities.

What types of courses will I take in the CARE curriculum?

The CARE curriculum includes fully integrated courses that will have learners immediately apply the information about oral healthcare to discussions, simulated experiences, and authentic patient care environments.

What are the CARE curriculum’s phases?

The CARE curriculum has four phases that have specific goals for all learners to achieve during their time at the HPU Workman School of Dental Medicine.

How will I be assessed in the CARE curriculum?

The CARE curriculum is focused on growth of each learner to achieve a high standard of person-centered patient care. To accomplish this, learners will engage in frequent assessments intended to provide feedback to help learners grow as they move through the curriculum. The entire curriculum is a true pass/no pass system that emphasizes wellbeing and teamwork. Individuals will have opportunities to perform additional tasks for honors designations. All learners will be expected to demonstrate their ability to perform core tasks (i.e., Entrustable Professional Activities) through simulated and authentic patient care encounters to be eligible for graduation.

Experiential

A distinguishing feature of our program is that nearly 50% of our curriculum is experiential learning. Students will spend a significant amount of time during their first semester rotating through our High Point University Health Network practices to provide and observe patient care and learn dental auxiliary roles and functions. All of our experiential learning occurs in authentic practice environments under the supervision of some of the top clinicians and professionals in the state and country. Student participation in practice will increase with each semester, culminating in full immersion during a student’s third and fourth years in the program.

Technology and Innovation

Learners will be providing clinical care that is comprehensive and utilizing state-of-the-art technology such as intraoral scanners, 3D printers, CAD/CAM design, and artificial intelligence. This will involve robust pre-clinical simulation training utilizing virtual reality/ haptics and simulated dental office encounters.

Full Integration with Healthcare

HPU Health will be fully-integrated with healthcare systems utilizing the EPIC electronic health record. This will allow team-based and integrated care for our patients. Our learners will have the ability to refer undiagnosed medical conditions to non-oral health care providers and manage oral/dental needs for patients that are referred to us by our medical colleagues. This form of integrated care is the future of healthcare and will allow our graduates to thrive in a team-based environment.

Authentic Learning Environment

Full exposure to real practice environments that include private practice, group practice, community practice, and hospital practice. This includes learning about real-life business, management, and financial aspect.

Extensive Clinical Portfolio

Learners will perform clinical care across a variety of complexity and autonomy. These experiences will be accumulated into a clinical portfolio, which will highlight the procedure, complexity, and autonomy of clinical experiences at HPU Health.

Practice-Readiness

Graduates from the HPU Health network will be able to thrive in any environment and be at a comparative advantage for future opportunities because of their ability to provide care that is timely, comprehensive, and team-based. They will be able to understand and manage the business, management, and finances of a dental practice, and thrive in any environment they choose to pursue.

The HPU Workman School of Dental Medicine Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree program is currently under review and pending approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). At this time, we have been granted a site visit with CODA for April 2023.

Third Party Comments Solicited

The HPU Workman School of Dental Medicine is currently undergoing initial accreditation of our Doctoral of Dental Medicine (DMD) program by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). Our site visit is scheduled for April 11-12, 2023. CODA is now accepting any third-part comments related to the CODA-assigned standards and policies. Instructions for viewing the standards and submitting comments can be found here. For more information or with further questions, contact CODA at (312) 440-4653 or by email.

Timelines

Below is an expected timeline for the accreditation steps and our current stage in the process:

What is included in the accreditation process?

CODA accreditation for a new institution requires the program to submit a comprehensive document that outlines how they will address the accreditation standards and ensure they will graduate competent oral healthcare providers. This document is reviewed by a select number of colleagues who determine whether the program has sufficiently met the CODA accreditation standards and should have a pre-enrollment site visit. The site visit includes an in-depth review of the initial accreditation application with a team of CODA personnel and oral health practitioners where the institutional faculty provides additional information and new developments about the process. A report is developed from the site visit that is then shared with the CODA Commission of appointed practitioners who review the materials and vote on whether to accredit the school. There are typically follow-up visits by CODA and select personnel at two years intervals after the launch of the program to ensure continued success.

Where can I learn more information about CODA and accreditation?

• Search the current accreditation status of other programs
• Commission on Dental Accreditation website
• CODA Accreditation Application Process
• CODA Accreditation Process FAQ
• CODA Evaluation and Operational Policies and Procedures