SIU School of Dental Medicine Launches International Placement Program
Interest in the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SIU SDM) new International Advanced Placement Program (IAPP) indicates it will be popular. Through spring and early summer, the new program accepted more than 330 applications for the six seats available during its inaugural year.
The IAPP is designed to enable qualified dentists, who have graduated from an acknowledged international dental school, to pursue a doctorate of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree at the SIU SDM. The degree allows the holder to take licensure examinations and to obtain a license to practice in the U.S.
Dr. Dan Ketteman is the first IAPP director. Most recently, he served the SDM as a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry in the Section of Fixed Prosthodontics. Ketteman has been an SDM faculty member for nearly 10 years.
Ketteman is enthusiastic to be a part of this new development. “To launch a new program, especially an international program, is truly an exciting venture,” he said. “With the IAPP, the School will be making a global commitment to provide an outstanding dental education program to qualified graduates from international dental education programs.”
The new program will accept its inaugural class of six advanced placement students during 2015 and begin instruction on February 29, 2016.
From March 17-July 15, 2015, the IAPP participated in the American Dental Education Association–Centralized Application for Advanced Placement for International Dentists (ADEA–CAAPID).
The IAPP at the SIU SDM will be a full-time, Monday through Friday, 27-month program. Following successful completion of an initial three-month didactic review and intensive skills development course (clinical certification course) that is designed to assure congruence with traditional dental students, the international students will merge with the entering third year class at the School to complete the final two years of the DMD curriculum.
IAPP graduates will have acquired the requisite knowledge and skills to engage in a contemporary dental practice. The first IAPP class will graduate with the SDM Class of 2018.
The IAPP at SIU SDM was approved at the February 2015 meeting of the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). The IAPP will be reviewed at the next regularly scheduled accreditation site visit for the SIU SDM during 2019.
