Doctor of Med in Dentistry

This course establishes the foundation of normal oral histology, embryology, and the surrounding extraoral and intraoral structures. Topics include the embryologic development and related histology of the orofacial structures, which is a fundamental element in the oral health science and provides the background for Oral Pathology, Operative Dentistry, Endodontics, and Periodontics.

This course will introduce students to the structure and function of the healthcare system. The course will also lay the groundwork in establishing the student as a lifelong learner who will uphold the professional and ethical standards of the Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry

This course is continuous, throughout the D1 and D2 year (I - VI) with integrated didactic and laboratory components to take the student from dental materials, dental morphology and occlusion, basic through advanced clinical dentistry including radiology, oral medicine, nutrition, periodontics, rotary endodontics, cariology, operative dentistry, fixed prosthodontics including CAD/CAM and implant dentistry, removable prosthodontics, oral surgery including temporomandibular function and dysfunction, pediatric dentistry, and orthodontics including Invisalign while utilizing case-studies and an evidence-based approach to simulate patient cases and treatment. Students will participate in simulated clinical competency evaluations, including radiographic interpretation and diagnosis, oral health sciences, oral medicine, and treatment planning while developing the psychomotor skills necessary to practice Comprehensive General Dentistry.

This course is continuous throughout the D1, D2, D3, and D4 year (I - XI) and involves community service-learning theory and practice. Courses I - III focus on Health Promotion. Through Remote Area Medical, the Health Wagon, and Smile TN, students' partner with non-profit agencies and programs serving the underserved populations of Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and Georgia. Additionally, students will visit elementary and junior high schools to provide health promotion education to students in oral disease prevention, tobacco cessation, and drug avoidance. Student engagement, reflection, reciprocity, and public dissemination are vehicles for the implementation of service-learning. These courses are designed to enhance students' understanding of the social determinants of illness, community public health dentistry, and civic engagement.

This course is designed to provide dental students with the anatomical foundation of dentistry and entails the study of regional and systemic anatomy. Presented through didactic, case-based learning, and experiential learning pedagogy, this course focuses on conceptual anatomy, demonstrating the dental significance of anatomical structures including the skull, face, oral cavity, and cranial cavity are critical to the practice of dentistry.

This course is continuous, throughout the D1 and D2 year (I - VI) with integrated didactic and laboratory components to take the student from dental materials, dental morphology and occlusion, basic through advanced clinical dentistry including radiology, oral medicine, nutrition, periodontics, rotary endodontics, cariology, operative dentistry, fixed prosthodontics including CAD/CAM and implant dentistry, removable prosthodontics, oral surgery including temporomandibular function and dysfunction, pediatric dentistry, and orthodontics including Invisalign while utilizing case-studies and an evidence-based approach to simulate patient cases and treatment. Students will participate in simulated clinical competency evaluations, including radiographic interpretation and diagnosis, oral health sciences, oral medicine, and treatment planning while developing the psychomotor skills necessary to practice Comprehensive General Dentistry.

This course will introduce students to the structure and function of the healthcare system, including topics in health policy, professionalism, research, and the dentist-patient relationships. These areas are topics such as epidemiology and population health, interprofessional education, evidence-based dentistry, research ethics, and public health and disease surveillance. The course will include introducing the importance of standard precaution and disease prevention, along with topics in global health and the epidemiology of infectious diseases.

This course introduces the student dentist to activities that offer knowledge-based information, focused on describing roles and responsibilities, and demonstrates awareness of interprofessional communication and teamwork required across the health profession. Concentrating on the interprofessional team dynamics as they relate to individual team members' values and the impact on team functioning in ethical dilemmas.

This course is continuous throughout the D1, D2, D3, and D4 year (I - XI) and involves community service-learning theory and practice. Courses I - III focus on Health Promotion. Through Remote Area Medical, the Health Wagon, and Smile TN, students partner with non-profit agencies and programs serving the underserved populations of Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and Georgia. Additionally, students will visit elementary and junior high schools to provide health promotion education to students in oral disease prevention, tobacco cessation, and drug avoidance. Student engagement, reflection, reciprocity, and public dissemination are vehicles for the implementation of service-learning. These courses are designed to enhance students' understanding of the social determinants of illness, community public health dentistry, and civic engagement.

Medical Gross Anatomy (MGA) is the study of the body's structure. The course is organized according to the major body regions: back and upper limb; thorax and abdomen; pelvis and lower limb; and head and neck. Laboratory dissections will be utilized throughout the entire course. Supplemental lectures and tutorials will also be given. The student is expected to learn anatomical terminology, three-dimensional, and radiological anatomy. Throughout the course, students will be challenged to relate anatomy to solving clinical problems. The latter is an integral part of the anatomy curriculum. Students will be evaluated by a series of five written examinations and four laboratory practical exams.

The Molecular Fundamentals of Medicine I (MFM I) course is designed to provide each student with an integrated understanding of the basic biochemical, molecular, and cellular principles underlying cell structure and function in health and disease. The course integrates the basic science disciplines of molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry and metabolism, pathology, and medical genetics within the context of their clinical applications to basic biomedical sciences. Students will gain an understanding of (1) human molecular biology and genetics; (2) cellular biology and metabolism (3) cellular, molecular, and metabolic abnormalities resulting in pathological conditions and disease; and (4) the molecular basis for clinical diagnosis and therapy.

MFM II focuses on the function of the human immune system and the infectious diseases that afflict body uses normal microbiota and various components of the immune system for self-regulation, self- healing, and health preservation to protect us from infection and disease. The microbiology content is delivered in a "bug parade" manor to study the characteristics, disease presentation, and pathology caused by individual microorganisms allowing students to determine the diagnosis and treatments of infectious diseases. It is an integrated course introducing the student unfamiliar with microbiology to foundations of bacteriology, virology, parasitology, and mycology.

Medical Histology gives students a foundation in the basic structural and functional organization of cells and tissues in the human body. The course focuses on the histologic study of basic tissue types and the microscopic anatomy of major organs and organ systems. The understanding of the normal histology presented in this course is critical for the student's ability to: (1) envision the cellular/tissue structures associated with the biochemical and physiological processes explained in other courses, and (2) identify and comprehend the histopathology presented in the second-year systems courses

This course provides a thorough survey of the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems. The basic science components will include embryologic neural development, neuroanatomy, and neurophysiology.

This course is a comprehensive study of normal human physiology organized by system, with an emphasis on integration and control based on the body's innate capacity for regulation and healing. Students are also introduced to failures of the regulatory systems, due either to internal or external pathology. The major class activities are lectures and team-based learning (TBL) exercises. TBL activities are problem-solving exercises to reinforce learning.

The course is designed to build a foundation of pharmacologic knowledge. Drug modes of action and physiologic effects that stem from drug actions are introduced systematically by pharmacologic class with emphasis placed upon prototypical and commonly used members from each pharmacologic class.