Incoming DDS Class of 2030 Minimum Standards for Admission and Matriculation

The University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine is committed to the principle of diversity in all areas. In that spirit, admission to the School is open to all qualified individuals and complies with section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (1993).

The University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine recognizes that awarding a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree carries with it the full authority of the institution and communicates to those who might seek the services of the bearer that he or she is competent to practice dentistry. The DDS degree is a broad degree that prepares the graduate, upon licensure, to practice all disciplines of the dental profession. This requires the student to acquire didactic knowledge as well as learning skills and attitudes essential to the profession and agreed upon by the faculty as requisite for the practice of dentistry.  The student requires both cognitive and technical skills to successfully complete the curriculum.

Applicants must possess the skills and abilities that will allow them to successfully complete the course of study and receive the full benefit of their education. The educational program includes treatment of patients of the school, and the school has the responsibility of ensuring the safety and well-being of all. Treatment must be completed safely and within an acceptable amount of time. The student must therefore be able to meet the following technical standards with or without reasonable accommodation.

The standards for admission are outlined below.

• Candidates must have sufficient motor function to elicit information from patients through such diagnostic procedures as palpation, auscultation, and percussion. Candidates should be able to execute motor movements that are reasonably required to provide oral health care and emergency treatment to patients. 
• Examples of such emergency treatments are: cardiopulmonary resuscitation, application of pressure to stop bleeding, the opening of obstructed airways, the suturing of simple wounds, and uncomplicated oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures. Such actions require coordination of both gross and fine muscular movements, equilibrium, and functional use of the senses of touch and vision.

• Candidates must be able to perform visual and tactile dental examinations and treatment including use of visual acuity and color vision, to discern differences and variations in color, shape, and general appearance between normal and abnormal soft and hard tissues. Use of tactile senses may be either by direct palpation or indirect through instrumentation.

• Candidates must have sufficient facility with the English language to: 
  1. retrieve information from texts and lectures and communicate concepts on written exams and patient charts; 
  2. communicate effectively with patients in order to develop a health history, identify problems presented, explain alternative solutions, and give directions during treatment and post-treatment; and 
  3. coordinate patient care with all members of the health care team. 
• In any case where a candidate's ability to communicate through these sensory modalities is compromised, the candidate must demonstrate alternative means and/or ability to acquire and communicate essential information. If alternatives are reasonable it is the responsibility of the student to obtain and use such alternate means and/or abilities.

• Candidates must be able to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, integrate, and synthesize information. In addition, candidates must be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships of structures. 
• Problem solving is a critical skill for the successful practice of dentistry, and requires all of these intellectual abilities. Candidates must also be able to perform these problem-solving skills in a timely fashion.

• A student must possess the emotional and psychological health required for full utilization of his/her intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the prompt completion of all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients, and the development of mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients. 
• A student must be able to tolerate physically and mentally taxing workloads and to function effectively under stress. He/she must be prepared to travel to various training venues in the Western New York region. He/she must be able to adapt to changing environments and to learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in a health care setting. 
• Compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest, and motivation are all personal qualities that will be assessed during the admission and educational processes. A student is expected to accept constructive criticism and modify behavior accordingly.

• If you require classroom or testing accommodations due to a disability, please contact the UB Office of Accessibility Resources, located at 25 Capen Hall, UB North Campus. This office can be reached by phone at (716) 645-2608. 
• The Office of Accessibility Services will advise the School of Dental Medicine Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of the suggested reasonable accommodations. The Office of Academic Affairs will then coordinate the appropriate student accommodations.

• Compliance with the Immunization Requirements for all Health-Related Profession Students is mandatory. 
• Immunization requirements have been established to safeguard the health and well-being of patients, students and all healthcare workers. 

• The following are the minimum required prerequisite courses for matriculation in the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine:
  • Biology, 2 semesters with labs
  • Chemistry,2 semesters with labs
  • Organic Chemistry, 2 semesters with labs
  • Physics, 2 semesters with labs
  • English, 2 semesters including composition
  • Biochemistry, 1 semester (no lab required)
• It is the applicant's responsibility to fulfill all requirements prior to matriculation. Completion of required courses is a condition of acceptance and failure to comply will result in the admission offer being rescinded.

• All offers of acceptance and admission are pending completion, at the applicant's expense, of an acceptable background check from a vendor approved by the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. 
• Admission offers may be rescinded for applicants who refuse to submit to the background check or because of adverse information contained in his or her background check.

• A felony in New York State is defined as a crime for which more than one year of prison may be imposed. Applicants who have been adjudicated as having juvenile delinquent or youthful offender status are not required to respond affirmatively to the felony question. 
• An affirmative response to any question will not automatically prevent admission but applicants will be asked to provide additional information. The information will be reviewed by the Background Check Review Committee of the School of Dental Medicine for the purpose of ensuring campus safety and determining the eligibility of an applicant for future licensure for the practice of dentistry.
•  Any falsification or omission of data may result in revocation of admission. Falsification of any documents submitted as part of the application process is considered a breach of the Honor System of the School of Dental Medicine and will result in dismissal if discovered at some future date.

• Upon your acceptance of this offer of admission, you are required to remit an online payment of $1,250 U.S. dollars payable to "University at Buffalo." This will be applied to your fall semester tuition charges. 
• Tuition deposits are refundable until April 1, 2026, upon written notification of withdrawal from the program and request for a refund.
•  You will find 2025-2026 DDS Estimated Student Expenses for the students admitted in fall 2025 with your admissions letter. Please note: Fall 2026 costs are not available at this time. Costs may change at any time and should be expected to increase annually.
• Included in the first-year expenses are the costs of supply purchases. These include consumable dental supply items used in the preclinical curriculum of the first year. Financial arrangements for supply purchases must be made during orientation since this cost is not billed to you through the University; rather, students are required to make payment/financial arrangements directly with the suppliers.

• As a student at the School of Dental Medicine, you are required to own a notebook computer to serve your computing needs both in and out of the classroom. Students must have a notebook computer that meets our school's specifications. Detailed information will be provided to all incoming dental students well in advance of orientation.

• Students are responsible for acquiring textbooks and any course materials required by the faculty at their own expense. Some materials may be provided as digital media. Costs for textbooks will vary according to the format each student selects.  A listing of the required textbooks will be provided in the syllabi by the faculty.

• As of January 1, 2007, the State of New York requires successful completion of an American Dental Association accredited post-doctoral residency program as a requisite for dental licensure eligibility. A clinical licensing examination is no longer a requirement for dental licensure in New York State.
• The School of Dental Medicine does not guarantee that a clinical licensing exam will be offered each year.  Although not guaranteed at this time, the School of Dental Medicine does anticipate offering the ADEX clinical licensing examination each year, pending ADEX approval.

• The first-year program begins with a mandatory one-week orientation program.
• All incoming first-year students must be present to begin the academic year on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. 

At the time of acceptance to and registration in the School of Dental Medicine, each student signifies in writing that s/he has read the Student Code of Ethics and that s/he agrees to abide by the School Honor System, as well as the Student Conduct Rules, University Standards and Administrative Regulations, during his or her affiliation with the School. The Honor System reads as follows:

I, upon entering into the dental profession, accept and honor the concept of unquestionable ethical and moral practice of my art, both in my own activities and those of my professional colleagues. I will not defame myself or the profession through academic cheating or by allowing such misconduct by my professional peers. Misconduct may include violation of school and departmental regulations and procedures which will reflect on the profession or my peers. Such misconduct includes indirect violation through devious activities to circumvent academic/ professional regulations or procedures.

By accepting admission to the School of Dental Medicine, I acknowledge the ethical expectations of the dental profession, and accept the concept of the School's honor system and agree to abide by its principles.

This Code of Ethics is predicated on four fundamental ethical principles: veracity, justice, beneficence, and autonomy. From these universal principles of ethical behavior flow the standards and ideals which serve to guide the professional conduct of members of the School of Dental Medicine.

The principle of veracity requires the professional to observe truthfulness and personal integrity in all interactions. Whether verbal or nonverbal, communication forms the basis of all human relationships. When communication is eroded by dishonesty and deceit, this basis is destroyed and meaningful relationships become impossible.

The principle of justice requires that the professional treat others in a fair and impartial manner and give what is due or owed or what can be legitimately claimed. Absence of bias and discrimination against others is assumed under this principle.

The principle of beneficence requires that the professional help others to further their important and legitimate interests by providing a needed service. The prevention or removal of possible harm to others also falls within this principle. Beneficence includes the concept of upholding and protecting the credibility and reputation of the profession, thereby upholding the public's trust.

The principle of autonomy requires that the professional have a general respect for human dignity and the uniqueness of others. Persons are to be respected as unconditionally worthy individuals who have a right to self-determination as long as the resulting actions do no harm to others. Assumed under this principle is the concept of respect for and tolerance of individual differences and individuals' rights to privacy and to make their own choices.

Each student entering the School of Dental Medicine is expected to have established the highest concepts of honor and personal integrity, and to maintain these concepts throughout his or her professional career. All student activities in the dental school are conducted under the school honor system in recognition of these expectations.

Professional ethics are the responsibility of each individual operating within the profession. Dental education represents the beginning of a professional career. Therefore, the Honor System is based on self-regulation inherent in the profession of dentistry. The Honor System assumes that each student has the personal integrity to be honest and professional, and that this integrity compels the student to discourage any unprofessional behaviors/he may observe in others.

• Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to:
  • a. Previously submitted work. Submitting academically required material that has been previously submitted - in whole or in substantial part in another course, without prior and expressed consent of the instructor.
  • b. Plagiarism. Copying or receiving material from any source and submitting that material as one's own, without acknowledging and citing the particular debts to the source (quotations, paraphrases, basic ideas), or in any other manner representing the work of another as one's own.
  • c. Cheating. Soliciting and/or receiving information from, or providing information to, another student or any other unauthorized source (including electronic sources such as cellular phones and PDAs), with the intent to deceive while completing an examination or individual assignment.
  • d. Falsification of academic materials. Fabricating laboratory materials, notes, reports, or any forms of computer data; forging an instructor's name or initials; resubmitting an examination or assignment for reevaluation which has been altered without the instructor's authorization; or submitting a report, paper, materials, computer data, or examination (or any considerable part thereof) prepared by any person other than the student responsible for the assignment
  • e. Misrepresentation of documents. Forgery, alteration, or misuse of any university or official document, record, or instrument of identification.
  • f. Confidential academic materials. Procurement, distribution or acceptance of examinations or laboratory results without prior and expressed consent of the instructor.
  • g. Selling academic assignments. No person shall sell or offer for sale to any person enrolled at the University at Buffalo any academic assignment, or any inappropriate assistance in the preparation, research, or writing of any assignment, which the seller knows, or has reason to believe, is intended for submission in fulfillment of any course or academic program requirement.
  • h. Purchasing academic assignments. No person shall purchase an academic assignment intended for submission in fulfillment of any course or academic program requirement.

Student Ethical Responsibilities

• All students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that upholds the principle and spirit of the honor system. 
• Violations of the honor system will expose the student to disciplinary action. In certain circumstances, a student may be suspended temporarily. 
• Temporary suspension means that a student may be deemed to be a CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER to the university community, patients and/or him or herself and may be suspended immediately, pending a timely hearing on the charges. The following are some specific, but not exhaustive, examples of expected student conduct:

Examinations

• A student shall neither give nor receive aid during an examination. Students shall be prompt for all examinations.
• Students shall neither talk nor cause disruption of the quiet atmosphere of the examination.
• Students shall not use course notes or crib notes during an examination (unless so authorized by faculty).
• Students shall not steal examinations. Students shall not take an examination for another student.
• Students shall abide by all rules governing the administration of the examination as put forth by the course director (e.g., time, procedures, and seating).

Preclinical Procedures

• The use of commercial laboratory facilities is prohibited (per course directives).
• Students shall not falsify the completion of lab accomplishments.
• Students shall not steal, destroy or distort another student's work.
• Students shall not submit projects completed partly or in whole by other persons (e.g., professional students, graduate students, or lab technicians).

Clinical Responsibilities

• No patient treatment shall be performed without direct supervision of a faculty member.
• Students shall not falsify records or signatures.
• Students shall not steal clinic instruments, materials, or equipment.
• Students shall always treat patients in a fashion consistent with the established priority of needs.
• Students shall adhere to clinical guidelines for procedures as outlined by the clinical course director or department.
• Work or material provided by a commercial laboratory is forbidden except when approved by specific work authorizations.

Violations of General Facility Rules

• Students shall not destroy or vandalize university property.
• Students shall not violate facility hours.
• Students shall not breach facility security (e.g., propping doors open).

Professionalism

• Professionalism is defined as the conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person. Professionalism presupposes accountability for one's actions. Unprofessional conduct includes, but is not limited to:
  • violation of the Student Conduct Rules, University Standards and administrative regulations;
  • all forms of conduct which fail to meet the standards of the dental profession, including repeated failure to meet assigned obligations;
  • use of abusive or intimidating language or behavior;
  • sexual harassment;
  • discrimination based on such factors as sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status or sexual orientation;
  • disruption of class or any other school activity;
  • plagiarism of material for written papers, reports or other assignments;
  • other misconduct, misrepresentation, or failure in personal actions or in meeting obligations which raise serious, unresolved doubts about the integrity of the student in meeting the overall obligations of a professional dental career.