The curriculum at KCU CDM consists of a minimum of four years of structured education leading to the Doctor of Dental Medicine Degree. The first two years of the curriculum center upon the foundations of basic and clinical dental sciences and include early clinical experiences. The last two years of dental education focus on clinical experiences providing patient care.
Dental Medicine Oath
I do hereby affirm my loyalty to the profession I am about to enter.
I will be mindful always of my great responsibility to preserve the health of my patients, to retain their confidence and respect, and to perform faithfully my professional duties.
I will be ever vigilant in aiding in the general welfare of the community, sustaining its laws and institutions, not engaging in those practices that will in any way bring shame or discredit upon myself or my profession.
I will endeavor to work in accord with my colleagues in a spirit of progressive cooperation.
And I will look with respect and esteem upon all those who have taught me my art.
To my college I will be loyal and strive for its best interests and for the interest of the students who will come after me.
I will ever be alert to further the application of basic biological truths and technical advances in my chosen profession, Dental Medicine.
Program Mission Statement
Kansas City University College of Dental Medicine is a community of professionals committed to excellence in education, research, patient care and community service while improving the well‐being of the communities we serve.
Our Values are
Excellence | Striving for quality, integrity and innovation
Equity | Supporting an inclusive and collaborative environment
Empathy | Caring for our students, our colleagues and our community
Our graduates will fulfill their professional obligations to improve the health and quality of life of people in their communities with excellence, equity and empathy. They will become leaders in their communities and of their oral health care teams, and partners in the interprofessional health care delivery systems of the future.
Program Vision
Become the most student focused and technologically advanced College of Dental Medicine in the nation by delivering value; cultivating team spirit and a humanistic learning environment; and becoming a trusted partner with our University and external constituencies.
Curriculum Philosophy
KCU’s College of Dental Medicine prepares graduates competent to begin the practice of general dentistry in rural and urban environments. The coursework begins in the D1 year with integrated basic and clinical sciences courses and pre-clinical courses and clinical simulation. The D2 year builds on these experiences and adds the provision of comprehensive patient care continuing throughout the D3 year. The D4 year adds population health and community service learning with comprehensive care provided in clinical and community settings. Interwoven throughout the 4-year curriculum are the core threads of professionalism and ethics, critical thinking and scholarship, interprofessional education and practice, and social responsibility and community service.
Code of Conduct
Dental students will adhere to the following code of conduct.
Upon matriculation at Kansas City University, I have become a future member of the dental profession. I understand that I will be expected to maintain and promote the ethical standards that my profession embodies.
I will enter into a relationship of mutual respect with faculty, staff, patients, and my colleagues to enhance the learning environment and gain the knowledge, skills and attitudes of an exemplary member of the profession. I will adhere to the highest standards of integrity, honesty and personal conduct at all times off and on campus. I will recognize my strengths and my weaknesses and strive to develop those qualities that will earn the respect of my patients, my colleagues, my family and myself.
ADA Code of Ethics “The ADA Code”
Dental students will be members of the American Dental Student Association.
The dental profession holds a special position of trust within society. As a consequence, society affords the profession certain privileges that are not available to members of the public-at-large. In return, the profession makes a commitment to society that its members will adhere to high ethical standards of conduct. These standards are embodied in the ADA Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct (ADA Code). The ADA Code is, in effect, a written expression of the obligations arising from the implied contract between the dental profession and society.
Members of the ADA voluntarily agree to abide by the ADA Code as a condition of membership in the Association. They recognize that continued public trust in the dental profession is based on the commitment of individual dentists to high ethical standards of conduct.
The ADA Code has three main components: The Principles of Ethics, the Code of Professional Conduct and the Advisory Opinions.
The Principles of Ethics are the aspirational goals of the profession. They provide guidance and offer justification for the Code of Professional Conduct and the Advisory Opinions. There are five fundamental principles that form the foundation of the ADA Code: patient autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice and veracity. Principles can overlap each other as well as compete with each other for priority. More than one principle can justify a given element of the Code of Professional Conduct. Principles may at times need to be balanced against each other, but, otherwise, they are the profession’s firm guideposts.
The Code of Professional Conduct is an expression of specific types of conduct that are either required or prohibited. The Code of Professional Conduct is a product of the ADA’s legislative system. All elements of the Code of Professional Conduct result from resolutions that are adopted by the ADA’s House of Delegates. The Code of Professional Conduct is binding on members of the ADA, and violations may result in disciplinary action.
The Advisory Opinions are interpretations that apply the Code of Professional Conduct to specific fact situations. They are adopted by the ADA’s Council on Ethics, Bylaws and Judicial Affairs to provide guidance to the membership on how the Council might interpret the Code of Professional Conduct in a disciplinary proceeding.
The ADA Code is an evolving document and by its very nature cannot be a complete articulation of all ethical obligations. The ADA Code is the result of an ongoing dialogue between the dental profession and society, and as such, is subject to continuous review.
Although ethics and the law are closely related, they are not the same. Ethical obligations may- and often do -exceed legal duties. In resolving any ethical problem not explicitly covered by the ADA Code, dentists should consider the ethical principles, the patient’s needs and interests, and any applicable laws.
American Dental Association (2020) ADA Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct: https://www.ada.org/about/principles/code-of-ethics