Return to: College of Dental Medicine
Competencies and Student Outcomes
(Adopted from the American Dental Education Association’s “Competencies for the New General Dentist,” Journal of Dental Education, July 2011)
The general dentist is the primary oral health care provider supported by dental specialists, allied dental professionals, and other health care providers. The practice of general dentistry requires a dentist to possess the ability to incorporate understanding, skills, and values in an integrated response to clinical and other professional situations. The competency statements describe the performance of the Kansas City University College of Dental Medicine graduates as they enter dental practice settings rather than that of students in individual courses. This document is viewed by the College as dynamic; as the practice of dentistry evolves, the College of Dental Medicine will revisit its competencies.
Domains
1. Critical Thinking
2. Professionalism
3. Communication and Interpersonal Skills
4. Health Promotion
5. Practice Management and Informatics
6. Patient Care
a. Assessment, Diagnosis and Treatment Planning
b. Establishment and Maintenance of Oral Health
1. Critical Thinking
Graduates must be competent to:
1.1. Evaluate and integrate emerging trends in health care as appropriate.
1.2. Utilize critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
1.3. Evaluate and integrate best research outcomes with clinical expertise and patient values for evidence-based practice.
2. Professionalism
Graduates must be competent to:
2.1. Apply ethical and legal standards in the provision of dental care.
2.2. Practice within one’s scope of competence and consult with or refer to professional colleagues when indicated.
3. Communication and Interpersonal Skills
Graduates must be competent to:
3.1. Apply appropriate interpersonal and communication skills.
3.2. Apply psychosocial and behavior principles in patient-centered health care.
3.3. Communicate effectively with individuals from diverse populations.
4. Health Promotion
Graduates must be competent to:
4.1. Provide prevention, intervention, and educational strategies.
4.2. Participate with dental team members and other health care professionals in the management and health promotion for all patients.
4.3. Recognize and appreciate the need to contribute to the improvement of oral health beyond those served in traditional practice settings.
5. Practice Management and Informatics
Graduates must be competent to:
5.1. Evaluate and apply contemporary and emerging information including clinical and practice management technology resources.
5.2. Evaluate and manage current models of oral health care management and delivery.
5.3. Apply principles of risk management, including informed consent and appropriate record keeping in patient care.
5.4. Demonstrate effective business, financial management, and human resource skills.
5.5. Apply quality assurance, assessment, and improvement concepts.
5.6. Comply with local, state, and federal regulations including OSHA and HIPAA.
5.7. Develop a catastrophe preparedness plan for the dental practice.
6. Patient Care
A. Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment Planning
Graduates must be competent to:
6.1. Manage the oral health care of the infant, child, adolescent, and adult, as well as the unique needs of women, geriatric, and special needs patients.
6.2. Prevent, identify, and manage trauma, oral diseases, and other disorders.
6.3. Obtain and interpret patient/medical data, including a thorough intra/extra oral examination, and use these findings to accurately assess and manage all patients.
6.4. Select, obtain, and interpret diagnostic images for the individual patient.
6.5. Recognize the manifestations of systemic disease and how the disease and its management may affect the delivery of dental care.
6.6. Formulate a comprehensive diagnosis, treatment, and/or referral plan for the management of patients.
B. Establishment and Maintenance of Oral Health
Graduates must be competent to:
6.7. Utilize universal infection control guidelines for all clinical procedures.
6.8. Prevent, diagnose, and manage pain and anxiety in the dental patient.
6.9. Prevent, diagnose, and manage temporomandibular disorders.
6.10. Prevent, diagnose, and manage periodontal diseases.
6.11. Develop and implement strategies for the clinical assessment and management of caries.
6.12. Manage restorative procedures that preserve tooth structure, replace missing or defective tooth structure, maintain function, are esthetic, and promote soft and hard tissue health.
6.13. Diagnose and manage developmental or acquired occlusal abnormalities.
6.14. Manage the replacement of teeth for the partially or completely edentulous patient.
6.15. Diagnose, identify, and manage pulpal and peri-radicular diseases.
6.16. Diagnose and manage oral surgical treatment needs.
6.17. Prevent, recognize, and manage medical and dental emergencies.
6.18. Recognize and manage patient abuse and/or neglect.
6.19. Recognize and manage substance abuse.
6.20. Evaluate outcomes of comprehensive dental care.
6.21. Diagnose, identify, and manage oral mucosal and osseous diseases.
Teaching Methods
The CDM creates a learning environment that fosters critical thinking, promotes professionalism and develops skills for life-long learning by using teaching methods that are student focused. Students will participate in active learning exercises and activities in a series of integrated courses.
Self-directed learning will be promoted through pre-class assignments, studying content through various media, evidence-based analyses and critical review of learning material, and guided and unguided self-reflection exercises. Approaches to interactive teaching will include classroom presentations; group discussions; classroom participatory activities; simulation activities, including virtual reality simulators; workshops; laboratory exercises; and interactions with both standardized patients and human patient simulators. Case-based learning will integrate pillars of foundational sciences with best-practice clinical protocols presented in real-world scenarios designed to address the care and management of patients. The CDM is committed to providing a diverse, equitable and inclusive learning environment for all students while applying the described teaching and learning methods. CDM reserves the right to edit, update, and/or supplemet the above described methods.
Tuition & Fees
Please see the 2024-2025 CDM Tuition & Fees section for information on tuition and fees.
CDM Satisfactory Academic Progress
Federal regulations require schools to monitor the academic progress of Title IV financial aid recipients. KCU must certify that students are making satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward the completion of their KCU degree. KCU follows the regulations set forth by the U.S. Department of Education that students are meeting the three required measurements to determine SAP: qualitative (GPA), quantitative (pace progression) and time frame. The policy applies to students who are receiving federal aid; however, these standards are cumulative to include all periods of the student’s enrollment, which may include times when the student did not receive federal aid. The academic standards set forth by the academic program may vary from the financial aid policy for academic progress. Review the full CDM SAP policy here:
CDM Academic Policies & Procedures
Academic Advising/Coaching
The academic advising/coaching program promotes student learning, development and growth to encourage self-directed learning. Students are assigned to a coaching team with a lead faculty advisor/coach. Team assignments are made annually by the interprofessional education coach, staff and faculty under the supervision of the assistant dean of curriculum and integrated learning. Coaches meet with their students as a group or individually at least five times during the first academic year, and as needed in subsequent years.
Academic Load
|
Full-time
|
6 or more semester credits |
| Half-time |
3 - 5.5 semester credits |
| Part-time |
Less than 3 semester credits |
Enrolled CDM students are expected to maintain a full-time status each semester.
Academic Standing
To determine the status of individual student progress, the CDM Student Progress Committee reviews the performance of all students in every course and in every competency area, if applicable, on a periodic basis.
There are three designations for academic standing: Good Academic Standing, Academic Warning and Probation.
Good Academic Standing
A student is categorized as having good academic standing if:
- The CDM-SPC deems student performance is satisfactory in every module, course and in every competency area;
- The student is making progress consistent with their current cohort;
- The student has not violated the student Code of Professional Conduct or Honor Code.
Academic Warning
Academic Warning is a state of warning from the CDM to the student indicating concern about their academic performance and/or professionalism/behavioral concerns. A student is categorized as being on Academic Warning if one or more of the following are true:
- A student fails a course;
- The Overall Percentage Grade is less than 80%;
- There are behavioral cues or professionalism concerns by the student which may indicate factors that are affecting academic performance.
Students placed on Academic Warning may be required to take actions deemed necessary to help improve academic performance. These actions may include but are not limited to: regular meetings with Learning Enhancement staff, meetings with tutors and/or faculty members, temporary loss of student leadership privileges and co-curricular activities including dual degree programs, outreach experiences and the like and providing frequent status updates to key faculty/administrators.
Probation
Probation is an official status from the University stating the student is under the most intensive academic and professionalism monitoring and improvement plan for the period of time on probation. The typical length of Probation is one semester, unless otherwise specified. Probation becomes an official part of the student’s record but is not reflected on the transcript. A student is categorized as being on Probation if one or more of the following are true:
- The student remediates two or more times;
- Two or more course failures are documented on the transcript;
- The student does not maintain an overall average of 75% for the overall percentage grade for all courses;
- The student has two or more course failures that have been successfully remediated in one year;
- The student has violated the student Code of Professional Conduct or has behavioral issues or concerns which may affect academic performance.
Students placed on Probation will be required to take actions necessary to improve academic performance, as listed above for Academic Warning. Students placed on Probation will have their status monitored by the associate dean for academic affairs and research and University staff. Students on Probation will not be allowed to serve as officers in student clubs or other intramural organizations. While on Probation, the student may be removed from extracurricular activities such as research and positions of leadership, dual degree programs, extracurricular outreach experiences and the like, regardless of when the probation status occurs in the term.
Academic Warning and Probation status are not tied to a student’s SAP, as defined by Title IV. It is wholly separate and unrelated to SAP.
Off-Site Clinical Experiences
KCU CDM students will participate in on-site and off-site clinical experiences as part of their education. Once a student has matriculated into KCU CDM, the University provides liability coverage of all clinical, curricular experiences, in accordance with insurance terms.
KCU CDM students are only allowed to shadow or participate in clinical experiences at KCU pre-approved clinical sites. Compliance with the CDM dress code is to be maintained while either shadowing or providing clinical care at these sites. Students are only allowed to wear their KCU white coats at pre-approved KCU sponsored clinical events (e.g. Score 1 screenings, KCU classroom presentations, etc.) or when approved by their supervising faculty.
Attendance Policy
The CDM expects students to participate as active learners in all sessions, and therefore attendance is mandatory. Attendance may be assessed and reflected in the course grade at the discretion of the course director(s). Understanding each individual has unique life circumstances and needs, flexible time has been allocated in the student calendar to allow for such circumstances by providing planned and unplanned absences. If students are unable to attend any part of a scheduled session, they will need to complete the Student Absence Request form for approval by the director of predoctoral curriculum and integrated learning. Students will be responsible for timely make-up of the missed material, activities and/or assessments. Attendance may be monitored in a variety of ways, depending on the course and activity.
Course Attendance
Attendance at all assigned course activities, lectures, labs, and clinic sessions is essential to learner progression. In the event a student needs to miss any curricular component, absences will be managed in the following ways:
In the event a student needs to miss a course component for a planned absence, the absence may be requested by submitting the Student Absence Request form as soon as anticipated or a minimum of seven days in advance. The director of predoctoral curriculum and integrated learning will review requests and communicate the decision within three days for planned absence requests.
Examples of requests for planned absences include but are not limited to:
- Attendance at a professional meeting or conference as a representative of the CDM
- Attendance at post-graduate interviews, formal student externships, clinical licensure exams, and National Board examinations
- Religious observances which are not already addressed by the University Academic Calendar
- Jury duty, court subpoenas, and required military duty
- Other scheduled appointments
The CDM understands students each have unique life circumstances, and as such, unforeseen events may occur that will necessitate an unplanned absence. In the event of an unplanned absence, students should submit the Student Absence Request form to the CDM Office of Academic Affairs and course director(s) in writing via email within 24 hours of the absence. Circumstances that may prevent notification within the 24-hour time frame will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and the final authority for approval will rest with an applicable administrator from the CDM Office of Academic Affairs. Students will remain responsible for the content or skill being taught during the time of absence.
Students are expected to be seated by the time the curricular event is scheduled to begin. Being seated after the scheduled start time is considered tardy.
Consistent tardiness may result in the following steps:
- Coaching and documentation
- Meeting with the CDM Office of Academic Affairs
- Referral to the Student Progress Committee
- Letter to the student documenting tardiness and professionalism with copy retained in student’s CDM academic file
Consequences for Noncompliance with Attendance Policy
Noncompliance with the CDM attendance policy will be considered an infraction of professional responsibility. Planned or unplanned absences may require remediation of assigned activities, assignment, and assessments as determined by the course director(s). Repeated unexcused absences may require a student to meet with an applicable administrator from the CDM Office of Academic Affairs to address the issue and may require the student to meet with the CDM Student Progress Committee. The CDM Student Progress Committee will review repeated absences and determine course of action as described above.
Grade & Assessment Policies
Grade System
The academic grade system for CDM students at KCU is as follows:
| Grade |
Definition |
| P |
Pass (75% or higher) |
| F |
Fail (<75%) |
| H |
Honors |
| F/P |
Pass upon remediation |
| F/F |
Remediation failure |
| IP |
In-Progress |
| I |
Incomplete |
| W |
Withdrawal |
| AW |
Administrative Withdrawal |
| AD |
Administrative Drop |
Overall Percentage Grade
Grading for the DMD program is pass/fail. However, students retain the percentage score earned within the required courses. The final percent score used to determine course P/F is used to calculate the student’s cumulative overall percentage grade (weighted by course credits). The overall percentage grade is used to determine class rank. Additionally, this grade is used to determine eligibility for dual-degree programs, honors, student government, research participation, club leadership, and recommendation letters for postgraduation programs. Electives and extramural activities are not included in a student’s overall percentage grade calculation.
Class Quartile Rank
The College of Dental Medicine uses the overall percentage score to determine student class quartile rank. The first quartile represents the top 25% of the class. Quartile rank is calculated and reported at the conclusion of each academic year and not reported and/or updated mid-year.
Class quartile rank will be based on the Overall Cumulative Percent Score (average percent score for all courses completed by the student at the end of each semester [fall, spring and summer] for the entirety of their academic record in the CDM). Class quartile rank for graduation is based on the student’s cumulative overall percentage grade at the conclusion of the final year.
| 1st Quartile |
Upper 25% |
| 2nd Quartile |
≥25% to ≤49% |
| 3rd Quartile |
≥50% to ≤75% |
| 4th Quartile |
Lower 25% |
Dean’s List
The Dean’s List is comprised of the top ten percent of students’ academic performance across the cohort for each term for each of the four years. If a student must repeat the year, they will be eligible to earn the Dean’s List distinction the same as any other students in their cohort in that repeated year. The calculation is based on the average of percentages earned in each course, and is weighted by credit hour. The Dean’s List distinction is recognized on the official transcript.
Testing and Exam Review Policy
Testing (assessment) during a course may consist of:
- Quizzes
- Examinations
- Written assignments
- Presentations
- Group discussions
- Classroom participatory activities
- Case-based learning
- Simulation activities, including virtual reality simulators
- Workshops
- Laboratory exercises
- Interactions with both standardized patients and patient simulators
- Clinical procedures
Students will receive a Pass/Fail grade for all forms of assessment.
- A percentage of the total point score possible for the assessment will be calculated based on points earned, including any adjusted questions for the assessment.
- Pass/Fail is assigned based on the scoring above.
- Students will be notified of their score via the required portal. Students will have the opportunity to review their individual examination results after the grades are calculated and posted to the grade book in the learning management system, Canvas. Students will have the opportunity to review the exam through the exam review process. Students may attend an exam review to understand answers to the questions. The assistant director of assessment will conduct the exam review in a secure environment with the students. Instructions for this review process are provided annually during orientation.
- Students will have the opportunity to challenge any aspect of the assessment within 48 hours after the exam review. The designated student curriculum liaison for the class will communicate these challenges to the course director(s) unless otherwise indicated by the course director(s).
- Students who receive a failing grade receive instructions from the assistant director of assessment on the retesting process that will occur on an as needed basis.
- Students who are authorized for special accommodations will report to the Office of Exam Services. Accommodation conditions, as appropriate, may include alteration of length of exam time, testing location (room number) or other accommodations. Students in need of special accommodations should complete the Student Request for Accommodation Form, which is available on the Student Disability Services & Resources page on myKCU.
- All quizzes and exams will start and end on time. All examinations will begin promptly at the published/announced start time. Exams will automatically lock out at the end of the allocated exam time period. At the end of the examination time frame, all students are required to end their exam and submit the results via the required portal.
- A student with an unexcused absence will not be permitted to re-take a make-up exam through Assessment and will receive a grade of zero (0) without the possibility of a make-up exam.
- While taking exams, students should have in their possession only items that are necessary for the exam. All purses, backpacks, hats, sunglasses, unnecessary clothing items, headphones, calculators, smart watches, other digital/electronic devices, etc. need to be left outside of the room. Cell phones must be turned off and placed outside the testing area. Recording or communication devices of any type are not allowed at any time in the testing environment. Academic integrity, honesty and professional conduct guidelines will be strictly enforced.
Any student found in possession of any type of electronic device capable of accessing the internet in any testing environment (iPad used for testing is the sole exception) could receive an automatic failure of the exam in question. Any student found in possession of any electronic device in a testing situation will be considered academically dishonest and referred to KCU administration for breach of professional conduct.
Review of Examinations
Students will have the opportunity to review their individual examination results after the grades are calculated and posted to the grade book in the learning management system, Canvas. Students will have the opportunity to attend an exam review to understand answers to the questions they answered incorrectly. Students are asked to conduct the exam review in a secure environment with the Assistant Director of Assessment. Instructions for this review process are provided annually during orientation. Challenges to test questions must be presented to the course director by the class representative unless otherwise indicated by the course director.
Incomplete Grades
The course director(s) may assign a grade of Incomplete (I) if the student has been unable to complete the module/course due to extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control or if additional time is needed to complete retesting/remediation. An Incomplete Grade Requirements document, which details the requirements for completion, will be prepared by an applicable administrator from the CDM Office of Academic Affairs after consultation with the student. The Incomplete Grade Contract form is available on the Registrar page of the intranet.
The student will have three business days to decline the incomplete grade and corresponding Requirements and receive the current earned grade. The CDM will send the finalized Requirements document, to the Office of the Registrar.
Any student receiving a grade of “I” must coordinate with the course director(s) to satisfy all outstanding coursework for the module or course. Once outstanding requirements are satisfied, an applicable administrator from the CDM Office of Academic Affairs will process a change of grade form converting the “I” to the corresponding grade. The grade change must be submitted prior to the add/drop deadline date of the next academic term. If this deadline has passed without the student completing successful remediation, the “I” becomes an “F”. Once converted to an “F”, this grade cannot be subsequently changed due to coursework completion.
Should a student decide to withdraw from the program or if a student is otherwise separated from the University prior to completing coursework for an incomplete grade, the grade will be updated to reflect a failure (F).
The University does not award a degree to a student with an incomplete grade on said student’s record.
Grade Changes/Corrections
Grades that have been reported to the Office of the Registrar and posted may be changed or corrected by the course director or assistant director of Assessment, upon certification in writing that an error occurred in computing or recording the grade, or a student has successfully completed re-examination or remediation. The change of grade must be documented on a grade change form, approved by the associate dean for Academic Affairs and Research and submitted to the Office of the Registrar for processing. The deadline to initiate a grade change is one calendar year after the end date of the term in which the grade was assigned.
Module/Course Grade Appeal Process
The assessment of the quality of the student’s academic performance is one of the major responsibilities of University faculty members and is solely and properly their responsibility. Grades may be appealed for reasons as follows.
Reasons for Grade Appeals
Some examples for a grade appeal could include, but are not limited to the following:
- There was an issue with the assessment process.
- Students are not informed of the basis for grade calculation in the syllabus, or prior to the assignment.
- The student’s grade was not calculated in accordance with the stated policy in the syllabus or as provided prior to the assignment, or has been assigned on the basis of something other than his/her performance.
- Significant, unwarranted, and unannounced deviation from grading procedures and course syllabi set at the beginning of the course or a grade assigned arbitrarily and capriciously on the basis of whim or impulse.
- There is an error in the computation of the grade that was not corrected.
- The student, through no fault of his/her own, was not provided with the same opportunity to complete the requirements as other students, for example, of time, access to materials, or access to the course director(s) as the other students.
- Standards used in the determination of the student’s grade are more exacting or demanding than those applied to other students in the same module or course.
A grade appeal is not an appropriate reason or justification when a student disagrees with the faculty member’s judgment about the quality of the student’s work as a sole basis for the appeal. A student who is uncertain about whether a grade should be appealed or who needs additional information about the grade appeals process can contact the assistant dean of curriculum and integrated learning.
Process of Module/Course Grade Appeal Process
If the purpose of the appeal meets any of the above criteria, students can appeal to the course director(s) by submitting a written appeal within 48 hours of the grade being posted. Only final course grades may be appealed. After receiving a rejection of appeal from the course director(s), if the student feels an error remains, they may submit an appeal to the assistant dean of curriculum and integrated learning within three business days of the response from the course director(s). The assistant dean of curriculum and integrated learning will review the student’s request and make a final determination. If the assistant dean of curriculum and integrated learning is the course director, the final determination will be made by the associate dean for academic affairs and research of the CDM.
Academic Assessment, Status & Promotion
Eligibility for Continued Enrollment
Monthly, at the end of the academic year, and as needed, the CDM-SPC evaluates student performance. Students are considered for promotion one academic year at a time. At any time, the University, by recommendation of the CDM-SPC and/or the action of the administrative officers, reserves the right to place on conditional or stipulated status, suspend or dismiss students who have failed to:
- Maintain acceptable standards of academic performance based on the totality of their academic record.
- Maintain acceptable ethical, moral, personal and professional conduct.
- Abide by the University’s policies, rules and regulations.
- Fulfill legal or financial obligations to the University.
- Show professional promise including mental and emotional fitness commensurate with the expected degree.
- Failure to continue to meet CDM Health and Technical Standards.
Promotion in Class Standing
At the end of each academic year, the CDM Student Progress Committee will review each student’s academic performance to determine progression into the next year. Refer to the Academic Standing, Warning, and Probation policy for an outline of student requirements to meet Satisfactory Progress and progression.
Assessment of Professionalism
The University requires all students to be responsible individuals who possess the highest standards of integrity, honesty and personal conduct. These traits are prerequisites to independent learning, professional development, the successful performance of academic and clinical assignments, and the conduct of one’s personal life. Accordingly, students are expected to adhere to a standard of behavior consistent with the University’s high standards at all times off and on campus. Compliance with institutional rules and regulations, in addition to city, state and federal laws, is required of all students.
Professionalism will be evaluated as part of each formal learning assessment. Students who demonstrate unprofessionalism will be expected to remediate the behavior. The professionalism assessment is designed to provide students with a clear understanding of their progress towards meeting professionalism standards, acknowledged nationally as those that students must meet in order to graduate. Students’ professionalism assessments will also be considered as part of the recommendation process for opportunities such as honors and awards, scholarships, and residency applications. All KCU students must meet or exceed professionalism expectations in order to graduate. Details about the assessment of student professionalism will be discussed with each class annually.
For further detail of professional behavior, please refer to the CDM Clinical Manual.
Individual Course Failure and Remediation Policy
Note: Failures of a course, course remediation, clinical experience, or clinical rotation accrue cumulatively over a student’s academic career. For example, if a student has failed one course in the first year and fails another in the second year, the failure is considered the student’s second cumulative academic failure.
In order to pass a course, a student must earn a passing grade within each course module and an overall passing grade for the course. If a student fails a module, said student will go through the retesting process. When retesting within a module, failure to obtain a passing grade for the module will result in a failure of the module and generate remediation. Failure of remediation will result in failure of the module and/or the entire course. The resulting academic failure will accumulate accordingly.
Students will have the opportunity to retest a failed exam or practical during the semester so they may prevent a failure of a module or course. Students will be given the opportunity to re-test once. The retest grade supersedes the original test grade, and the maximum score, if passing, is a 75. If the retest grade results in a failure, the student will follow the process outlined in the Academic Standing, Warning and Probation policy. Retesting and remediation will be administered by the assistant director of assessment.
Students may be eligible for remediation after failing a module or course. Remediation will be course and student specific and may be offered during a scheduled time, ad-hoc or a combination of both formats. The remediation plan may include but is not limited to the following: a study plan, regular meetings with the advisor/coach and learning specialist. The remediation plan will include timelines and expected content, outcomes/behaviors and assessments that the student will be expected to adhere to in agreeing to said plan.
The remediation plan will be signed by the student and course director(s) and filed with the associate dean for academic affairs and research and the associate dean for clinical education and patient care.
Failure to comply with the remediation plan can result in an automatic required meeting with the associate dean for academic affairs and research and the associate dean for clinical education and patient care.
Course or module remediations will take place either at scheduled breaks within the term or at the end of each term within the academic calendar. The course director(s) will inform the student of the results of their course or module remediation.
Board Examination Eligibility Policy
Didactic: Integrated National Board Examination
The Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE) administers the Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE) as part of the requirements for dental licensure. This written examination is offered for dental students in the fourth year of dental school. All current students enrolled in the CDM are eligible for INBDE with confirmation from the CDM-SPC and are expected to attempt the exam during their fourth year as a part of the requirement of graduation. Re-take eligibility after an unsuccessful testing attempt must be approved by the CDM-SPC before a student can test again. Students must pass the INBDE for licensure, but it is not a graduation requirement of the CDM.
Clinical: National Licensure Examination
KCU CDM will offer a clinical examination on-campus at pre-determined dates. Eligibility for this examination series requires a student be in good academic standing and have passed their corresponding clinical competencies prior to examination. Students are expected to attempt the exam as a part of the CDM curriculum but are not required to pass the exam prior to graduation. Students may elect to attempt other clinical National Licensure Examinations offered outside of the KCU Oral Health Center.
Academic Year Repeat Policy
The CDM-SPC may recommend a student repeat an academic year if said student fails to progress academically while enrolled in the CDM pre-doctoral program. Based on the totality of the student’s academic performance while enrolled, the CDM-SPC may recommend a student repeat an academic year in order to develop a firm foundation to continue in the program. Students approved for readmission after any period of suspension or an approved leave of absence regardless of length may also be required to repeat previously attempted and passed courses or modules. Students who fail a course(s) in one year may be required to repeat the academic year if the student did not successfully remediate.
A CDM student may remediate by repeating an academic year in full upon recommendation of the CDM-SPC and approval of the dean of the CDM. The student must retake and pass all courses regardless of past performance. The student is allowed no more than two attempts to successfully complete a CDM program year (e.g., first-year, second-year). If a student is unable to successfully complete the entire repeat year, the student will be dismissed from the University. Students repeating a year and failing a previously failed course will be referred to the CDM-SPC for consideration for dismissal.
All course enrollments and earned grades will remain on the student’s academic transcript. For repeated coursework in the CDM program, the student’s most recent grade earned is used in the calculation of the student’s overall percentage grade. Grades for repeated courses are recorded in brackets on the academic transcript. Students may only repeat a course once. The opportunity to repeat is not available if the course is subsequently inactivated.
Students who repeat an academic year must still complete their degree within six years of matriculation. The student who is required to repeat a year must, per the University policy, pay full tuition and fees for the repeated year.
Grade Assessments for Reinstated Students
For the purposes of this policy, a reinstated student shall be defined as any student of the CDM whose attendance was interrupted for any reason necessitating a leave of absence or withdrawal, and who is now returning to the CDM to continue on with the same course of study. This definition shall apply whether the interruption was voluntary or sanctioned.
All grades earned by reinstated students prior to the academic interruption shall remain part of the permanent student record. The successful retake of the course/section will then supersede the remediation process described for academic failures of continuously matriculated students. If, however, the reinstated student fails the course/section a second time; the consequences shall be the same as those described for a continuously matriculated student who fails the remediation process.
CDM Clinic Manual
CDM students are required to read and follow the CDM Clinic Manual all years of their attendance.