Over 3,500 toys and bicycles were donated to the Salvation Army as a result of the Angel Tree Program of 2012.

On December 7, 2012, the College of Dental Medicine’s (CDM) staff, faculty, students and residents joined together to support the local community by contributing toys for families and children in need to the school-wide MUSC Angel Tree program and the Salvation Army. These donations will give happier holidays to those who may not have been fortunate enough to receive gifts otherwise.

An Angel parade was held at MUSC to celebrate these donations on December 7th, with performances by the Burke High School Drum Corp. and the Charleston Police Department bagpipers. Even Santa and Mrs. Claus paid a visit.

CDM staff and faculty competed for the best decorated cart, which was used to transport the toys in the parade. Recipient of the “Best Decorated Cart” was Jeanette Craparotta.

Joe Vuthiganon, Bridget Inman and Jeanette were among the many who contributed to the CDM’s participation in the event.


Recipient of the Best Decorated Cart: Jeanette Craparotta

Some of the toys and bicycles donated

The CDM Gives Back!

Many students work so hard to be accepted to dental school and become a dentist, but most don’t give a second thought to life after school as a new dentist.

But after students get through the didactic courses at the College of Dental Medicine and into the clinic, they start the process of deciding what they will do and where they will go after graduation.

Twenty-three of the fifty-six graduates of the Class of 2012 decided to further their education at a residency program. Fifteen started an Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) or General Practice Residency (GPR) programs. The remaining residency-bound students went into orthodontic, pediatric and endodontic programs.

The average nationwide for new graduates entering residency programs is 37% and MUSC’s average for 2012 was 42%.

While around 8% of new dentists in America enter the military or other government service each year, the 2012 CDM graduate level was 12% (seven out of fifty-six).

43% of MUSC’s 2012 class went into private practice, including working as associates or in a corporate dental chain like Dental Smart. The national average for private practice is 49%.

The process of becoming an excellent dentist does not stop once a dental student graduates. No matter what a new dentist does after finishing school, the process of learning the craft is life-long.

MUSC offers several residency programs, including AEGD, orthodontic, periodontic, pedodontic, endodontic and oral surgery programs.

MUSC is proud to encourage diversity in its students, faculty and staff. Two events were held at MUSC in 2012 to encourage underrepresented minority pre-dental students to consider applying to the College of Dental Medicine.

The first was called “Impressions” day which was held on June 23rd at the school. The primary goal of the Impressions Program was to expose underrepresented minority pre-dental students to a career in dentistry and familiarize them with the dental school application process.

During the day, participants had the opportunity to receive information about applying to and being a student in dental school, to have their questions answered by dental students and members of the faculty, to tour our dental clinics, and to receive hands-on experience. Hands-on activities included waxing a tooth, learning to use a handpiece, taking impressions, and pouring stone models. Forty-two pre-dental students participated. The event was sponsored by the SNDA. 

Second-year student Kenitra Betts and fourth-year student Brandon Hagan 
show students how to work with wax

The other event held was the 14th annual Dental Day and was held on November 2nd. This event provided students with information about the process of applying to dental school and what life is like as a dental student. Pre-health advisors and parents were also welcome to attend the event.

Eighty-six students registered for the attended the program and 15 schools were represented, including: Coastal Carolina, USC-Columbia, College of Charleston, Columbia University, North Carolina State University, Clemson University, Cape Fear Community College, UNC-Pembroke, UNC-Charlotte, UNC-Chapel Hill, Presbyterian College, University of Alabama, Wofford College, Winthrop University, South Carolina State University, Charleston Southern and Fort Dorchester High School.

This event was sponsored by the College of Dental Medicine’s Office of Diversity.

Kip Katseanes is a 2nd-year dental student (CDM Class of 2015) that has graciously provided candid answers to several key questions that many dental school applicants want to know.

Kip is a student representative on the Curriculum Committee and is well respected among the faculty and his peers.

1. Why was MUSC College of Dental Medicine the right place for you?  
MUSC was the right place for me after I interviewed here.  Based on the respectful faculty/staff and state-of-the-art facilities, all accommodations were met to provide for an outstanding education.

2. How is life as a dental student different from life as an undergraduate student?
The main difference is time.  Much more is expected and required, so time management is critical for the transition and success.  

3. What advice would you have to future applicants?
My advice would be to try and mimic the College of Dental Medicine's basic science curriculum during your undergraduate courses.  This will help with the transition and better prepare you to be a successful professional student.

4. What has been your favorite part of the pre-clinical dental curriculum?
My favorite part is practicing dental procedures in the simulation lab to better prepare myself for clinical work.  The course directors, along with the reputable facilities, are able to prepare each individual student to better our manual dexterity skills which in turn teaches us to be better clinicians.

5. How does MUSC help you get involved in the community?
MUSC offers many different ways for each student to become active in a community.  Dental mission projects are performed outside of this country on a yearly basis, part of our curriculum requires us to volunteer at a special needs school to reach out in our community, and finally dental outreach programs such as the DAD project and the ECCO clinic help us provide dental work to those less fortunate in our community.  Many more are offered and this variety of outreach programs tailor to all students background interest's to participate.