DDS Class of 2028 Arrives

Members of the School of Dentistry’s Class of 2028 arrived in June from around the country to start their 4-year journey to a DDS degree.

The 109 members of the class were admitted from a pool of 1,716 applicants.

The class statistical snapshot:

• The 62 women and 47 men continue a trend in recent years that has seen a surge in interest in dentistry from women.

• 65 are Michigan residents, 44 from out-of-state.

• Four class members have master’s degrees.

• Average age: 22.

Class members graduated from 11 Michigan colleges and universities: 27 from the University of Michigan (24 from the main campus in Ann Arbor and 3 from U-M Dearborn); 15 from Michigan State University; 4 from both Wayne State and Oakland universities; 3 from Grand Valley State; 2 from both Detroit Mercy and Saginaw Valley State; and 1 each from Aquinas College, Calvin University and Hope College. Beyond Michigan, members of the new class earned their undergraduate degrees at 37 higher education institutions across the land. They range from small colleges such as Muhlenberg, Rollins and Saint Norbert to major universities from coast to coast – from Washington in the Pacific Northwest to Maryland and North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the East, with Utah, Texas, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Georgia and Florida State in-between, among others.

Dental school administrators, faculty and staff welcomed the first-year dental students, known as D1s, to campus with a series of orientation sessions this week. Dean Jacques Nör and Dr. Reneé Duff, Associate Dean for Students, discussed the school’s educational mission, resources, and history, as well as the rewards of the profession of dentistry. Duff encouraged students to consider themselves as members of a large team who can rely on each other and an extensive network of resources designed to help students not just survive or navigate the challenges of the professional program, but to thrive over the course of their time at the dental school.

Nör said the school’s curriculum and faculty intend for each graduate to leave the school as “a highly skilled competent clinician with a deep understanding of the scientific foundation of dentistry and the compassion to serve those in need.”

“The journey is what makes this special,” Nör said. “It is such a wonderful opportunity that each one of you has now to undergo a life-changing training. You are going to be different when you leave here. You are going to have a profession that gives you an opportunity to do really meaningful and very significant things for your patients.”