PORTLAND, Maine--The University of New England opened the first dental school in northern New England Aug. 28, 2013, by welcoming an inaugural class of 64 students.
Classes are held in the Oral Health Center on the Portland campus. A formal dedication is scheduled Oct. 2, 2013.
The inaugural class includes 24 students from Maine, representing 11 counties and more than 20 towns. There are also five students from New Hampshire, four from Vermont. The other students represent 16 states in addition to Canada.
“UNE is uniquely qualified to open the first College of Dental Medicine in the region,” said UNE President Danielle Ripich.
"This graduate program in oral health joins medical, pharmacy, public health, dental hygiene, and allied health programs. Our interprofessional health education learning environment provides students with the opportunity to work together as members of the health care team to ultimately provide the best patient care.”
UNE graduates enjoy one of the greatest lifetime returns on investment in Maine, according to Affordable Colleges Online, a website reporting on higher education affordability. The website ranked UNE second in student return on investment among 43 public and private colleges and universities in Maine, including four-year, degree-granting, fully accredited nonprofit institutions.
UNE College of Dental Medicine Dean James Koelbl said, “This dental school is the result of a public-private partnership. First and foremost, it is an educational institution where pioneering students will become ethical, caring and competent health care providers.
“We will implement one of the most robust community education programs available anywhere with a focus in the fourth year on extensive clinical experience in a distributed, community-based clinical learning environment across northern New England (Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont),” added Koelbl.
Once the college is fully operational, faculty and students will provide approximately 12,000 to 15,000 patient visits per year in the Oral Health Center, with an additional 20,000 to 25,000 visits per year provided in the community-based network.
For more information, visit www.une.edu/dentalmedicine/.
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