About the school

Loma Linda University School of Dentistry is a Seventh-day Adventist University that offers a unique learning environment by integrating health, science, and faith. Established in 1905 in Southern California, the Loma Linda campus grew into a force for healthcare and education and has now become a part of a world-class academic medical centre. Today, the School of Dentistry at LLU is a pioneer in health, wholeness, and health science research and is world-renowned for providing service to communities and underserved populations everywhere. The university has cultivated a unique and varied learning environment, with over 100 programmes supporting students' personal and professional growth following the teaching and healing ministry of Jesus Christ. The School of Dentistry is a private, church-affiliated, coeducational health sciences institute with 1,809 full-time faculty that offer exceptional pedagogy in Allied Health Professions, Behavioral Health, Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, and Religion.

Location of the school

The LLU School of Dentistry is located in the Inland Empire of San Bernardino County, about 60 miles east of Los Angeles in Southern California. Here are some of its campus details:

Life at the School of Dentistry

The Office of Student Affairs is dedicated to providing students with the best spiritual, personal, professional, and academic experiences at the School of Dentistry. Student Affairs personnel advocate for students, communicate school programs and policies, and serve as liaisons between students and administration. The Office of Academic Affairs maintains inward vigilance toward fulfilling the School of Dentistry’s educational mission. The team monitors and oversees registration, management of various curricula, academic scheduling, and conducting regular assessments of all academic programs to ensure desired outcomes. The Office of Admissions and Student Affairs offers students counselling options on and off campus, study habits, interpersonal relationships, and issues related to damaging dependencies. Spiritual life guidance and diversity counselling are available to encourage students' spiritual and interpersonal journeys. The American Student Dental Association (ASDA) is a national student-run organisation that protects and advances dental students' rights, interests, and welfare.

Additional benefits of studying at the School of Dentistry

Special accommodations may be provided for a documented disability. During the orientation session, all students will be scheduled to have CPR training through the LLU Life Support Education Department. The Drayson Center is a fitness centre that students can use. Students get the benefit of on-campus and off-campus housing. Student Services assists with all essential activities from orientation to graduation to ensure academic, personal, and spiritual balance. There are various scholarships, loans, and loan repayment programs. Graduating students can also take student leadership and professional organisation membership and become a part of integral groups like ADEA, ASDA, CDA, and SADHA. Service Learning is the soul of Loma Linda University School of Dentistry, which is incorporated into the curriculum. Extensive local community opportunities are available to students, as well as more than 20 international mission trips per academic year.

Admissions criteria

The primary aim of Loma Linda University School of Dentistry is to educate students to provide high–quality dental care that is preventive in purpose, comprehensive in scope, based on sound biological principles, and focused on service. Aspirants need to go through the programmes and fill out the admission application accordingly. Admission Requirements: - The students should have proficiency in verbal and written English - Dental Admission Test completed within two years of admission - A minimum of 50 hours of dental practice observation/shadowing - Three recommendations are required: employer or dental professional, pre-professional committee, or science professor uploaded with the AADSAS application. A spiritual recommendation form must be submitted along with the LLUSD supplemental application. - A formal interview (by invitation only) Prerequisites: - A complete academic year of coursework is required in all subjects except Biochemistry - Pre–requisites must be taken in the U.S. or Canada - Science coursework completed at a four-year school is preferred - AP science prerequisite courses are not accepted - A minimum of 96 semester or 144 quarter units are required from an accredited school - A “C” or higher grade is required to meet LLUSD requirements - Science sequences must be completed within five years of admission - A science GPA of 3.3 or higher is recommended - DAT scores of 20 or higher are recommended - Complete personal statement - Complete Shadowing hours (50 hrs. required, 100 hrs. recommended) Students must apply to the American Association of Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS). After LLUSD receives the AADSAS application, a supplemental application invitation will be emailed to students, which can take four to six weeks after the AADSAS application has been submitted. Based on the review of a completed supplemental application, DAT scores, transcripts, and recommendations, students may be invited to LLUSD for a personal interview.

Job placements

To pursue a career in dentistry or dental hygiene, students get the required support from mentors and the career guidance cell at the school. Loma Linda graduates are in demand in private practice settings and academic dentistry. Because dentistry is benefiting from exploding advances in technology and materials, LLUSD has invested heavily in digital dentistry, intraoral scanning, a digital design centre, and 3D printing of dental prostheses. The career services help students with the most recent tools of their profession, a hands-on appreciation for research, and the ability to provide exceptional, research-based oral healthcare. The School’s administration is focused on providing career guidance services that anticipate shifting requirements for the delivery of optimal oral healthcare to a growing, diverse, 21st-century patient population. The career teams optimise students’ abilities to deliver life-enhancing, whole-person patient care and make positive, extra-professional contributions to their communities. The school’s growing interprofessional education program familiarises students with the various health professions they will consult with or refer to as practitioners. Students who particularly share the LLU mission will be pleased to know that LLUSD provides students with service learning trips, both domestic and international.