The University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Dentistry in Jackson is the only dental school in Mississippi. Part of UMMC's health sciences campus, the school trains approximately 35–45 DMD students per year with an explicit mission to address Mississippi's severe oral health disparities — the state ranks among the worst in the US for dental health outcomes. Co-location with UMMC's academic medical center provides interprofessional training alongside medical, nursing, and pharmacy students, and the school operates community dental outreach programs across the state.
What makes it different
UMMC School of Dentistry is the only dental school in Mississippi and is part of the University of Mississippi Medical Center — one of the state's largest healthcare systems — co-located with UMMC's medical school, nursing, pharmacy, and health-related professions programs. Mississippi has among the highest rates of tooth loss, unmet dental need, and dental disease severity in the United States. UMMC Dental's mission to train dentists for Mississippi is central to every aspect of the program.
Course & teaching
Integrated curriculum. 4-year DMD curriculum with integrated biomedical and clinical sciences. Clinical training at UMMC's Jackson dental clinic from Year 2. Community dental outreach sites across Mississippi in Years 3–4.
Research strengths
UMMC School of Dentistry (DMD) has notable research strength in Oral health disparities, Community oral health, Oral-systemic disease, Tobacco-related oral disease, Biomaterials.
Interview
UMMC School of Dentistry (DMD) interviews via Traditional one-on-one faculty interview. UMMC Dental interview day includes one or two traditional one-on-one faculty sessions, each approximately 30–45 minutes, plus a clinic and UMMC campus tour. As the only dental school in Mississippi — a state with among the worst oral health outcomes in the United States — interviewers place strong emphasis on applicants' awareness of Mississippi's oral health crisis and commitment to serving the state's population. Questions cover manual dexterity, oral-systemic health, ADA ethics, tobacco and dietary contributors to dental disease in Mississippi, and genuine career intent to serve Mississippi communities.
Intake
Approximately 35–45 students per year.
At a glance
Founded in 1975, based in Jackson, MS. Programmes offered: General Dentistry, Pediatric Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Periodontics, Community Dentistry.
