Time Limitation for Completion of Program
The four-year program of studies leading to the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) must be completed in no more than five consecutive full years (sixty months) from the date of initial registration. A student who fails to complete the program in five years must withdraw from the School.
In the event that students fail to complete their course of study satisfactorily within the stipulated period of five years, it would be only under extenuating circumstances that readmission would be granted and this only after an application for readmission had been approved by the Dentistry Council.
Progression without Condition
To complete a year's work and be permitted to register in the succeeding year of the dental program, a student must:
- satisfactorily complete the prescribed assignments for both credit and non credit courses.
- obtain at least a Pass level (60%) of performance in each credit course.
Notes:
i) A course shall be defined as a discrete division of a general subject and is characterized by specific instruction and by examination specific to the said course. Where a general subject is not divided into discrete divisions it shall, for the purpose of these regulations, be considered a course.
ii) In each course, the ratio of term grades to final examination grades is determined by the teaching staff of the department concerned.
A student who obtains an average at the Honors level (80%) in a year's work is considered to have passed that year with Honors.
Eligibility for Awards
Students in Dentistry are required to achieve a passing grade without benefit of supplemental examination(s) in all courses of the academic year, to be eligible for Professional Awards (excluding Scholarships and Bursaries) in that year.
Conditional Progression
A student may be given permission by the Dentistry Council to progress or continue in the dental program with conditions as noted below:
First and Second Years
A first year or second year student who fails either the written and/or preclinical laboratory component(s) of a course, may be granted permission to write a supplemental examination in either or both components of that course provided the student's overall average in all courses taken that year is at least 65%.
Third and Fourth Years
A third year or fourth year student who fails the written component of a course may be granted a supplemental examination in that component provided the student's overall average in the written components of all courses taken that year is at least 65%.
If, by the end of the academic year, a student in third or fourth year has not completed all clinical cases, requirements, guidelines and other assignments prescribed in a clinical component of a course, but has an overall passing grade in those activities that have been done, the clinical Division may recommend that a grade of "Incomplete" be given. The recommendation will include:
- the type and extent of the work to be completed;
- the date on which it must be completed;
- the name of the Division that will evaluate the student's work;
- the date by which the final grade will be forwarded to the Registrar's Office.
No supplemental examinations will be permitted in the clinical component of a third or fourth year course. If, by the end of the academic year, a student in third or fourth year has an overall failing average in the clinical component of a course, a grade of "Fail" shall be given in that component whether or not the student has completed all of the activities prescribed.
Unsatisfactory Standing
A student shall be considered to have failed the year if the student attains:
- less than a Pass level of performance (60%) in one or more courses or components of courses where supplemental examination(s) are not granted,
- less than a Pass level of performance (60%) in a supplemental examination.
A student who fails to complete the program in five years will be required to withdraw from the dental program and will not normally be readmitted. Readmission to the dental program following withdrawal for unsatisfactory academic standing is subject to the following conditions:
- A student may be permitted by the Dentistry Council to repeat that year. Permission to repeat first year is seldom given and then only under extenuating circumstances. Permission to repeat one of the subsequent years is normally given but is subject to a vacancy being available in the year to be repeated.
- Applications for readmission must be submitted in writing to the Director of Dentistry on or before August 15 of the year in which readmission is being sought.
- A student who is granted permission to repeat a year is required to repeat all courses of the failed year that have a clinical component, regardless of the achievement level, as well as those courses without a clinical component in which the student did not earn an "honors" (80%) achievement level in the first attempt. All prescribed work must be completed satisfactorily or the student will be required to withdraw from Dentistry. Supplemental examination privileges are not normally extended to students repeating a year.
A student who voluntarily withdraws from a specific year of instruction before the end of the Fall Term may apply, by July 1 next following, through the Director to the Council for readmission. In such event, the year from which the student withdrew would not be counted within the sixty-month period allowed to complete the program.
Reports
At the end of each academic year, a report will be available from the Registrar's Office to each student indicating the numerical (percentage) grade achieved in each course. The key to grades is:
| Mark | Grade | Performance |
| 80-100 | A | Honors |
| 70-79 | B | Pass |
| 60-69 | C | Pass |
| 59 and below | F | Fail |
| IPR | -- | In progress |
| INC | -- | Incomplete |
| SRP | -- | Supplemental Remedial Passed |
Reports will also show quartile standing (an indication of class ranking).
Dean's Honor List
To be named to the Dean's Honor List, students in Dentistry must complete a full year's work as defined by the program and achieve an average of 80% or have a special recommendation of the Director.
Note: Students who have sat supplemetal examinations are not eligible to be ranked to the Dean's Honors list.
Graduation Requirements
- A student who successfully completes the work of the fourth year of the dental program shall be recommended for graduation.
- A student who passes each year of the dental program with honors shall be graduated With Distinction.
Note: Students who have sat supplemetal examinations are not eligible to be ranked to the Dean's Honors list.
Counselling
Dentistry is a demanding profession. Being a dental student is not always easy; it requires a strict regimen of studying, lectures, labs and problem solving. Coping with stress is an essential part of practicing dentistry and the process begins at dental school.
At Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, a number of services are available offering personal and professional counseling, to prevent stress or other problems from becoming overwhelming. The Associate Dean and staff of the Admissions and Student Affairs Office in the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry offer personal counselling and make arrangement for referral to another professional service if required. Seeking counselling does not jeopardize a student’s standing in the program and is held in strict confidence within the Office of Admissions & Student Affairs. The Office of Admissions & Student Affairs is located in the Kresge Building K1. The telephone number is 661-3744 and messages can be left before and after hours.
Assistance with concerns or questions related to the academic program in Dentistry is available through the Office of the Academic Affairs Officer, and the Assistant Director, Academic for Dentistry. The Academic Affairs Office and The Office of the Director of Dentistry are located in the Dental Sciences Building, DSB 1003. During the Orientation Program, new dental students are given an Orientation Handbook listing other campus units that provide support services (e.g. Student Development Centre, Student Health Services, Ombudsperson, Campus Ministry Centre, etc.).
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