The approved areas of study for the Degree of BDS for graduate entrants extend over a period of not less than four academic years from the date of registration as a Graduate Entry Dental student. Second, Third and Final Year Students are reminded that evidence of the satisfactory completion of schedules of work must be presented before they will be permitted to sit the relevant examinations. A student who fails the Examination may be obliged to fulfil other clinical and/or academic requirements prior to re-sitting the examination.

Garda Vetting

Students, or applicants in receipt of an offer, on this programme will be subject to Garda Vetting as relevant. Students will be prohibited from engaging in a relevant work placement unless the vetting process has been cleared. Click here to view UCC's Student Garda Vetting Policy.

Fitness to Practise

This programme is subject to the University's Fitness to Practise Policy - full details may be found here.

REGULATIONS FOR THE DEGREE OF BDS (Hons)

In each year of the BDS (Hons) programme, each subject consists of modules which are measured in terms of credits. A module may correspond to 5, 10, 15 or 20 credits. The first year of the degree programme consists of modules to a total value of 75 credits and years 2, 3 and 4 consist of 60 credits per year. Module descriptions are contained in the Book of Modules, 2020/2021.

Two Year Rule
Students must pass/progress within two academic years of first registration for each year of the programme. However, after two failed attempts at an examination in a module, a Review Committee of the College of Medicine and Health will review the progress of the student and will decide whether to recommend that permission be given to allow a further year of study. Students of Graduate Entry Dentistry are allowed to repeat a year after failing a re-sit examination only twice during their studies in University College Cork. Thus, students must complete their studies within six years of registering for the First Graduate Entry Dental Year. Exceptions to this rule may be granted by the College of Medicine and Health, only for very serious reasons.

Candidates must:

(a) Hold an honours university degree conducted through the medium of English.
(b) Demonstrate evidence of completion of learning in the fundamentals of General Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, of a standard that would apply to an honours university degree course. This will be assessed by examination of the applications and transcripts by a group of assessors nominated by the Dean of the Cork Dental School and Hospital, and working in conjunction with the International Office.

Anatomy: The major body systems and the function of organs. Microscopy of mammalian tissue and organs. Structure and functions of the cell components. Cell transport. Structure and function of epithelial and connective tissue. Histology of cartilage, bone, nerve, muscle, cardiovascular system, skin, immune system, respiratory system, digestive system, liver, spleen and pancreas, endocrine and exocrine glands, urinary system, the organs of the special senses and the male and female reproductive organs and common disorders of these tissues.
Biochemistry: Structure, chemistry and function of biomolecules. Water and pH. Enzymes, energy, cellular reactions and metabolic pathways. Structure of nucleic acids and prokaryotic and eukaryotic gene structure. Molecular mechanisms of replication, transcription, translation and the molecular targeting of drugs. Post-transcriptional and post-translational modifications. Regulation of gene expression. Genetic engineering and molecular biology and microbiology techniques. Recombinant products in medicine. DNA mutations and repair. HIV life cycle and relevant drugs.
Physiology: Basic physiological processes of the normal human body and the relevance of these processes practice for clinical practice. Basic physiological process of the central nervous system and relevance of these processes to clinical practice. Effect of common drugs in these processes and the roles of the different physiological systems.

Attendance at Dentistry Modules

The Dentistry modules are scheduled on a full five days per week basis, from August to July. Full attendance is required at all scheduled clinical and teaching activities in Dentistry. Students are required to notify the Dental School Office of the reason for non attendance and to provide medical certificates or explanation of other mitigating circumstances for all absences. Students must make formal application to the Dean for planned leave of absence. Such leave may be granted by the Dean in exceptional circumstances, in consultation with the relevant module coordinators. The Deputy President and Registrar will be informed if a student's attendance has not been satisfactory. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in a student being deemed not to have fulfilled the requirements for entry to the relevant examination.

Exemption Requests

As this is an integrated programme, requests for exemptions cannot be considered.

In order to be admitted to the First University Examination in Dentistry, a student must have satisfactorily attended (i.e. the First Year), subsequent to entry to the College of Medicine and Health, prescribed modules amounting to 75 credits as follows:

Anatomy
AN1006 Topographical Anatomy (10 credits)
AN2006 Neuroanatomy and Embryology for Dental Students (5 credits)
AN2008 Dental Morphology, Histology and Embryology (5 credits)

Dentistry
OH1001 Fundamentals of Dentistry I (15 credits)
OH1002 Fundamentals of Dentistry II (5 credits)

Pathology
FM2004 Foundations of Medicine: Mechanisms of Disease (10 credits)

Physiology
PL2034 Physiology for Dental Students (10 credits)

Pharmacology
PT2201 Principles of Dental Pharmacology (5 credits)

Restorative Dentistry
RD2007 Introduction to to Primary Care Dentistry (10 credits)

Module Semester Information may be found here. Module Descriptions may be found here.

Examinations
Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2020/2021 Book and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2020/2021.

Note: Each Third Year Dentistry student and each Second Year Graduate Entry to Dentistry student is required to make a payment of €1,500 for the use of dental hospital equipment and instruments as part of the total charge of €4,000. The remaining payments will be made at the start of Fourth Year and Final Year in the amounts of €1,500 and €1,000 respectively. For Graduate Entry this applies to Third Year and Fourth Year.

Students may also opt to pay the full amount of €4,000 instead of the first instalment. Payments must be made at an appointed date during orientation week (you will be informed of this date/time in advance). Failure to make payment as scheduled will mean that access to instruments will be withdrawn immediately and access will not be reinstated until the scheduled payment has been made in full.

No student may enter the Second Graduate Entry Dental Year until he/she has passed the First University Examination in Graduate Entry Dentistry and he/she has satisfactorily attended the University and Hospital courses during the First Graduate Entry Dental Year. In order to be admitted to the Second University Examination in Graduate Entry Dentistry, a student must have satisfactorily pursued, subsequent to registration for the Second Graduate Entry Dental Year, prescribed modules amounting to 60 credits as follows:

Pharmacology
PT3201 Dental Pharmacology (5 credits)

Pathology
PM3009 Manifestations of Systemic and Oral Disease (10 credits)

Restorative Dentistry
RD3002 Foundations of Primary Care Dentistry (20 credits)
RD3006 Clinical Skills Development in Primary Care Dentistry (10 credits)
RD3009 Theoretical Primary Care Dentistry I (15 credits)

Note: Unsatisfactory attendance at the prescribed Hospital or University courses will debar a student from admission to the Second University Examination in Graduate Entry Dentistry.

Examinations
Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2020/2021 Book and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2020/2021.

No student may enter the Third Graduate Entry Dental Year until he/she has passed the Second University Examination in Graduate Entry Dentistry. In order to be admitted to the Third Graduate Entry Dental Examination a student must have satisfactorily pursued (i.e. the Third Year), subsequent to passing the Second University Examination in Graduate Entry Dentistry, prescribed modules to the value of 60 credits as follows:

Dental Surgery
DS4003 Clinical Medical Sciences in Dentistry (5 credits)
DS4004 Introduction to Dental Surgery (15 credits)

Oral Health and Development
OH4003 Introduction to Oral Health and Development I (15 credits)

Restorative Dentistry
RD4003 Theoretical Primary Care Dentistry II (5 credits)
RD4005 Clinical Primary Care Dentistry (20 credits)

Note:Unsatisfactory attendance at the prescribed University or Hospital courses will debar a student from admission to the Third University Examination in Graduate Dentistry.

Examinations
Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2020/2021 Book and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2020/2021.

No student may enter the Fourth Graduate Entry Dental Year until he/she has passed the Third University Examination in Graduate Entry Dentistry. In order to be admitted to the Fourth Graduate Entry Dental Examination, a student must have satisfactorily pursued, subsequent to registration for the Fourth Graduate Entry Dental Year, prescribed modules to the value of 60 credits as follows:

Part A
Restorative Dentistry
RD5003 General Dental Practice (15 credits)

Part B
Dental Surgery
DS5001 Dental Surgery (10 credits)

Oral Health and Development
OH5002 Oral Health and Development (15 credits)

Restorative Dentistry
RD5001 Clinical Dental Practice (20 credits)

Note: Unsatisfactory attendance at any of the above prescribed University or Hospital courses will debar a student from admission to the Fourth (Final) University Examination in Graduate Entry Dentistry.

Examinations
Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2020/2021 Book and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2020/2021.

RECOGNISED TEACHING HOSPITAL FOR DENTAL STUDENTS

University Dental School and Hospital

Head of Dental School and Hospital
Dr Christine McCreary, MA, MD, FDS(OM), RCPS, FFD, RCSI

The Dental School Year commences in August.

For further particulars and information apply to: Dr Christine McCreary, MA, MD, FDS(OM), RCPS, FFD, RCSI, Dean of the Dental School and Hospital, University Dental School and Hospital, Wilton, Cork.

Programme Learning Outcomes for BDS (Hons) Degree (NFQ Level 8, Major Award)
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Display an appropriate caring behaviour towards patients and appropriate professional behaviour towards all members of the dental team;
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the ethical, professional and legal responsibilities involved in the provision of care to individual patients, to populations and communities;
• Communicate effectively with patients, their families, relatives and carers, and with other health professionals involved in their care;
• Demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the biological sciences, the biopsychosocial model and their role in human functioning in the context of disease and illness;
• Apply knowledge and understanding of the biological, medical, technical and clinical sciences as relevant to the practice of dentistry;
• Obtain and record a complete history and examination of the patient's medical, oral and dental state, interpreting the findings in order to evaluate the oral and dental condition in patients;
• Formulate and record a diagnosis and treatment plan which meets the needs and demands of patients;
• Provide oral health care for patients at all stages in their life (including children, adolescents, adults and the ageing population/elderly) appropriately, effectively and safely;
• Use current concepts of oral health promotion, prevention and treatment of oral disease which supports the maintenance of systemic and oral health of individuals, families and groups in the community.