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Students from the College of Dental Medicine’s inaugural graduating class are one step closer to careers in dentistry, having completed the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments (CDCA) patient-simulated exam hosted by 51Ʒ��on September 10 and 11.

Founded to facilitate the licensure process for candidates, the CDCA administers assessments accepted for initial licensure in 44 states. The three-part exam, composed of written, patient-simulated and clinical components, tests the student’s knowledge of diagnostic skills, endodontics, prosthodontics, periodontics scaling and restorative dentistry.

For the patient-simulated exam held this past weekend, students performed treatment on manikins. The students prepared crowns and completed endodontic procedures (root canals) on simulated teeth in an allotted timeframe. The final part of the licensure exam is a clinical examination of a patient, which will take place in January 2017.

“The students, faculty, and staff have worked hard preparing to host the CDCA examination for the first time,” said interim Associate Dean of Clinical Education and Patient Care Fields Farrior. “This is a true milestone in our students’  progression.”