POST-GRADUATE PROGRAMS AT MUSoD
Dr. Paul Luepke with the first two residents in the periodontic post-graduate program: Laxmi Sukhatankar, left, and Keerthi Kamreddy, right.
With the addition of the Master of Science in Periodontics program, the Marquette University School of Dentistry now has six graduate programs that enroll approximately 30 total students. The programs include:
ADVANCED EDUCATION IN GENERAL DENTISTRY (AEGD) Unique perspectives A key strength of MUSoD’s program lies in the diversity of the faculty members’ backgrounds and approaches. “I have a German faculty member (Dr. Arndt Guentsch) who gives a European viewpoint, I have a brand-new faculty who just graduated from residency (Dr. Alex Lin), and I have what I call a master surgeon, he has been here about 12 years (Dr. Moawia Kassab), and then Dr. (Andrew) Dentino and myself, we’ve each been in the field for about 25 years,” Luepke says. “So we have a nice blend as far as the faculty mix. It makes for really healthy discussion and gives our residents a lot of different theories and views.” Laxmi Sukhatankar, one of the two students who started the program in June, says she appreciates both the diverse expertise of the faculty and the progressive philosophy that allows residents to see patients and start with surgeries in their first year. Sukhatankar trained in India, earning a master’s degree in dental surgery in periodontics and then teaching at a dental school there for several years. “I was always excited to read different articles from U.S. journals, there was a lot of advancement and research going on, so I thought I should pursue more experience from a U.S. dental school,” she says. “What I liked about Marquette Dental is that it is more clinically oriented — that is, patient oriented.” She thought that learning by doing would better enable her to master the most advanced surgical techniques.
Research areas Another attraction for Sukhatankar was MUSoD’s research, particularly pertaining to three-dimensional printing of implants. That’s one key research areas for the program, along with tissue engineering to build bio-safe scaffolding, and perioimplantitis treatment. “We already have a pretty strong base for all three areas, so I’m hoping this will not only attract future residents and faculty but probably patients from at least the region if not a larger scope,” Luepke says. “My goal is to be very competitive at research competitions, and to be able to attract the brightest applicants. I’ve given myself a five-year goal, and that’s what I’ll be working toward.”
LENGTH: 12 months ENROLLMENT: Four residents each year; typically, one or two fellows each year
DENTAL BIOMATERIALS LENGTH: Two years ENROLLMENT: Five graduate students
ENDODONTICS LENGTH: Two years ENROLLMENT: Three residents per year
ORTHODONTICS LENGTH: 26.5 months ENROLLMENT: Five residents per year
PERIODONTICS LENGTH: Three years ENROLLMENT: Two residents per year
PROSTHODONTICS LENGTH: Three years ENROLLMENT: Two residents per year
ENDODONTICS HIGHLIGHTS: Dr. Jake Burry, Grad ’16, had his article cited by the president of the American Academy of Endodontics for outcomes of endodontic therapy.
PROSTHODONTICS HIGHLIGHTS: This program has received six Dr. Stanley D. Tylman research grants in six years from the American Academy of Fixed Prosthodontics.
D E N TA L I M A G E S
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