Dental Public Health Internship Program

  • Program Length: 1 Year
  • Tuition: $32,784 per year
  • Degree/Certificate: Certificate of Completion - Unaccredited
  • Application Deadline: August 1 of the preceding year for program starting on January 1; January 15 for program starting on July 1

Program Information

The Department of Community Dentistry offers a 12-month graduate internship training program in dental public health. The program is sponsored by the Department of Community Dentistry and directed by a faculty member who is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Public Health with the assistance of competent faculty members. The program will commence either on July 1 or January 1. The program will be tailored to suit each individual's academic background and dental public health career aspirations. The program is not eligible for financial aid. For additional information about the program, please contact sxn100@case.edu.

Program Objectives

The components of the internship program include: 1) didactic instruction in dental public health including research methods, 2) opportunities to observe oral health promotion activities, and 3) visits to public health agencies.

Admission Procedure

Candidates must have an accredited dental degree; international dental graduates are also eligible to apply.

An applicant with a DMD/DDS degree or its equivalent is eligible to apply. An application must be received with a $145.00 non-refundable application fee. Application deadlines are: January 15th for the program starting on July 1st of the same year, and August 1 of the preceding year for the program starting on January 1st of the following year. For an application form, please email: sxn100@case.edu.

Overview of the Program

The selected candidate will participate in didactic coursework tailored to his/her dental public health career objectives that will encompass research methods, scientific communication, graduate preventive dentistry, oral health promotion, public health administration, and oral health care systems. Each candidate will have the opportunity to observe the department's experiential learning program: Healthy Smiles Sealant Program in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Each candidate will attend bi-weekly meetings with the program director and/or program faculty members. Upon successful completion of the program, the intern will be awarded a certificate of completion: Graduate Internship.

Following is the list of the primary faculty members of the program and their respective expertise:

Name Department/Title
Catherine Demko, PhD Epidemiology
Suchitra Nelson, PhD Epidemiology
Sena Narendran, BDS, DDPH RCS, MSc (Residency Director & Diplomate, ABDPH) Dental Public Health & Epidemiology
Kristin Williams, DDS, MPH Dental Public Health

No financial support is available for students enrolled in the internship program. International students must submit a letter of "proof of support" at the time of applying to the program. Applicants must establish that they have adequate financial resources to complete the program without any interruption. All on-campus work-study employment for international students must be approved by the program director and the University Office of International Students.

General Application Guidelines

  • Admission requires the DMD/DDS or equivalent degree from an accredited institution. A "B" average or Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a 4-point scale.
  • Passing grades in the National Dental Board Examination(s), Integrated National Dental Board Examination, or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores preferably at the 75th percentile or higher.

All applicants must submit the following materials:

  1. Complete the institutional application form.
  2. Non-refundable application fee of $145.00
  3. Photograph (optional)
  4. Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts as applicable as well as dental school transcripts.
  5. International dental graduates must also submit: TOEFL or IELTS scores* and an evaluation of all their transcripts by the Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) or World Education Service (WES).
  6. International students must also submit a letter of financial support.

Additional Requirements:

International applicants must have the following minimum scores:

     TOEFL Internet-Based Test: 100
     IELTS Test: 7

The TOEFL identification number for Case Western Reserve University is: 1105

The Department code for the School of Dental Medicine is: 38

For more information, contact:
Dr. Sena Narendran
Phone: 216.368.1311
Email: sxn100@case.edu