Michigan Goes Hard

Michigan getting it done December 1997 against arch-rivals Ohio State. 

“This is Michigan for God’s sake” said Brady Hoke , University of Michigan’s head football coach during a press conference. What exactly did he mean? He was speaking in context of Michigan being known as an elite football. Besides having the most wins in any program’s history, Michigan has always held its players to a certain individual standard, a standard of always giving the best effort and doing things the right way without cutting corners.

This attitude also transcends into the doors of our dental school.  The University Of Michigan School Of Dentistry has always been an elite leader in dental education. Our school consistently ranks top 5 among dental schools for research funding from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Research being conducted at the school includes advanced topics like oral cancer prevention using molecular technology, gene therapy, and bone tissue regeneration.  As a dental school, having a strong research component is critical to keeping dentistry represented as a science and a respected health care profession. Along with being one of the strongest schools in dental research, we consistently produce competent reliable clinicians. Program directors for graduate programs across the nation time after time look positively towards Michigan graduates. This means we have a strong basic science background which we earned by spending arduous hours of studying for cardiology and immunology exams. This means we complete disease control before move to corrective care. This means we take the time to explain to our patients the risk, benefits, and costs of any procedure we propose. This means we make sure that we close our contacts on all our class 2 restorations.  One of the most underrated aspects of our predoctoral program is our Vertically Integrated Clinics. In these clinics we are able to provide comprehensive care for our patients. We have the ability to look at patients as patients and not just a DO amalgam waiting to be done. This solidifies our definition of a dentist as not just a doctor of teeth but a doctor of the oral cavity.

Representing the block M has always meant something special and unique. It means you have integrity, treat your patients with respect, and always try your damnest. It may require spending 2 hours after an 8 hour school day in the lab mounting models on articulators. It may require being active in research and professional organizations. It may require balancing our school duties with a strong personal life. Whatever your Michigan education entails, it will certainly mean that you leave Michigan being  the “leaders and the best.”

Saroj Kumar Saha is a very active D4 who is serving on the executive committee for the Scholars Program in Dental Leadership at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.