Dental Selective Options

This course provides an opportunity to work with Orthodontic graduate students treating comprehensive cases. The objective of this 16-hour summer selective is to provide the best qualified pre-doctoral students an opportunity to experience and be immersed in a postdoctoral Orthodontic residency setting. Students interested in applying to an Orthodontic residency will actively participate in aspects of patient Orthodontic care and resident training.

Interested students applying for this Orthodontic selective will need to submit a one-page Letter of Intent. The Letter of Intent should include: Which selective they are interested in. Why they are interested in the selective. What they expect to learn.

Interested students on the day they request permission to register for this Orthodontic selective should send their Letter of Intent to Ms. Mabel Hernandez (hernandezmr@uthscsa.edu). In some cases, obtaining permission may include a face-to-face meeting.

Semester: Summer
Who can sign up: DS2, DS3
Number of spots: 4
Meets clinical requirement: Yes
This selective requires permission to register: Yes, if you are interested please contact Mabel Hernandez

In this elective course, the student with the guidance of their mentor, will review the literature and will develop a research protocol. Credit for the elective course will be awarded by the mentor contingent on the approval of the protocol by the mentor and the Associate Dean for Research. The student must be in good academic standing as determined by the Associate Dean for Research to apply for this elective. Students may become ineligible to complete the elective course if placed on academic probation. Enrollment in this elective may be extended through the following semester, provided that the Associate Dean for Research and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs approve the extension and the mentor reports satisfactory progress. A student may withdraw from this elective course at any time without recording of withdrawal on the transcript.

Semester: Summer
Who can sign up: DS1
Number of spots: 20
Meets clinical requirement: Yes
This selective requires permission to register: Yes, if you are interested please contact Callie Cass

In this elective course, the student with guidance of the mentor will complete individually designed research following the approved protocol. The student must continue to be in good academic standing to apply for and to complete this elective course. Enrollment in this elective can be extended from semester to semester when the mentor reports satisfactory progress.  

Student must present at the following meetings to fulfill the requirements of the elective:
1. Dental Science Symposium
2. AADR/IADR/CADR (NOTE: If you attend AADR/IADR/CADR, you will need to pay for your student membership, which is not reimbursed by the institution)
3. Any other Research meetings

Withdrawal from this elective course will result in entry on the transcript as WP or WF as determined by the mentor. Credit for the course is contingent on verification by the mentor that the research has been completed satisfactorily up to abstract submission and acceptance of presentation at a scientific meeting.

Semester: Fall and Spring
Who can sign up: DS3
Number of spots: 20
Meets clinical requirement: Yes
This selective requires permission to register: Yes, if you are interested please contact Callie Cass

In this elective course, the student with the guidance of their mentor will help prepare an abstract and Extended Abstract not to exceed six pages suitable for incorporation into a peer-reviewed publication. The student must also present their research at a national/international scientific meeting and the Annual Dental School Science Symposium. A copy of a published abstract, the Extended Abstract and paperwork showing completion of all required coursework must be submitted to the Dental School Research Committee by the end of March of their senior year for review. The student must be in good academic standing to participate in this elective course. The mentor will award a grade for the elective course. Withdrawal from the elective course will result in entry on the manuscript as WP or WF as determined by the mentor.

Semester: Fall and Spring
Who can sign up: DS4
Number of spots: 20
Meets clinical requirement: Yes
This selective requires permission to register: Yes, if you are interested please contact Callie Cass

The Pediatric Dentistry summer selective course is a one week long clinical course. This selective is for RISING DS4 students. In this course the student will be providing care to patients who range in age from as young as 6 months to 17 years of age. The course will provide students with broad clinical experiences, ranging from simple preventative procedure to more complex operative procedures. If the student is also interested in pediatric residencies, this is a wonderful opportunity to observe pediatric dental residents perform sedations and ask residents about the program. There will also be exposure to conducting infant examinations which will provide a great opportunity to discuss anticipatory guidance with parents. More importantly the student will be able to get experience in treatment planning with different age groups in which they can be somewhat complicated and may need referral to the operating room. For this selective you will need to contact Dr. Contreras (contrerasc2@uthscsa.edu) and copy Rebecca Ramirez (ramirezR14@uthscsa.edu) and will authorize to sign up for the selective.

Semester: Summer
Who can sign up: DS3
Number of spots: 9
Meets clinical requirement: Yes
This selective requires permission to register: Yes, if you are interested please contact Rebecca Ramirez

This selective offers an opportunity for students to receive credit for a minimum of 32 hours of documented community service. Service hours can be filled by participating in school-wide or community agency service projects or helping the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry with health fairs. Students will be able to choose the activities they participate in from a list of approved activities. The service activities will take place during hours outside the curriculum (usually weekend; some evenings/pending availability of the student). This selective is open to all students by permission.

All participants will be expected to attend a mandatory meeting prior to selective.

Important details: Check with the coordinator for specific dates.

Semester: Summer
Who can sign up: DS1
Number of spots: 6
Meets clinical requirement: No
This selective requires permission to register: Yes, if you are interested please contact Nora Olivo

During SELC 7094, dental students and dental hygiene students interview faculty members to assess the advantages and issues of an academic career, analyze teaching strategies, assess the learning environment in their educational program and gain hands-on experience in course planning. During the course, student teams design a new course for their academic program and present it to classmates. The course is the first of three selective courses in the Teaching Honors Program. Dental students and dental hygiene students who complete all three courses (SELC 7094, SELC 7095 and SELC 7096) are recognized with "Distinction in Dental Education". Withdrawal with notification is permitted at any time without recording on the transcript. Enrollment is limited to 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year dental students, Dental Hygiene B.S. Completion students and Dental Hygiene Masters degree students.

Semester: Fall
Who can sign up: DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4
Number of spots: 20, 20, 20, 20
Meets clinical requirement: No
This selective requires permission to register: No

The course goal is to provide dental students with opportunities to function as a classroom teacher by planning and delivering instruction followed by: (1) self-assessment, (2) feedback from students, and (3) feedback from the THP Director. The selective is limited to students pursuing the Distinction in Dental Education.

Semester: Spring
Who can sign up: DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4
Number of spots: 20, 20, 20, 20
Meets clinical requirement:
This selective requires permission to register: No

The goal of SELC 7096 is to provide dental students with an opportunity to conduct projects related to dental or dental hygiene education and complete an assessment of the project. Projects are developed in collaboration wit the THP director and faculty members. See the THP director before initiating a project.

Semester: Fall and Spring
Who can sign up: DS2, DS3, DS4
Number of spots: 10, 30, 30
Meets clinical requirement: No
This selective requires permission to register: No

The objective of this 15-hour selective is to provide interested DS3 students the opportunity to learn basic wire bending skills, get exposure to appliance fabrication, as well as appliance applications involved with orthodontic treatment. Five students per semester are selected for Thursday afternoon sessions in the Orthodontic lab. There will be 5 students in the Spring and 5 students in the Fall. Student selectees must have high academic standing and be interested in pursuing a post-graduate Orthodontic residency. Hours to complete selective are accomplished on Thursdays for a total of 15 hours. Primarily for DS3 students and restricted to the Fall and Spring semesters.

Interested students applying for this Orthodontic selective will need to submit a one-page Letter of Intent. The Letter of Intent should include: Which selective they are interested in. Why they are interested in the selective. What they expect to learn.

Interested students on the day they request permission to register for this Orthodontic selective should send their Letter of Intent to Ms. Mabel Hernandez (hernandezmr@uthscsa.edu). In some cases, obtaining permission may include a face-to-face meeting.

Semester: Fall and Spring
Who can sign up: DS3
Number of spots: 5
Meets clinical requirement:
This selective requires permission to register: Yes, if you are interested please contact Mabel Hernandez

This selective is designed for students interested in acquiring basic conversational skills in the Spanish language as it pertains to dentistry. The course is not a Spanish language class and focuses mainly on teaching dental students how to interact with their Spanish-speaking patients in the dental office. This selective is conducted by dental students.

Semester: Summer
Who can sign up: DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4
Number of spots: 30, 30, 30, 30
Meets clinical requirement: No
This selective requires permission to register: No

This selective is designed for students interested in acquiring basic conversational skills in the Spanish language as it pertains to dentistry. The course is not a Spanish language class and focuses mainly on teaching dental students how to interact with their Spanish-speaking patients in the dental office. This selective is conducted by dental students.

Semester: Summer
Who can sign up: DS1, DS2
Number of spots: 110, 30
Meets clinical requirement: No
This selective requires permission to register: No

This innovative interprofessional community-engaged learning (CEL) course is designed for medical, dental, and select nursing students. It aims to promote social accountability among health professional students by integrating meaningful service learning with the core competencies of interprofessional education. Key learning components include ethics of CEL, leadership, logic model training, intercultural communication, and interprofessional team building and communication. This course allows students from various health science professions to learn about each other and understand their roles on a healthcare team. Students will examine social determinants of health and address social justice issues while applying these principles in a structured service-learning practicum.

Semester: Fall and Spring
Who can sign up: DS3, DS4
Number of spots: 45
Meets clinical requirement:
This selective requires permission to register: No

This dynamic interprofessional community-engaged learning (CEL) course is designed specifically for medical, dental, and senior nursing students. By integrating immersive experiences and didactic training, the course fosters essential skills in leadership, clinic management, collaboration with interpreters, patient referrals, and preventive outreach strategies. The primary goal is to enhance social accountability among health professionals through impactful service learning within a collaborative interprofessional environment. Participant students will critically evaluate their healthcare team's approach to patient care, building on the foundational principles taught in SELC 7114, which is recommended as a prerequisite. Furthermore, a summer Selective subset of SELC 7115 emphasizes collaborations and partnerships with local organizations to address and improve the health of vulnerable communities in San Antonio.

Semester: Spring
Who can sign up: DS4
Number of spots: 45
Meets clinical requirement:
This selective requires permission to register: No

This course aims to promote social accountability and collaborative community engagement among dental students by integrating meaningful service learning and local global oral health. Students will be prepared to complete meaningful service-learning activities and apply knowledge gained, emphasizing reflections as future health professional leaders. This student-led, mentor-guided service-learning activity will bring refugee patients' social and health needs to light and introduce community partners who will collaborate as partner agencies. The Selective will focus on the community resources available to you for the local refugee or any other vulnerable population.

Semester: Summer
Who can sign up: DS1, DS2
Number of spots: 5, 5
Meets clinical requirement:
This selective requires permission to register: Yes, if you are interested please contact Nora Olivo

This selective is limited to Teaching Honors Program (THP) students pursuing the Distinction in Dental Education. The course goal is provide THP students with opportunities to function as a teacher in preclinical labs or in the clinic by planning and conducting workshops for 1st and 2nd year students followed by self-assessment and feedback from the students who attended the workshop.

Semester: Fall and Spring
Who can sign up: DS3, DS4
Number of spots: 30, 40
Meets clinical requirement:
This selective requires permission to register: No

This selective is limited to THP students pursuing the Distinction in Dental Education. The course goal is to provide dental students with opportunities to function as a preclinical lab instructor in the "Dental Hand Skills Development Module" for 1st year students, and to function as a "Faculty for a Day" in the GPGs. In the later rotation, THP seniors supervise and instruct 3rd year students for a full clinic session.

Semester: Fall and Spring
Who can sign up: DS4
Number of spots: 50
Meets clinical requirement:
This selective requires permission to register: No

Paired groups of students are required to participate in a one or two-week rotation during the summer session. The students will be based at either Mercy Ministries of Laredo or UTRGV School of Medicine. Students must participate in outreach to include dental education on dental disease prevention and oral health promotion and will work alongside clinic outreach staff (e.g., Promotoras and Social Workers) and health care providers (dentists, physicians, nurses, residents, dental hygienists, or dental assistants). Activities will include clinical preventive patient education, dental surveys, dental assisting, and/or preventive dentistry clinical procedures. Students are required to develop a health promotion and disease prevention project (e.g., patient handout, educational flip chart, presentation, etc.). This tool will be implemented and continue to be used in future outreach by the program. Ability to communicate in Spanish is encouraged. 1 – 2 week rotation.

All participants will be expected to attend a mandatory meeting prior to selective.

Semester: Summer
Who can sign up: DS1
Number of spots: 4
Meets clinical requirement: No
This selective requires permission to register: Yes, if you are interested please contact Nora Olivo

First year students will meet with faculty members to learn about academic careers: why did the faculty member choose to work in a dental school, what are the benefits of an academic career and what are the limitations of an academic career. Additionally, students learn about the roles and responsibilities of dental school faculty members in teaching, research , administration and service. Participating students prepare summaries of what they have learned about academic careers, submit these to the course director for review and then participated in a wrap-up seminar where teams of students share and discuss their experience and identify "take-home messages", insights and surprises about academic careers in dentistry. Dental students can take this course as a stand-alone selective without committing to the THP.

Semester: Fall and Spring
Who can sign up: DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4
Number of spots: 40, 40, 40, 20
Meets clinical requirement:
This selective requires permission to register: No

This selective is for 3rd and 4th year students pursuing the Distinction in Dental Education (School of Dentistry Teaching Honors Program; THP) who plan and conduct teaching for student peers in preclinical and clinical topics and skills. The course goals are to enhance THP students' capacity to: (1) design and implement courses and other raining events to help their student colleagues acquire technical and procedural skills.

Semester: Fall and Spring
Who can sign up: DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4
Number of spots: 20, 20, 20, 10
Meets clinical requirement: No
This selective requires permission to register: No

The Dental Gross Anatomy Teaching Elective allows qualified dental students to serve as teaching assistants for the CSBL 5016 Dental Gross Anatomy course which is offered during the fall semester. This elective is designed to: 1) provide an environment and an experience for dental students to develop, strengthen and practice effective teaching skills in human gross anatomy to near-peer students in CSBL 5016; 2) provide an experience for dental students to improve and augment anatomical knowledge and understanding through study of the dissected human body and their applications to dentistry; 3) provide an opportunity to develop and strengthen skills in communication, interpersonal relations, conflict management and teamwork.

Semester: Fall
Who can sign up: DS2
Number of spots: 20
Meets clinical requirement:
This selective requires permission to register: No

Rising senior dental students will provide basic primary oral health care and preventive services to patients in a community-based clinic in South Texas. Below is a list of the participating community clinics and number of spots per clinic. A minimum of 2 weeks will be scheduled by arrangement and attendance is required. Withdrawal is permitted with appropriate transcript entry. Housing will be provided in Laredo and Harlingen if needed. Participants will be scheduled based on the list of students who register for the course. Students must complete daily procedure summaries and selective evaluation at the end of the rotation.

Clinics location and number of spots:

San Antonio - CommuniCare: 2 spots

Laredo - Health Department: 2 spots

Laredo - Gateway: 2 spots

Laredo - Mercy Ministries: 4 spots

Harlingen - Su Clinica: 2 spots


Semester: Summer
Who can sign up: DS3
Number of spots: 12
Meets clinical requirement: Yes
This selective requires permission to register: Yes, if you are interested please contact Temo Garcia

This program offers dental students an immersive experience in local and global oral health. It emphasizes educational and service engagements in population health and community settings. Students will engage in experiential learning outside the formal curriculum, guided by UTHSA faculty, staff, and community organizers. Throughout the program, students will gain insights into the culture of healthcare and adopt approaches rooted in cultural humility to evidence-based primary oral healthcare. The immersions will broaden students' perspectives as they develop professionally and understand the challenges of oral health in community contexts while bridging the gap between theory and practical preventive outreach. While participating, students are encouraged to reflect on their experiences. The program aims to challenge and inspire them, allowing exploration of new perspectives on patient care. The settings for these immersions have been carefully selected to offer a diverse and enriching experience. They range from local health clinics in San Antonio to border areas in South Texas and global oral health trips to the Dominican Republic. This variety ensures that each participant gains a unique and valuable experience. Students can sign up for these events by registering with the organizers, such as the Christian Medical and Dental Association (CMDA), on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration for this selective program is based on the number of participants needed to ensure a smooth and efficient process for everyone involved. All dental care provided during these immersions is supervised directly by Dental School faculty, including adjunct faculty from the private sector.

Semester: Fall and Spring
Who can sign up: DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4
Number of spots: 10, 10, 20, 40
Meets clinical requirement: No
This selective requires permission to register: No

This course is designed for the student who is seriously considering specializing in Orthodontics upon graduation from Dental School. This course’s objective is to expose the selectee to all facets of clinical Orthodontics. Selectees will be expected to assist in a variety of Orthodontic procedures on patients under the supervision of clinical faculty and residents on a regular basis. The specific clinic rotation sessions will be determined by the Orthodontic residency program. Priority is given to DS3 students. Students must complete a minimum of 36 clinical hours per semester for credit.

Interested students applying for this Orthodontic selective will need to submit a one-page Letter of Intent. The Letter of Intent should include: Which selective they are interested in. Why they are interested in the selective. What they expect to learn.  

Interested students on the day they request permission to register for this Orthodontic selective should send their Letter of Intent to Ms. Mabel Hernandez (hernandezmr@uthscsa.edu). In some cases, obtaining permission may include a face-to-face meeting.

Semester: Fall and Spring
Who can sign up: DS3, DS4
Number of spots: 2, 2
Meets clinical requirement:
This selective requires permission to register: Yes, if you are interested please contact Mabel Hernandez

Selectees will have the opportunity to review, present, and discuss current and classic articles in the clinical and research areas of Orthodontics. This course’s objective is to broaden the Orthodontic educational experience for those students interested in an Orthodontic graduate program. Only one absence will be permitted to get transcript recording for the course.

Interested students applying for this Orthodontic selective will need to submit a one-page Letter of Intent. The Letter of Intent should include: Which selective they are interested in. Why they are interested in the selective. What they expect to learn.  

Interested students on the day they request permission to register for this Orthodontic selective should send their Letter of Intent to Ms. Mabel Hernandez (hernandezmr@uthscsa.edu). In some cases, obtaining permission may include a face-to-face meeting.

Semester: Spring
Who can sign up: DS3, DS4
Number of spots: 5, 5
Meets clinical requirement:
This selective requires permission to register: Yes, if you are interested please contact Mabel Hernandez

This selective is for students pursuing the Distinction in Dental Education who desire to acquire skills in educational research beyond the core expectations of the THP. The course goal is to enhance the capacity of participants to design research studies that explore educational issues, to obtain funding to support research and to disseminate findings via publication. RIDE has 3 components: designing educational research, grant writing, and writing for publication. Students work in teams to plan and implement an educational research project. During seminars on grant writing, teams develop and present a grant application project and receive a critique. During seminars writing for publication, participants complete writing exercises, critique a manuscript and write an abstract, which is presented to the class for peer feedback.

Semester: Fall and Spring
Who can sign up: DS4
Number of spots: 4
Meets clinical requirement: No
This selective requires permission to register: No

The ADCFP is a 12 month fellowship to prepare students to enter academic dentistry. Students complete ADCFP in collaboration with a faculty mentor. ADCFP students and mentors complete workshops on teaching strategies, curriculum innovation and education issues. Students do supervised classroom, lab and clinical teaching and interview faculty with different job foci to learn roles, functions and career development issues. Students conduct an educational research project and meet regularly with their faculty mentors to discuss their progress, culminating in poster presentations at educational conferences at UTHSCSA, UT System and national dental education meetings.

Semester: Fall and Spring
Who can sign up: DS4
Number of spots: 4
Meets clinical requirement:
This selective requires permission to register: No

Students will have the opportunity to work with oral and maxillofacial radiology residents under the supervision of the covering faculty. Students will have the opportunity to learn about Cone Beam CT technology and different machines in the Graduate Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology Clinic. Students will have the opportunity to observe and participate in the discussion in report writing service that the Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (OMFR) program provides on a national level.

Semester: Summer
Who can sign up: DS2, DS3
Number of spots: 3, 3
Meets clinical requirement: No
This selective requires permission to register: No

Real life lessons in Communication & Clinic. The 5 keys to Communication with workshop. Diagnosis, treatment planning and treatment consultation. Perio diagnosis, treatment and maintenance. Occlusion 101. The art of retraction. What is Ferrule? Cracks, provisionals and giving injections. Profit=Fee-Cost or Fee=Cost+Profit? The seamless team.

Semester: Summer
Who can sign up: DS2, DS3
Number of spots: 100
Meets clinical requirement:
This selective requires permission to register:

Students will write and publish a CAT (Critically Appraised Topic), a structured one-page summary and critique of the best available evidence on a focused question. The CAT format requires the writer to:
1. Ask a clear, concise and focused question,
2. Conduct an efficient and effective search for the highest quality research evidence available,
3. Critically appraise the located evidence,
4. Carefully consider the applicability/generalizability of the evidence,
5. Write the structured one-page summary.
 The UT Health San Antonio CATs Library provides students and faculty with rapid, up-to-date evidence-based answers to clinical questions. CATs completed during the selective will be published in the CATs library. Once published, the CAT can be listed on the student’s CV as a web-based publication.

All participants will be expected to attend a mandatory on-line meeting at the beginning of the selective.

Semester: Summer
Who can sign up: DS2, DS3
Number of spots: 30
Meets clinical requirement:
This selective requires permission to register:

Introduction to dentists role in screening for and treating obstructive sleep apnea.

3 sessions: Fridays, 8:30a to 12:00p (June 07, 14, 21)

Semester: Summer
Who can sign up: DS3
Number of spots: 10
Meets clinical requirement:
This selective requires permission to register: No

This summer elective will review the different dental materials students will encounter in the clinic. The prerequisite for this course is DFRD 5001. As such, fundamental science in physical and material properties, polymers, metals and ceramics will not be covered. Instead, specific clinical dental material and their properties will be reviewed.

Semester: Summer
Who can sign up: DS2, DS3
Number of spots: 30
Meets clinical requirement:
This selective requires permission to register:

Rising DS4s will participate in a primary care/preventive dentistry elective training program in which primary dental care is provided including dental emergencies and medical complex patients in San Antonio Christian Dental at Haven for Hope. Students participate in accordance with their level of training and ability, by providing needed dental care to the homeless and patients of all ages from shelters, thus becoming familiar with the oral health needs of various segments of the population. Dental care is provided under the direct supervision of Dental School faculty, including adjunct faculty from the Dental School.

Semester: Summer
Who can sign up: DS3
Number of spots: 4
Meets clinical requirement: Yes
This selective requires permission to register: Yes, if you are interested please contact Nora Olivo