By Brian Schultz
The University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Dentistry is aiming to get more local students into its program. 25 out of the 29 students in a first-year dentistry class will be from Manitoba, effective with the 2009 admissions cycle.
This is the first time the faculty has set a minimum number for local applicants.
“We hope this will open up additional opportunities for Manitoba students and get more of them thinking about applying to the Faculty of Dentistry,” says Dr. Anthony M. Iacopino, Dean of Dentistry. “We believe that this will go a long way to ensure that there are more practitioners for all parts of the province.”
The Faculty of Dentistry receives well over 300 applications each year from students looking to be part of the first-year class. Many of these applicants are from other provinces in Canada.
The goal is that most Manitoba grads will stick around once completing the program.
“We are confident that allowing more local students into our program will prove to be a benefit for all Manitobans,” Iacopino says.
