First students in Brandenburg start program in dental medicine.

Brandenburg an der Havel, 6 April 2024

A new era started for the State of Brandenburg and the Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane (MHB) on Saturday, 6  April 2024 when the MHB celebrated the matriculation of the first students of dental medicine in Brandenburg/Havel, St. Paulikloster.

MHB president Prof. Hans-Uwe Simon was pleased to welcome 48 students of dental medicine who had mastered a multistep admission procedure. A ceremony in the presence of relatives, companions and friends marked the start of a new chapter in the MHB success story. MHB chancellor Dr. Gerrit Fleige spoke of a big step forward in establishing university education for dentists in Brandenburg.

The MHB is the first university in the State of Brandenburg to offer a program in dental medicine starting with the summer term 2024. The model curriculum is organized in modules and closely oriented to clinical practice and patient contacts, the same as all other MHB programs.

Health Minister Ursula Nonnemacher appreciated the program as another pioneering feat of the MHB in the tenth year of its existence, and one more significant contribution to healthcare in Brandenburg. As in other German regions, many dentists in Brandenburg will retire in the course of the next ten years, and the number of practicing dentists is already declining, particularly in rural areas and mid-size towns. The demand for successors is huge, and there are gaps in the provision of dental care in many places. Patients must wait longer for appointments and travel greater distances. Demographic developments among dentists in Brandenburg indicate an urgent need for dentists primarily in the countryside.

Prof. Stefanie Oess, Professor of Biochemistry and Vice Dean of Studies and Teaching, explains: “This model curriculum in dental medicine is unique in its field and embodies the MHB mission and guiding principles: the concept designed at and out of the MHB is science based and practice oriented and prepares students for their future professional activities. The program relies on interdisciplinary teaching events and the targeted use of proven MHB formats like problem-oriented learning and so called TRIK seminars, lays the foundation for life-long learning and stimulates communicative competences for exchange with patients and within the professional community.” Prof. Hans-Günter Schaller, founding professor of the Brandenburg model curriculum in dental medicine and essentially involved in its conception, said he was delighted to see the start of the new program after intensive months of preparation.

Dipl.-Stom. Jürgen Herbert as president of the Brandenburg dental association welcomed the new students on behalf of his organization and promised them open doors and ample opportunity for intensive exchange and learning. He said Brandenburg can offer sufficient room to prospective dentists to work or start a dental practice of their own.

Dr. med. Heike Lucht-Geuther is vice chairperson of the board of the Brandenburg association of sick fund dentists. She called the new program an important impulse to train urgently required future dentists in the region and inspire them to stay here after graduation. She wished the beginners much joy and a successful start into the new stage of life.

The state-approved Brandenburg model curriculum in dental medicine comprises ten semesters and covers preclinical and clinical training in a close integration of theoretical knowledge and practical application. New courses start with each summer term. Interested individuals can apply for one of 48 available openings. Criteria for the selection of students are not school-leaving grades (numerus clausus) but an applicant’s personality, motivation and previous work experience.