The Collaborative Core of UFCD’s Advanced Education
While UFCD’s strategic plan outlines our identity and aspirations as a college, one of the ways its true impact is realized is in the residents we educate and the specialists we cultivate. Alumni of UFCD residency programs represent more than mastery of a single discipline, they exemplify a culture of collaboration and innovation.
As one of few dental schools in the country located on a contiguous academic health campus among six UF health colleges, UFCD benefits from a unique interdisciplinary environment. Such cohesion sparks valuable partnerships that often extend beyond the health sciences. Across the programs that comprise our Advanced and Graduate Education specialties, residents train as a unified cohort, sharing a curriculum that integrates core courses and interdisciplinary casework. This intentional approach breaks down traditional silos, broadens clinical skills and deepens expertise.
Residents from multiple programs often work alongside anesthesiologists and other specialists when patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) or complex medical needs require individually tailored treatment.
Beyond didactic and clinical training, our advanced education programs also collaborate with researchers in other colleges at UF. For example, UFCD faculty collaborate with UF’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering to pioneer new biomaterials and the UF College of the Arts to enhance restorative aesthetics. These partnerships equip UFCD residents with the leadership skills needed for the future of health care.
This preparation translates into seamless, comprehensive care for the patients our residents treat during their programs and for the patients our alumni will serve throughout their career. In addition, dozens of specialists are advancing through our academic pipeline, underscoring the college’s ability to cultivate the next generation of academic leaders. UFCD’s integrated model sets the stage for the next 50 years of Gator Dentistry—preparing professionals who go beyond specialization to innovate, collaborate and elevate the standard of care.