Patrick J. Ferrillo, Jr., DDS
University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry
Dean’s Message
University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry is one of the top ranked dental schools in the nation and has served the Bay Area community for over 100 years. Our dental clinics handle 200,000 patient visits a year, offering low-cost comprehensive dental care. Pacific also boasts one of the nation’s largest Ryan White CARE-funded dental services for people with HIV and AIDS.
We are committed to excellence in education, research and service, and to responding to our students’ needs in their pursuit of knowledge and professional skills. Virtually all dentistry is provided for a patient by a single student and they are responsible for business management of their assigned patients. Scheduling, time management and the necessity for productive practice habits are part of students’ daily routines. Students are provided a strong practice management curriculum, including the basics of communication skills, practice promotion, business theory and practice.
Accentuating the positive, respecting the individual and empowering our faculty to provide the best possible learning environment for every student are among our primary goals. The school provides help in locating residency programs, associateships and other practice opportunities for the recent graduate. I’m confident that Pacific will continue to graduate dentists who, by virtue of their diverse training, caring attitude and clinical experience, will be leaders in the dental profession.
The School of Dentistry is provides a positive and meaningful experience for our students, faculty, patients and alumni. As the school enters its second century we will continue to build upon our strengths in student-centered education and to provide quality dental services to a wide range of people throughout Northern California.
Patrick J. Ferrillo, Jr., DDS
Introduction
The Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry’s mission is to educate competent dentists in a humanistic environment. The entire school community, from students to administrators, embraces the humanistic philosophy that respects the dignity of each individual and fosters limitless potential for growth.
Pacific is the only dental school in the U.S. offering an accelerated, year-round predoctoral program where students complete four academic years in three calendar years. The school is also the originator of such curricular innovations as comprehensive patient care and competency-based education. The School of Dentistry has almost 500 students enrolled in six educational programs.
Pacific’s recent review by the Commission on Dental Accreditation granted Pacific full approval with 18 superlative commendations and no recommendations for improvements.
The School of Dentistry continues to be the top unit of the university in funded research receiving annual funding from the National Institutes of Health and also maintaining a strong presence as a clinical research center for businesses and foundations across the country.
The School of Dentistry continues to be an advocate and leader in improving oral health care for people with developmental disabilities and was awarded a $2 million grant from The California Endowment.
Technology is a focus at the dental school in both teaching and learning. Pacific’s state-of-the-art 6,000 square foot clinical simulation laboratory is one of the first of its kind in the nation. This high-tech laboratory enables students to become skilled in their pre-clinical abilities with computer-aided learning.
With an eye on technology, focus on student-centered education, vision for the larger picture and involvement in organized dentistry, Dean Dugoni has continued to position Pacific at the forefront of dental education and innovation.
Highlights
On August 28, 2004 the University of the Pacific Board of Regents named the dental school the “Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry” becoming the first dental school named for a current dean.
SCOPE (Student Community Outreach for Public Education) was created in 1994 by a group of Pacific dental students and the Director of Community Services. It is a student-run community service organization whose mission is to involve SCOPE officers as role models to engage fellow students, faculty and alumni in oral health projects directed toward community needs. SCOPE officers organize 250 student volunteers to serve 1,800 patients in over 30 outreach programs.
The Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry capital campaign, “Commitment to Excellence” exceeded its initial goal of $50 million a year early, raising another $10 million by the official campaign closing date.
History
Founded in 1896, the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, located in the Pacific Heights area of San Francisco, has served the Bay Area community for 110 years. The school was founded as the College of Physicians and Surgeons with programs in dentistry, medicine and pharmacy.
In 1918, the college focused its education program solely on dentistry but retained its name as the College of Physicians and Surgeons until 1962 when the dental college was incorporated into the University of the Pacific. Pacific is a private university with its main campus located in Stockton, California and its law school in Sacramento, California.
In August of 2004, the Board of Regents of the University of the Pacific named its School of Dentistry as the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in honor of Dean Dugoni. Pacific became the only university in the United States or Canada to name its dental school after a current dean.
1896—The College of Physicians and Surgeons (P&S) was founded by five physicians and one dentist, Dr. Charles Boxton, a legendary figure of early San Francisco history.
1897—Initial enrollment at P&S exceeded all expectations with 115 students attending dentistry classes in the first year. This was the greatest number of students to attend the beginning session of any dental school in the history of the country.
1897—The school’s high standards resulted in only five dental graduates. Having excelled in their previous capacity as dental apprentices, these five received their diplomas after only one year of classes.
1905—Dr. Faith Leong graduated from P&S, she was the first Chinese American woman to earn a degree in dentistry.
1906—The school’s building was completely destroyed in the earthquake but was fully restored and operational four months later.
During WWII, the urgent need for dental professionals in the military prompted P&S to streamline its program of instruction, allowing students to finish their degrees in three years, rather than the usual four.
1962—Under the guidance of Dean Tocchini, P&S merged with the University of the Pacific, the first chartered university in California. Five years later, the dental school, renamed the “University of the Pacific School of Dentistry,” opened in a new building in the Pacific Heights area of San Francisco.
1970’s—Re-evaluation of the dental school’s curriculum led to the introduction of the humanistic teaching model, created by Dean Dale F. Redig. This model directed faculty members to treat each student with respect and as colleagues, encouraging constructive feedback, high ethical standards, and increased independence through the attainment of competency.
1970’s—Administrators and faculty, using modern educational methodology, succeeded in designing the nation’s only four-year curriculum completed by students in three calendar years.
1978—Arthur A. Dugoni became dean, 30 years following his graduation from P&S as valedictorian. With an eye on technology, a mind for the larger picture, and his involvement in organized dentistry, Dean Dugoni has continued to place the dental school at the forefront of education.
1979—Dean Dugoni initiated a program for school-based postgraduate general practice, called Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD), where residents work with elderly persons and special needs patients with significant medical disabilities.
1987—Implemented by Dean Dugoni, the International Dental Studies (IDS) program offers a two-year DDS curriculum for 16 doctors each year from all over the world.
1991—The school formed its Department of Dental Practice to balance technical skills with business acumen.
1992—The Pacific Dental Education Foundation Board is created by Dean Dugoni. The board’s popular Kids in the Klinic program has established a $1 million endowment to provide for the dental care of 1,000 needy children.
1996—Pacific’s $5 million state-of-the-art simulation laboratory, boasting workstations with interactive computers, mannequins and full air and evacuation, was unveiled.
1996—The School of Dentistry celebrated its centennial year.
1998—Pacific was the first dental school to implement a White Coat Ceremony that focuses student participants on professionalism in dental practice and the profound responsibilities surrounding patient care.
2001—Pacific assumed responsibility for the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency at Highland Hospital in Oakland.
2002—Three new high-tech “smart” classrooms, offering state-of-the-art digital projection and automatic everything, were completed.
2004—Pacific became the first university in the United States or Canada to name its dental school after a current dean. Ceremonies were attended by the legendary Bill Cosby and 4500 guests.
