Many alumni of the UMKC School of Dentistry claim their graduating class is the closest of them all. Members of the Dental Class of 1969 credit their bond to being the last to be in clinic or have class in the "old building," while the Class of 1974 touts the tight connection that grew from being the first to attend all four years in the current building. Other graduates say the rigors of the program required them to lean on each other like family, which the school encourages.

"(Dental school) is difficult, and there are highs and lows, so we stress a family approach amongst the students," said Richard Bigham, assistant dean for student programs. "Pull each other up during lows and celebrate each other's highs."

For countless alumni classes, that early connection lasts a lifetime. For more than 100 years, alumni have gathered at the annual alumni meeting known as the Midwest Dental Conference (MDC). Friendships are renewed, bonds are strengthened and classmates continue the unique tradition the school has nurtured for decades. At this year's conference, eight classes celebrated milestone reunions, from five to 60 years. No matter the year, each class is connected through a journey that begins when they interview for school and continues throughout their career and into retirement.

Some graduates don't even realize the connection is being fostered until that first big class reunion.