The Office of Student Programs hosted incoming dental students at its annual Welcome Reception on Friday, March 10, 2023. Members of the Dental Class of 2027 and their guests came together to celebrate the students’ acceptance to the UMKC School of Dentistry. This pre-orientation event offers a chance for the students to begin to create the bonds they will share for a lifetime with their future classmates, while also learning about the path ahead, the financial aspects of dental school and the resources available to them from faculty, fellow students, and staff. They had the opportunity to tour the building and attend a housing fair to visit with area property managers to learn about local rental opportunities.

The DDS Class of 2027 was selected from a pool of nearly 900 qualified applicants, and hail from Missouri, Kansas, New Mexico, Hawaii, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Texas, Washington, and Kuwait. They bring extensive community service hours and time spent in the field in preparation for their time at the School of Dentistry. This dental class will be the most culturally diverse class in the school’s history, including the largest percentage of female students. With a science average of 3.75 and a DAT academic average of 20.20, this class is anything but average.

A warm welcome to our 109 future dentists!

See photos from the event here.

*Statistics accurate as of March 2023 and subject to change.