The educational philosophy of the Dental School at East Carolina University has six tenets.  Our philosophy will be implemented through the curriculum goals and strategies described subsequently in this report and through student recruitment methods which will target residents from rural and underserved areas who demonstrate a strong personal commitment to serving rural North Carolina as health care providers.

The educational philosophy of the ECUSOD is comprised of six inter-related concepts:

• A substantial portion of our students’ learning experiences will occur in the types of communities which our graduates will be educated to serve.
• Our graduates will be prepared to serve as leaders in rural communities in the areas of health policy, wellness promotion and education of the public and other health care providers.
• Our students will receive intensive exposure to the challenges of serving populations with socio-economic, geographic, cultural and other barriers that may limit access to oral health and other types of medical care.
• Our students will be educated to have enhanced patient assessment skills beyond that normally associated with a general dentist because our graduates will often function autonomously as a sole source dental provider in a rural region of the state.
• Our graduates will be thoroughly trained in a wide range of dental therapeutic strategies so they can provide a full scope of oral health services within the framework of communities that have limited health care resources and few other health care providers to serve as a referral safety net.
• Our graduates will understand the health care infrastructure and economic foundation of small communities so that they have the capacity and resourcefulness to function effectively within this environment and to assume leadership roles in regional dental associations and other health care organizations.

The recruitment strategies and admissions standards of the ECUSOD will be implemented in concert with this core educational philosophy. Student recruitment activities will focus on attracting academically solid individuals from the rural and underserved areas of North Carolina to the Dental School with a passion for a professional career of service to the community.