Dental Students Have Something to Smile About

Dean Catherine Flaitz, D.D.S., has announced that this year's graduating dental students from The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston had a 98 percent first-time pass rate on the Western Regional Examination Board, the dental license exam for Texas.

Flaitz offered congratulations to the 59 students who demonstrated this level of excellence. "Many thanks to the faculty, staff and administrators who were instrumental in making this year's WREB a success," she added. These scores exceed the best rates of the past: 95 percent in 2003 and 97 percent in 2000.

There are 11 dental schools in the Western Region, and approximately 30 states use the WREB in licensing new dentists.

A total of 1,735 dental school graduates have taken the WREB this year up to June 16, said Jennifer Dahl of the WREB. "The pass rate has been 88.8 percent and the fail rate has been 11.2 percent - 1,541 candidates passed and 194 who failed," she said.

"This first-time pass rate of 98 percent is terrific," said James T. Willerson, M.D., president of the UT Health Science Center at Houston. "We are very proud of the graduating dental students and of all of those at the Dental Branch who worked so hard to help the students achieve this great outcome. We are also very proud of Dean Cathy Flaitz's leadership, which is a significant factor in the major progress at our dental school in education, discovery and service."

By Pamela Lewis, Institutional Advancement