The Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry welcomed talented new dental students and residents from across the United States and around the world during in-person matriculation activities held July 6 – 12 in San Francisco.

Members of the incoming DDS Class of 2024, International Dental Studies Class (IDS) of 2023, and new residents in the Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD), Orthodontics and Endodontics residency programs all participated in orientation activities to help prepare them for the start of their programs.

The DDS Class of 2024 includes 144 students from states across the country. Twenty-seven new IDS students joined from 11 countries, including Armenia, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia and South Korea. The AEGD, Orthodontics and Endodontics residency programs welcomed a combined 18 new residents in total.

Orientation week activities kicked off with a welcome from Dean Nader A. Nadershahi and other school leaders, followed by presentations about student wellness resources, Academic Affairs services, technology, public safety and other topics. Students also received first-year doctoral kits with a variety of instruments and resources they will use during their time learning in the Simulation Clinic.

The newest members of the Dugoni School family also had the opportunity to meet school administrators, faculty and staff during a “Meet the Fam” mixer. Other social opportunities for DDS and IDS students included a retreat at the Golden Gate Club in San Francisco’s Presidio with team-building events and a social mixer at the Spark Social food truck park in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood.

At the end of the first week of classes on July 16, the school’s Alumni Association will host its annual cioppino dinner for first-year students. The event is a long-standing tradition that helps welcome new students into the Dugoni School family.

“It's such a great pleasure to be part of the Dugoni School family meeting the dean, faculty, staff and students from different countries,” said Dr. Sarah Sultani, a member of the IDS Class of 2023 and the first IDS student from Lebanon since the inception of the program in 1987. “I am really looking forward to spending the next few years with my new dental family.”