Marquette University School of Dentistry celebrated its second class of graduates to receive diploma privilege to practice in the State of Wisconsin, continuing to set a precedent as the first and only dental school in the country to offer such a program.
Offered to all Marquette dental graduates, 16 members of the school’s Class of 2025 have opted to take advantage of the diploma privilege, which accelerates the licensing process by eliminating the need to pass a regional practical examination. In doing so, all 16 will be able to begin practicing in Wisconsin shortly after graduation.
The school commemorated the occasion with an celebration with school faculty and leaders from the Department of Safety and Professional Services and the Wisconsin Dental Association.
“We are proud to carry the momentum of last year’s inaugural class to receive diploma privilege with this year’s equally strong cohort,” Dean Elsbeth Kalenderian said. “These soon-to-be graduates are well prepared to enter Wisconsin’s dental workforce more quickly thanks to this program and our state partners.”
The Wisconsin Dentistry Examining Board voted unanimously in July 2023 that Marquette’s dental school already included assessments of the same practical competencies that meet the requirements of the regional exam. Therefore, students are eligible to apply for licensure immediately after graduation.
DSPS Secretary Dan Hereth, who presented each fourth-year student in attendance with a personal letter, said the diploma privilege initiative took a great deal of time and collaboration to bring to life, but Wisconsin is already seeing returns on licensure reform.
“We had a lot of conversations about how we evaluate competency in the state of Wisconsin, and it was very clear that that the competencies demonstrated in the ongoing training you receive day in and day out here at the dental school is far more demonstrative of your skill sets than a single-day, high stakes exam,” Hereth told the students.
Hereth said that between 2023-2024, the state decreased the amount of time it takes to receive a dental license by over 60%, claiming that the saved time generates an additional $54 million in wages for Wisconsin license holders and more in net economic impact.
“It’s about patients getting care faster, it’s about students being able to pay off their student loans a little bit quicker and it’s about making sure that we all can support our families and the members of our community,” he said.
Austin Cook, a native of Pocatello, Idaho, said he chose to remain in Wisconsin because of the diploma privilege program.
“I was able to avoid paying $3,000 to $4,000 for another exam and will get my licensing quicker, and I look forward to being able to start working sooner,” Cook said.
Cook will graduate from Marquette alongside nearly 100 classmates on May 11 and move to the northern town of Medford soon after to begin practicing.
“Marquette has provided an excellent clinical education to prepare future dentists to practice in the community,” he said. “This diploma privilege is accelerating licensing for competent dentists graduating from Marquette to also help with the shortage of dental care that we are facing in Wisconsin.”
