Cal PDS prepares future dentists through shadowing, workshops, volunteering, and networking. Members attend general meetings with guest speakers from the dental field, participate in Professional Empowerment Workshops, and take part in DEOP, which brings dental health presentations to underserved elementary schools. The club also offers a for-credit DeCal course on oral health, a shared test bank for pre-dental coursework, and 1:1 coffee chats with officers on DAT prep, dental school applications, and research.
3
Community service hours required per semester
3
General meetings required per semester
4
Social meetings required per semester
1
Professional Empowerment Workshops required per semester
14
DeCal class periods, each one and a half hours long, in person
~20
DEOP presentation length in minutes
Events They Host
General Meetings / Guest Speaker Sessions
Signature speaker sessions featuring dental professionals; 3 required per semester for active membership.
Professional Empowerment Workshop (PEW)
Focused professional development workshop; 1 required per semester for active membership.
Oral and Dental Health DeCal Course
14 weekly in-person sessions (Wednesdays 5–6:30 pm) covering oral hygiene, dental procedures, oral diseases, new dental technology, 5-6 dentistry specialties, and the dental school application process. Includes guest speakers from the dental field. Open to all students.
Dental Education and Outreach Program (DEOP)
Members visit underserved elementary school classrooms to give approximately 20-minute interactive presentations on oral health using skits, songs, and demonstrations. Free toothbrush care packages are distributed to students. One trip required per semester for active members.
Dental Health Awareness Week
Organized by the Public Relations officers.
Member Experiences
Social Meetings
Community-building events with members; 4 required per semester for active membership.
Member Retreat
Referenced in gallery photo captions.
Officer Coffee Chats
1:1 30-minute scheduled conversations with officers and advisors on topics including DAT prep, dental school applications, research, academics, volunteering, and dental assisting. Available online or in person via Calendly.