Our Alton Campus
"What I truly like about the SDM Campus.."
Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SIU SDM) is located in Alton, Illinois. The Alton Campus, formerly the campus of Shurtleff College, sits on 26 acres in Upper Alton. The location of the school provides dental students a unique combination of a small-town environment with easy access to a major metropolitan area. SIU SDM offers a truly unique campus community environment.
Year 1 and Year 2 students enjoy the educational experiences offered in our state-of-the-art Simulation Laboratory (Sim Lab). The Sim Lab offers our dental students an authentic simulation of patient treatment experiences, as they practice their dental techniques and spatial skills with simulated patients. As our faculty endeavor to offer our students the best possible clinical preparatory experience before they begin treating patients on a regular basis, the Sim Lab realistically simulates the actual clinical environment.
The Main Patient Clinic provides an excellent facility for clinical education for our Year 3 and Year 4 dental students with 72 patient-care stations. The Advanced Care Wing of the Main Clinic houses an additional 24 patient-care stations. In addition, the Oral Surgery Clinic offers still more patient-care stations, including a suite equipped to provide sedation for general dentistry patients requiring complex dental treatment.
The SIU School of Dental Medicine also operates a community-based dental clinic with 10 patient-care stations at the East St. Louis Higher Education Center in East St. Louis, IL. In addition, the School offers a nationally recognized Dental Implant Program, a Special Needs Dental Care Program and a Veterans Dental Care Program.
Alton and Area Attractions
There are many things to see and do in and around the City of Alton. Tourists travel from all areas of the country to enjoy all the attractions and the wonders along the Great River Road. North of Alton is Pere Marquette State Park, the largest state park in Illinois. South of Alton is the Camp River Dubois Lewis & Clark Illinois State Historic Site, designated as Site #1 on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, the “point of departure” for the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition. During the winter months, be sure to bundle up in warm clothes to watch the second largest over-wintering population of bald eagles in the continental United States. During the autumn months, the fall foliage in the Middle Mississippi River Valley can be absolutely breathtaking.
The Robert Wadlow Statue, an 8'-11 1/2" life-size bronze sculpture in memory of Alton born Robert Pershing Wadlow, the tallest man in history is located on the campus of the SIU School of Dental Medicine. The Alton Museum of History and Art is also located on the campus of the SIU dental school. For more information on Alton: visitalton.com.
Overview of St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri, the exciting “Gateway to the West,” is a quick 30 minutes from campus. The city hosts a number of entertainment districts including Ballpark Village, Laclede's Landing, Soulard, the Loop, the Central West End, and South Grand, among others. Enjoy professional sporting events including Cardinal's baseball and Blue's hockey. Visit the Gateway Arch, Grant's Farm, the St. Louis Zoo, the St. Louis Science Center, the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Anheuser Busch Brewery. Cultural venues include the Fox Theater, Powell Symphony Hall, The Muny, The Peabody Opera House, and The Repertory Theatre, among others. For more information on St. Louis: explorestlouis.com.
