Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) : IUPUI Bulletins

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Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.)

Predental Requirements

Most students accepted by IUSD attain a bachelor’s degree prior to enrollment. The predental collegiate training may be taken at any accredited college or university in the United States. Required courses cannot be taken on a Pass/Fail basis. Special credit for required courses may be accepted if all portions of the course work (i.e., lecture, laboratory) have been properly evaluated and appear on official transcripts. Because details of courses offered in the various accredited colleges may vary, courses must be carefully considered when a program is planned, particularly in the fields of science. All prerequisite science courses, except biochemistry and physiology, require laboratories. Extra work in the areas of biology and chemistry is strongly encouraged.

Prior to matriculation at IUSD, applicants must complete a minimum of 90 semester (or 135 quarter) hours of which no more than 60 hours may be completed at the junior college level. The following predental requirements must be met in order to qualify for admission:

Two semesters or three quarters (minimum of 8 semester hours/12 quarter hours) of each of the following:

Biology or zoology, with laboratory
Inorganic chemistry, with laboratory
General physics, with laboratory

One semester or two quarters (minimum of 4 semester hours/6 quarter hours) of each of the following:

Organic chemistry, with laboratory
Anatomy, with laboratory

Three semester hours or 4.5 quarter hours of biochemistry and physiology lecture

One semester or one quarter (minimum of two semester hours/three quarter hours) of each of the following:

Introductory psychology
English composition

Courses in cell biology, molecular biology, genetics, solid art, business administration or personal finance, histology, and medical terminology are strongly recommended but not required. Likewise, a minor in anthropology, psychology, sociology, or Spanish is strongly encouraged. All incoming dental students must be familiar with computer usage.

Application Procedure

Although the current application deadline is December 1, the selection process begins in November, which therefore gives early applicants a decided advantage. Electronic applications to dental school are available through the American Dental Education Association Web site, www.adea.org.

Applicants must also take the Dental Admission Test (DAT), which they may do before submitting the Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS) application to IUSD, but IUSD will not grant an invitation for an interview until the school receives an applicant’s DAT scores. The DAT can be taken nearly any day of the year at Prometric Candidate Contact Centers throughout the country. Students should take this test only after completing the required chemistry and biology courses. Applicants may request an interpretation of test results from the IUSD Student Records and Admissions Office. Details concerning the DAT may be obtained by writing the American Dental Association, 211 E. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611; or by visiting www.ada.org.

Applicants will be invited to the school for a personal interview based upon the status of their application and their academic achievement. Criteria for admission include, but are not limited to, overall grade point average, science grade point average, DAT scores, interviews, recommendations, hours of college credit, degrees received, motivation, exploration of dentistry, manual and artistic skills, character, personality, ethics, and health. Applications from all underrepresented groups are encouraged. Selections are made on an individual basis upon appraisal of the applicant’s established record and potential for development.

Advanced Standing Program Requirements

IUSD offers the Advanced Standing Program (ASP) for selected individuals who have received their dental degree from an institution outside the United States or Canada. Upon successful completion of the ASP, the candidate will receive the D.D.S. degree from IUSD. The individualized program ranges in length from one to three years.

Because admission to the ASP is limited by the dental school’s available space and resources, IUSD is able to admit no more than five candidates to the ASP each year, and commonly admits only one candidate per year. Applications are accepted only between June 1 and January 1, unless the candidate is a current IUSD faculty member.

When considering candidates for the ASP, the Admissions Committee interviews and gives preference to the following:

Current IU School of Dentistry faculty
Current students in or recent graduates from IU School of Dentistry’s advanced education programs
Faculty from other institutions who express interest in faculty openings at IU School of Dentistry
Other residents of the State of Indiana

Because of the limited nature of this program, nonresidents of the State of Indiana who do not fall into one of the above categories are not eligible for admission.

The following criteria are used in the selection process, and the Admissions Committee will consider only those candidates for whom all the information is available:

Successful completion of National Board Dental Examination Parts 1 and 2
Results from an interview with Admissions Committee members
Evaluation of dental school transcripts
Two letters of recommendation (one personal and one professional)
TOEFL test of English language proficiency as required by Indiana University for applicants whose first language is not English

An individualized curriculum is designed for each candidate who is admitted to the ASP, based upon an assessment of the candidate’s previous education, training, experience, and demonstrated competencies. This assessment may include the following: