Top 10: Easiest US Dental Schools to Get Into for International or Foreign Trained Dentists (admissions)

THIS LIST IS SPECIFICALLY FOR INTERNATIONAL DENTAL PROGRAMS (IDP's) or ADVANCED STANDING PROGRAMS (AS). First off, it should be made clear that no dental school is easy to gain admission into. This ranking is about the easier dental schools that international students worried about admission should aim to include on their application lists. For graduates of accredited undergraduate universities applying to 4-year DDS or DMD programs, see our 'Easiest US Dental Schools to Get Into' post. Information provided here is approximate (but as accurate as possible) and is updated as required. Thank you for turning to Top 10 Nation for this important information. International or foreign-trained dentists, especially from areas such as India, Korea, Latin America, and the Middle East are looking for the easiest dental schools in the United States to apply to. Which schools have the easiest path to acceptance and admission for these already-trained dentists? Keep reading...

Top 10 Best Dental Schools to Apply To For Foreign or Internationally Trained Dentists as of 2008

With approximately 125 seats for Advanced Placement students, this large program is the leading favorite for international students. The biggest disadvantage to this program is that it is a THREE YEAR PROGRAM.
Minimum's for Application: NBDE Part I: Pass (Average 87), TOEFL: 230.
Advantages: Easy admission, large Advanced Placement class means many peers to work with, state-of-the-art clinical facilities.
Disadvantages: 3-year program makes it a year longer than most other programs, highest tuition/fees at $66,746/year, with the added relatively high cost of living in New York City ($31,351/year).

2. Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine Advanced Standing Program (BU Dental)
Definitely the best (easiest) choice for international dentists seeking a two-year program in the United States. With approximately 65 seats available, many students are interviewed and accepted. Read our Top 10 Reasons to attend BU Dental.
Minimum's for Application: NBDE Part I: 85 or higher, TOEFL: 250 or higher.
Advantages: Relatively easy admission for a large 2-year program, large Advanced Standing class means many peers to work with, relatively more affordable tuition, student-friendly environment, supportive faculty.
Disadvantages: Still has a high tuition/fees at $64,511/year (cost of living expenses not available), clinical facilities are lacking with more chairs for students required.

3. University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine Program for Advanced Standing Students (UPenn)
Ranked as our Top 7th Best Dental School in the US or Canada. This top-tier school has 26 seats available for foreign trained dentists.
Minimum's for Application: NBDE Part I: 85 or higher (average 89), TOEFL: 220 or higher, GPA: 3.0+.
Advantages: Top-tier school ranked at #7 across the country, 2-year program.
Disadvantages: Still has a high cost at approximately $83,000/year for fees and living expenses, clinical facilities are lacking, although a new clinical facility did open in 2002.

4. University of Southern California, School of Dentistry Advanced Standing Program (USC Dental)
This 32-seat program offers a relatively large number of seats and Southern California weather. Qualified applicants will be required to attend an on-campus technical exam and written exam.
Minimum's for Application: NBDE Part I: Pass, TOEFL: 250 or higher.
Advantages: 2-year program, strong clinical emphasis.
Disadvantages: Problem-based learning cirriculum means no structured classes, with an emphasis on 'self-learning,' high-crime location, tuition and living expneses cost in the range of $95,000/year.

This program admits 24 foreign trained dentists as students each year. Tuition alone for this school is approx. $16,000/quarterly or $64,000/year. Living expenses are not available. Qualified applicants will be required to attend an on-campus technical exam and written exam.
Minimum's for Application: NBDE Part I: 83 or higher, TOEFL: 240 or higher.
Advantages: 2-year program, decent clinical exposure, California climate.
Disadvantages: High cost of living, may be difficult to acquire patients.

Note that Visa students are not accepted for this 24-seat program, residency is a requirement. Minimum's for Application: NBDE Part I: Pass, TOEFL: 213 or higher.
Advantages: 2-year program, relatively easy acceptance for residents or citizens of the US.
Disadvantages: Total tuition costs are in the range of $83,000/year.

This 22-seat program offers an exciting program in the warm sunny weather of California. Read our Top 10 Reasons to attend UoP Dental.
Minimum's for Application: NBDE Part I: 80 or higher, TOEFL: 237 or higher.
Advantages: 2-year program, strong clinical emphasis, friendly faculty environment.
Disadvantages: Total tuition costs are in the range of $90,000/year, with living costs in the range of $25,000/year making this one of the most expensive IDP schools.

8. Loma Linda University, School of Dentistry, International Dentist Program (LLU Dental)
This 16-seat program is at a Christian-based university.
Minimum's for Application: NBDE Part I: 81, Part II: 79, TOEFL: 213 or higher.
Advantages: 2-year program, total tuition costs around $50,000/year, large patient availability.
Disadvantages: Seventh-day Adventist (Christian religious) ideals are integrated into the cirriculum.

9. University of Pittsburgh, School of Dental Medicine International Advanced Standing Program (UPitt Dental)
This 10-seat program is at an overall high-ranking university. This school requires a bench testing pre-clinical exercise as a part of it's admission process.
Minimum's for Application: NBDE Part I: Pass, Part II: Pass, TOEFL: 250 or higher.
Advantages: 2-year program, generally regarded as a higher-end school.
Disadvantages: Total tuition costs around $73,000/year.

10. Tufts University, School of Dental Medicine Dental International Student Program (Tufts Dental)
This 14-seat program offers exciting courses in fields such as implantology.
Minimum's for Application: NBDE Part I: 90, Part II: 85, TOEFL: 233 or higher.
Advantages: 2.3-year program, generally regarded as a higher-end school in terms of clinical and research exposure.
Disadvantages: Is at the bottom of this list, and is generally harder to gain admission into. Generally in the range of $80,000/yearly, note that the additional 0.3 years adds an additional $40,000/year cost.

All of this information was correct at the time of posting, however, this information changes constantly. If you notice something that is incorrect, please leave a comment! Good luck from all of us at Top 10 Nation.
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Top 10: Classes or Courses That You Can Take That Can Prepare You For Success in Dental School

There are a lot of students out there who (for a lack of better things to do) want to know how they can prepare for success in dental school. If you want my advice, I suggest relaxing before dental school and forgetting about taking classes to prepare yourself. You'll have plenty of time to study in dental school and not enough time to relax. Regardless, you may want to know about which courses that you can take that will help you succeed in dental school. Please note that I am aware that a lot of these classes are probably pre-requisites for admission to dental school. This Top 10 List refers to upper-level courses that are considered electives in terms of gaining admission.

Top 10 Undergraduate Classes or Courses That Will Be Helpful in Dental School

1. Microbiology and Virology
Gram positive or Gram negative. Cocci or rods. Encapsulated or naked. Biomedical sciences are heavy in dental school and knowing your microbes and viruses as well as fungi beforehand can help you get an edge in dental school. You will likely have to take a microbiology course in your first year of dental school, but it doesn't end there. The US NBDE Part 1 examines this subject. Periodontology continues to demand this knowledge throughout your clinical years as well. Pathology will also push you to learn more about microbes and infectious organisms. Knowing your microbiology and virology will help you succeed.

2. Human Anatomy (Emphasis on neuroanatomy)
Dental students, like medical students, must learn neuroanatomy. Dental students have the added stress of focusing on the nerves of the neck and head - one of the most complex areas of the human body. Knowing your cranial nerves I-XII and your spinal tracts beforehand will help you be prepared for the onslaught dental school will throw your way. Most schools also have a cadaver lab. Being able to recognize anatomical structures on an actual human specimen will help you gain a greater knowledge of what to expect in dental school.

3. Biomedical Latin and Greek
This is something I am very glad that I took in undergrad. Biological sciences comprises of an almost seperate language in and of itself. This even helped me for the US NBDE Part I. Half of knowing the subject is knowing what the words mean, and this chore becomes much easier to accomplish if you have an understanding of why certain words are used to describe biological phenomena. It's much easier to break down components of latin and greek terms instead of memorizing large words. Thrombocytopenia? It's just another word to study and memorize if you don't know basic latin. If you know basic latin, you don't even need to bother looking this word up... you already know what this condition is!

4. Biochemistry
Knowing metabolism, DNA, RNA, and other regulated processes in the body are crucial to your success in dental school. If you don't know what the Kreb Cycle, or the Cori Cycle, or the Urea Cycle or the Pentose Phosphate pathway is, you should probably take some advanced biochemistry courses. This course takes a lot of memorizing to get by... might as well get started now if you don't have anything better to do.

5. Cell Biology
For obvious reasons. The human body comprises of cells, and healthcare professionals need to know cells and their signalling methods and processes very well. A large number of subjects relate to this including pathology and pharmacology in dental school.

6. Physiology
Physiology is one of the more difficult courses, at least it is at the dental school I went to. It's a subject that sort of links everything you know (and will learn) to how things physically operate in the human body. It's also a subject that is tested on the NBDE Part 1.

7. Pathology (Oral Pathology if possible)
I'm not sure how many undergraduate courses are available on pathology, but there might be a few universities out there that offer it. If this is offered, you should definitely try taking it. This is one of the toughest subjects that you will encounter in dental school. Any prior exposure to this subject will definitely help!

8. Endocrinology
The hormones that signal processes in the human body are important to know, especially because they can have implications upon the oral cavity. As a future dentist, you would probably want to know how things like how pregnancy induced gingival conditions occur. This subject is covered in dental school, but again, if you take this class, it will be easier to swallow in dental school as it is presented to you again!

9. Introduction to Business*
I included the last 2 of this Top 10 List as a special category. Knowing how a business operates is especially important for dentists because eventually, most dentists open a practice. Business fundamentals are not covered thoroughly in dental school and dental students clamour to take any available business or practice managment elective education they can get their hands on. Do yourself a favor and take this class while you have the oppurtunity to do so.

10. Introduction to Accounting*
Accounting essentially relates to the business side of dentistry again. Although business and accounting won't help you succeed in dental school, they will definitely help you succeed as dentists! Consider taking this course as a foundation of knowledge that you can fall back on as you might decide to open your own practice (small business) one day!
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Top 10: Ways or Methods on HOW To Do Well on the DAT

Inquiring minds want to know about what methods lead to good results on the DAT!
The DAT is a comprehensive exam and covers a lot of material. You may feel lost or confused as you begin to look at the breadth of the information examined. How do you start? What is the best way of going about it? Please note that the DAT is relatively easy to pass. Passing is not the goal of this examination, you must do relatively well on this exam to be considered for admission to dental schools in the US and Canada. What kind of a score are you aiming for? I would suggest at least a 20 or more in each section should be your goal. Canadian readers should note that the Canadian DAT does not include an organic chemistry section but does include a soap carving manual dexterity section. The soap carving will be covered under the last point on this list as a special category.

Top 10 Methods on How You Can Do Well on the DAT Examination and Score High

1. Get your bearings straight
This exam is NOT DIFFICULT. Keep in mind that for most pre-dental students, this exam is simply a review of what you have already learned. In fact, for most biology majors, the exams you encountered in class are much more difficult than the questions you will encounter on the DAT. Start by doing some old exam questions. You can find these in a multitude of places - try doing a simple Google search (feel free to use the Google search provided on this site above). A quick search will yield a few sites that can provide you with samples of the types of questions asked. If you feel lost at this point, be prepared to study a bit harder. Keep in mind that dental schools have pre-requisite courses, and these courses are the foundation for this exam. Just as an aside, you should try to study in the range of at at least 1-2 months or more for this exam. Keep yourself organized, and write down your goals as you go along...

2. Kaplan DAT Blue Book
The infamous Kaplan blue book for the DAT. Purchase it and use it. Personally, this book was the ONLY STUDY MATERIAL THAT I USED (I am a dental student, I achieved about an average of 23 per section, my lowest score was in the perceptual ability test in which I scored a 19). I borrowed mine from a friend who already took the exam. It was a few years old and it did not matter at all that it was an older book. Don't get me wrong, stick to a recent version of this study book, but don't be so concerned that you feel that you have to go out and get the most recent version to get a solid score. If you are a strong student, read this book once and you should get in the range of 18-20 per section. Read it twice and you should do really well. If you are the type of person who requires more studying time than your peers, you may want to consider some of the other options presented in this Top 10 list as well. I am not in any way affiliated to Kaplan. I simply know this book to be the best resource available for people who want to study the least amount of time and have the highest score.

2. Get access to the Kaplan DAT Quiz Bank
I never did this myself, however, I have friends who got access to the quiz bank available through Kaplan and have highly recommended it. What's the point? The strength of this quiz bank lies in the sample chemistry questions. Organic chemistry and inorganic chemistry isn't fun and the best way to do well in these sections is to do lots of questions and to get a sense of what is going on.

3. Realize that time is a factor
For most exams you might have encountered up to this point, time may have not been a factor. For the DAT, it can be a problem. Do your research! Read the DAT Examinee Guide provided by the ADA. Each section is timed, and you may run out of time easily. Learn to manage your time and answer questions not only accurately, but quickly.

4. Barron's DAT Book
I have not used this book myself, but again, insiders recommend this book strongly for the PAT section. The PAT section requires a certain specialized knowledge that one can obtain by practicing constantly. This book gives you the BEST EDGE that you can get for the perceptual ability test section of the DAT. Please note that due to some biomedical or hormonal, or unknown reason, females tend to do poorer on this section than males. I am a strong proponent of getting more females into dental school :) Females should strongly look into getting their hands on this book to improve their PAT section scores.

5. Do NOT take a DAT tutoring course
Well, unless you seriously have no motivation on your own. In which case, you should reconsider your choice to go on into dental school anyways. If you need a tutoring course that bad, then keep in mind that dental school will likely be the hardest thing you will encounter in your life. You won't have the chance to get tutoring to make your way through dental school. So save your money and dig that motivation out of that cave now, because this is just the beginning. You should not need to take any expensive tutoring courses to do well on this examination. For the rest of you who still think this is bad advice... if you have money to waste, and if you like the structure of a classroom to motivate you, a DAT course won't hurt, so go for it!

6. Join a pre-dental society
Pre-dental student clubs or associations at your school may be holding mock DAT exams. These mock exams can help you prepare for the exam day by letting you experience first-hand what it feels like to be examined for so long. These are better than setting exams up yourself because you don't have the option of 'cheating' and taking quick breaks here and there! Top 10 Nation personally recommends local pre-dental ASDA (American Student Dental Association) chapters for pre-dental students who are looking for support.

7. Set up mock exams for yourself
The same reasoning applies here, especially if you don't have the oppurtunity to join a pre-dental student society. A few mock exams interspersed into your study schedule can help you greatly. This is especially important for those students who may tend to get anxious during exams. Do yourself a favor and don't take breaks when you are not supposed to.

8. Take the optional break
There is an optional break somewhere in the middle of the exam. Take this optional break, even if you think you don't need to. Just relax and maybe have a bite to eat. It will give your brain a chance to rest, and a small bite can refuel your body and mind. Some people tend to skip this break, but my advice is to take the break to its fullest extent. Also be sure to take a sweater with you as the testing room may be chilly.

9. Realize that it is hard to study for Reading Comprehension
It's practically pointless to study for this. If you struggle with this section in mock test scenarios, consider completing more English courses before you take the DAT. Actually I don't really know what else to suggest when it comes to this part. It takes a long time to develop these skills, not a short stint reading some book full of hints. English, biomedical terminology, and vocabulary skills may help to improve your performance on this section of the DAT.

10. *For Canadian DAT takers only * Practice carving by purchasing soap and equipment from the CDA
Purchase the soap and knife directly from the CDA. This will be the same soap that you will get during the DAT. Use only the recommended sharpie to mark up the soap, as this is the only writing tool that you may use during the exam. Purchase any DAT carving study book to help you get through this section. Any relevant study book will help show you techniques to mark up and carve the soap. Keep in mind that courses are sometimes offered to help with this section, I suggest them especially if you think that this section may pose difficulty for you. Practice makes perfect, and hardly anyone is perfect at first. Also stay on top of rules governing this section, as I am aware that certain aspects such as the permission to wear latex or nitrile gloves during this examination section may change.

There you have it! With this advice, and your good head on your shoulders, you shouldn't need any good luck, but here it is anyways... Good luck from everyone at Top 10 Nation!
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