Dental International Student Program

• Application Procedures and Criteria
• Application Requirements
• Curriculum
• Graduation Dates and Requirements
• Honors and Awards
• Frequently Asked Questions

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Introduction

The Dental International Student (DIS) Program at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine began in 1956 to provide foreign-trained dentists with the education and experience required to practice dentistry in America. The program comprises five semesters (two years and three months) of coursework and clinical experience, including innovative courses in implantology and geriatric dentistry. Upon completion of the program students receive a D.M.D. degree and are eligible for licensure to practice dentistry in the United States of America.

Application Procedures and Criteria

The Dental International Student program begins in mid April. The deadline for the program beginning in April 2009 is September 15, 2008. 

Applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. Traditionally the program fills by early October. After the program fills, applications are reviewed for wait-list consideration. Interviews are a mandatory part of the application process. Interview sessions will be conducted between late July 2008 and October 2008. Applicants selected for interview will be notified in writing beginning in early July 2008.

The applicants selected to join the program after their interviews will be required to send a $2,500 deposit to hold a place in the class. $500 of this deposit is refunded to candidates who withdraw their intent to enroll before February 1, 2009. Individuals who place a deposit at Tufts and who are not currently U.S. citizens or permanent residents will be sent student visa information approximately 4 months prior to the start of classes.

Application Requirements

The Dental International Student Program application form
2" x 2" photograph (please affix to application form)
Personal statement
Application fee
Curriculum Vitae
Copies of your dental school diploma and transcripts
Academic credentials evaluation
Two letters of recommendation
Official score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
National Dental Board Examination (NDB), Parts I and II score report

Personal Statement
A personal statement should discuss your motivation for enrolling in a D.M.D. program in the United States of America, and the experiences and accomplishments that make you qualified for the program.

Application Fee
Applicants must submit a $75 check or money order made payable to Trustees of Tufts College. Applications received without the application fee will not be processed.

Curriculum Vitae
Please include in your curriculum vitae all academic, employment, and extracurricular experiences, and honors and awards.

Dental Degree and Transcripts
Applicants must submit a notarized, translated copy of their original dental school diploma and a notarized, translated copy of their transcript demonstrating that they received a dental degree from a recognized dental school.

Academic Credentials Evaluation
Applicants must submit a copy of an academic credentials evaluation (both a degree and a course-by-course evaluation). Please have an official copy sent to Tufts. Suggested providers of credentials evaluation are Educational Credential Evaluators – www.ece.org, and World Education Services – www.wes.org;

Letters of Recommendation
The letters of recommendation must be in English from two professors or from one former professor and from the dean or director of your dental school. If you are a political refugee, letters from dentists or physicians attesting to your character and suitability are acceptable.

Test of English as a Foreign Language
Please have an official score report sent to Tufts. Preference is given to applicants who score 600 or better on the written examination or 250 or better on the computer-based examination. The minimum score for consideration is 577 on the written examination, 233 on the computer-based examination, or 90 on the internet-based exam.

Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) to be considered for the Dental International Student program. The test is given in most countries and registration materials can be obtained from many U.S. Consulates, USLS Centers, and universities. To have your scores sent to Tufts University School of Dental Medicine use institution code 3902 and department code 38 on the TOEFL registration form.

TOEFL exams taken more than two years before the application deadline are not valid. Exams must have been completed in September 2006 or later.

For more information regarding the TOEFL contact: TOEFL Educational Testing Services, Box 6151, Princeton, NJ 08541-6151, or telephone 609-771-7100. You may also visit the website at http://www.toefl.com.

National Dental Board Examination
Please be aware that the National Board Examination Part II is a requirement for acceptance to the Dental International Student program. Preference is given to applicants who receive a score of 90 or better on each of the individual sections on Part I, and who receive a score of 85 or above on the Part II examination. The Admissions Committee is also giving preference to applicants who score at or above national average on the subsections of the National Dental Board Examination, Part II (indicated by an "A" or "H".) Please include a notorized copy of your Part II examination results with your application.

To receive an application for either Part I or Part II of the National Dental Board Examination (NDB) and a Candidate's Guide for National Dental Board Examinations, write to: Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, 211 East Chicago Avenue, Suite 1846, Chicago, IL 60611, or telephone 312-440-2678. You may also visit the website at: http://www.ada.org/prof/ed/testing/natboard/index.asp.

The following authors and books are suggested in preparation for the Part I examination: L. Stryer for Biochemistry; Wheeler for Dental Anatomy; Ross, Romrell & Kaye for Histology; K.L. Moore for Human Anatomy; Schaecter for Microbiology; Kumar, Cotran & Robbins for Basic Pathology; R. Berne & M. Levy for Physiology. You may purchase these books at the Tufts University Health Sciences Campus Barnes & Noble bookstore; the bookstore phone number is 617-636-6628.

Note: If you are unable to submit any of the aforementioned information with your application form, you may send it separately. Doing so may, however, delay review of your application. In addition, once processed, Tufts does not return application documents (transcripts, scores, letters of recommendation, etc...) to the applicant regardless of application status.

Curriculum

The complete curriculum may be viewed here.

The D.M.D. curriculum at Tufts is designed to educate dentists who are prepared to practice in a constantly evolving profession. Dental International students participate in nearly all phases of the third and fourth year dental curriculum, including geriatric dentistry, implantology, craniomandibular and TMD pain management, nutrition and preventative dentistry, and dentistry for the handicapped.

Exemptions: Students will be exempt from taking courses in the subjects covered by the National Dental Board Examination, Part I, which are: Gross Anatomy and Neuroanatomy; Embryology; Biochemistry; Physiology; Microbiology and Cariology; General Pathology and Systems Pathology; Immunology; Oral Histology; and Dental Anatomy. Exemptions may be granted for subjects tested on the National Board Dental Examination, Part II.

Courses

Year One: Preclinical Sciences
Complete Dentures, Fixed Prosthodontics, Endodontics, Operative Dentistry, Orthodontics, Removable Partial Dentures, Intro to Clinical Experience

Year Two: Dental Sciences
Occlusion II, Oral Diagnosis, Oral Surgery, Pediatric Dentistry, Medicine III Seminar, Implant Dentistry

Year Three: Clinical Sciences
Complete Dentures, Endodontics, Oral Diagnosis, Oral Surgery, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontology, Preventive Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Prosthodontic and Operative Dentistry

Graduation Dates and Requirements

Students are expected to attend all lectures, perform all required clinical work, and pass all written, oral, and practical examinations. It is mandatory that students maintain high ethical standards and pay all bills by the due dates. Failure to do so constitutes grounds for dismissal from the program.

Assuming satisfactory academic progress, students who matriculate in April 2009 are scheduled to graduate in May 2011.

Before Tufts grants the D.M.D. degree, the Executive Faculty of the School of Dental Medicine recommends students for the degree to the Trustees of Tufts College, who have the sole right to award academic degrees.

Academic Honors
International students who place in the top 10% of the class and whose professionalism and character are judged exemplary by the school's Executive Faculty will be eligible for honors.
Summa Cum Laude: Overall average of 93 with no grade less than 80.
Magna Cum Laude: Overall average of 91 with no grade less than 77.
Cum Laude: Overall average of 87 with no grade less than 72.

Awards
The following awards are presented to graduating Dental International students who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments as Tufts dental students:

• International College of Dentists
  
• Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) Award