Clinical Senior Lecturer in Restorative Dentistry, Applied Clinical Research and Public Health, Dental School, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XY
Students looking to read dentistry can be overwhelmed by the information and requirements presented to them by dental schools, career advisors and the printed literature. In the UK, there are currently 16 dental schools which provide a dentistry degree. While there are variations in the specific aspects of the dental courses at each school, there are common principles and generic application requirements that apply. This paper provides a guide to facilitate applications and inform potential students, career advisors and dentists. The information presented has been gathered from UK dental school websites and university prospectuses and corroborated through contact with university admissions offices.
Clinical Relevance: This paper is relevant to dental practitioners who are often asked to provide advice on applications to dental schools by potential students.
Article
Dentistry can be very rewarding; it provides an opportunity to improve the health and wellbeing of patients, both in the community and as a whole. As a career it involves teamwork, caters for flexibility in working practice, offers a myriad of clinical opportunities and (if desired) the freedom to work for oneself. However, it does not come without its down sides and these need to be realized by anyone wishing to pursue a dental career; patient demands and practice management issues being regarded as negative aspects by some. Reading dentistry at university is something that should not be taken lightly. Most courses last at least 5 years, after which there is a lifetime of practising dentistry and engagement in lifelong learning. It is, therefore, important that applicants are sure of their choice to enter the profession and they should visit the many excellent UK dental school websites as a matter of course (Figure 1 and Table 1). Once it is believed that dentistry is the right career choice, application is the next step. It must be noted that dentistry consistently attracts more applications than places available and that competition is significant. This paper has been written to help both applicants when applying and dental professionals and careers advisors to give sound and practical advice. It should be viewed as a summary of the advice available from both books1,2 and websites.
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