Advice and guidance on the admissions process to uk dental schools

Applying to dental school

Entry requirements for dentistry are higher than the minimum level set by many universities and applicants are advised to consult school websites carefully; entry requirements are usually prominently displayed alongside course descriptions and any specific requirements should be noted as there is little point in applying when an application fails to meet the minimum standard required. In the United Kingdom, applications are made online through the Universities and Colleges Admission Services (UCAS) (www.ucas.ac.uk). The application form is divided into sections including personal details, academic performance (both attained and predicted), a personal statement and a supporting statement. The closing date for submission of the UCAS application is normally in the middle of October and applicants are able to specify up to four dental courses in one application cycle; the order of choice is not freely disclosed to the universities applied to. There is a fee associated with UCAS applications. In 2012, the fee for one course at one university was £11 and for more than one course or university was £22. The UCAS forms contain most of the information required by dental schools in order to select who to invite for interview. All dental schools in the UK interview potential students, either by traditional interviews or the multiple mini-interview process. Some schools base their offers solely on the outcome and grading of interviews, while others aggregate pre-interview and interview scores to inform their decision.

As competition and the popularity to read dentistry increases, the demands imposed by dental schools continue to be raised in order for some stratification and limitation regarding applications; many schools receive at least 800 applications per year, with some schools receiving considerably more. It should be stressed that ALL dental schools strive to engage in Widening Participation Programmes and provide opportunity for non standard entry; specific requirements and availability are usually outlined in a Schools Admissions Policy Documentation on their website.

Whilst most courses are for 5 years (Figure 1 and see listings in the text) there are 3-, 4- and 6-year courses available (Figure 1 and see listings in the text). Most students take into account location when choosing Universities, although other reasons to be considered might include course structure, position in league tables (www.thetimes.co.uk, www.guardian.co.uk/education), the results of student satisfaction surveys and student fees.

For convenience and ease of reference further explanation of the application process is split into sections which correspond to the various sections of the UCAS form and application process.

A-level/GCSE entry requirements for 5-year programmes

Some alternative entry requirements for 5-year programmes

A-level/GCSE entry requirements for 6-year programmes

Some alternative entry requirements for 6-year programmes

Entry requirements for 4-year programmes

Courses available and academic requirements

School leavers with the necessary A levels (or equivalent in Scotland and Ireland) usually apply for the 5-year programmes, along with a small number of graduate students (holding an honours science degree at 2:1 or above, see listings in text). The 5-year programmes generally have preferred A-level requirements, eg As in both Chemistry and Biology and another A grade A-level qualification. Some A-level subjects, such as General Studies and Critical Thinking, are not recognized as contributory in the admissions process and if Mathematics is one of the A levels, Further Maths is not generally recognized, nor is an A level in a foreign language which is the applicant's first language. Some preferences in GCSE subjects are detailed by some schools and, if this is the case, then these must also be taken into account, eg English Language and Science. It should also be noted that not all schools accept re-takes for A-level examinations. The academic requirements for the dental schools in 2012 are listed in the text and care should be taken when interpreting or extrapolating requirements for following years as they can change. However, the majority of dental schools clearly display their requirements for study well before the academic application cycle begins.

A-levels are not the only route of entry and there are other recognized academic qualifications, eg International Baccalaureate or ACCESS courses (for those who have never previously studied A levels). Acceptable alternative qualifications are generally detailed in a dental school's admissions documentation, although listings in the text provide some basic information. As mentioned, graduate entry is an acceptable entry route for most schools, although numbers are often capped and there are usually other academic requirements to meet, eg minimum A level or GCSE grades. Few dental schools accept transfers from other degree courses and only rarely, and only with exceptional circumstances, are inter-dental school transfers accepted.

There are schools that offer preliminary dental or pre-dental programmes to those who have not studied science subjects at A-level or who have completed a non science or non health-related honours degree, although the number of places available is limited.

There are some 4-year dental courses available to graduates who hold a suitable degree and there are courses designed specifically for medical graduates and applicants who are qualified doctors wishing to pursue a career in either Oral and Maxillofacial surgery or Oral Medicine/Pathology.

Other requirements

Academic achievement is not the only consideration for interview shortlisting and the UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT), which measures mental aptitude and ability rather than academic knowledge, is an entrance requirement desired by 10 of the 16 dental schools. The UKCAT does not contain science content or facts that can be learnt in advance and, in theory, it cannot be studied for ahead. Pearson-Vue (the company who facilitate the delivery of the UKCAT) does not endorse any commercially-available preparation material claiming to help students and the website states that ‘coaching is not necessary, desirable or advantageous’. However, it is suggested that candidates should familiarize themselves with the question styles and the onscreen test format by downloading their practice tests. There are resources available in the form of books or paid online preparation material and Table 2 details some free resources. It is important to be aware of the time constraints for each section and not spend too long on one question. The test consists of five separately timed multiple-choice format sections and takes just over 2 hours to complete:

Verbal reasoning (22 minutes) – assesses ability to think logically about written information and to arrive at a reasoned conclusion.

Quantitative reasoning (23 minutes) – assesses ability to solve numerical problems.

Abstract reasoning (16 minutes) – assesses ability to infer relationships from information by convergent and divergent thinking.

Decision analysis (32 minutes) – assesses ability to deal with various forms of information, to infer relationships, to make informed judgements, and to decide on an appropriate response, in situations of complexity and ambiguity.

Situational judgement (27 minutes) – assesses judgement related to healthcare-related scenarios, testing interpersonal skills and ethical values.

Each subtest is scored between 300 and 900, the average candidate will usually score 600 and results are available immediately after the test. The situational judgement subtest is in the ‘piloting’ phase of development and a candidate's results are not made known to schools, nor are they currently used during admissions processes. Dental schools use the results in different ways; to differentiate between similar candidates, as a ranking tool, as a score in the overall ranking process, after interview to assist decision making. UKCAT scores are year specific and candidates need to register for and sit the test in the same year as their application to university; applicants who are unsuccessful in securing an interview will generally need to re-sit the UKCAT the following year if re-applying. Registration and test dates can be found on the UKCAT website (www.ukcat.ac.uk). It costs £65 for EU citizens and £100 for Non EU citizens to sit the test between 5 July and 31 August 2012 and £80 for EU citizens and £100 for Non EU citizens between 1 September and 7 October 2012. There are bursaries available to some applicants to cover the cost of the test and information on this can be found on the UKCAT website.

Healthcare professionals without a degree-level qualification must sit the Graduate Australian Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) if applying to the Peninsula graduate programme. The GAMSAT is divided into three sections:

It takes 5½ hours to complete and evaluates general skills such as writing and problem solving but, unlike the UKCAT, it requires some basic science knowledge. GAMSAT suggests that knowledge should be at A-level `equivalent to first year university level Chemistry and Biology, and A-level Physics`. Like the UKCAT, there are no recommended preparatory courses, however, practice sample questions are available (www.gamsatuk.org). GAMSAT registration opens in early June and the test will be held in September. The test is generally valid for 2 years; it cost £195 to sit in 2012.

Personal statement (including work experience)

The personal statement is a chance for applicants to show that they have a genuine interest in dentistry, are aware of the realities of a career in dentistry, and that they have the necessary motivation and personal qualities. A badly written or poorly conceived personal statement can affect interview chances significantly. It is called a personal statement for obvious reasons but is expected to contain information that can be gleaned from school websites and prospectuses; in general it should include:

It is important to ensure that the personal statement is relevant and demonstrates why the candidate wants to be a dentist and his/her understanding of what the profession involves. UCAS allow up to 4,000 characters (including spaces) or 47 lines of text (including blank lines); it goes without saying that grammar and spelling need to be perfect.

Work experience is generally viewed as having a vital role in providing an insight into dentistry; most but not all dental schools will not consider candidates if there is no evidence of work experience in their personal statement. Ideally, work experience should be undertaken in a variety of dental settings and areas: general dental practice, independent dental practice, dental school, community hospitals and district general hospitals should be considered. Keeping a diary of activity will help candidates remember what has been seen and questions should be asked (when appropriate), for example, procedures carried out, the NHS, dentistry as a whole, or even the dentist's own experiences in the profession. Everything observed and learnt can, with a modicum of skill and effort, be used to demonstrate that an applicant has a serious interest in dentistry.

Supporting statement

Candidates are also required to provide a reference and this should be written by somebody who knows them well, such as a teacher or a tutor (some schools will only accept an academic reference and not an employer's reference). The supporting statement should be about the candidate and comment on his/her ability to do the course. Again, the UCAS website is another useful resource regarding this.

After the application process

After receiving and vetting ALL applications, universities decide which candidates they will invite to interview. Despite the variation in style of interviews, interviewers will generally want to know if a candidate is interested in dentistry and has the personal attributes and attitudes of a caring health professional. There are attributes that some regard as desirable for a dental professional, eg communication with patients and staff, sensitivity to others, ethical behaviour, honesty and empathy, judgement and analysis, management of people, conscientiousness, professionalism and life-long learning.3 A school's prospectus will explain what is expected at interview but also inform applicants on much of the information required at interview; such information will demonstrate that the candidate has done his/her research and is keen on attending that particular dental school. It can be useful to practise before interviews to help build confidence; however, it is strongly believed by many interviewers that answers should not be over-rehearsed. Knowledge on current dental-related issues can suggest further eagerness to study dentistry and current news can be found on many dental websites, eg the British Dental Association, the General Dental Council, the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners, etc, or from information gathered from the media.

‘Traditional` style interviews generally employ a small panel of interviewers asking applicants fairly well known and generally routine questions, such as the student's motivation to study dentistry, why he/she wants to be a dentist, why he/she wants to come to venue X, etc. Candidates can prepare for such interviews and there are resources available which can be found on the internet, eg www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Dentistry_at_University.

A number of schools have diverted from traditional interview processes to a different style called Multiple Mini-Interviews (MMI). Although MMIs have been around for many years and while fairly common in medicine, they have only recently been used in dentistry.4 The collection and collation of assessments made at stations help admission staff to assess the desired qualities that may not be revealed during a traditional interview. MMIs are delivered as a series of short, timed stations covering skills that are expected from dental health professionals, eg communication skills, critical thinking, empathy and professionalism. Stations vary widely and candidates may be required to evaluate data or a situation, answer questions, or take part in a physical task; most stations do not need detailed or specific prior knowledge. MMIs give candidates a chance to recover after a particular poorly performed station by moving on to a new interviewer.5 Stations may last 5 minutes or more and are generally preceded by pre-stations where instructions or preparation material is read before seeing the interviewer. Although dental schools that employ MMIs do not give detailed knowledge of the stations, they do provide some indication of what is required of the applicants on the day. Perceived benefits of the MMIs include a reduced chance of interviewer bias and the ability to tailor stations to qualities required of prospective dental students. Preparing for these interviews is significantly different from a traditional interview and, as candidates may not have come across this interview style, practise under timed circumstances may be important.

Before admission to dental school

Before being admitted to dental school there are non-academic requirements that need to be satisfied. Most dental schools will ask applicants to obtain a disclosure from the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) at the Enhanced Level and International applicants will be required to obtain a ‘Certificate of Good Conduct’ from relevant authorities. Applicants are required to declare any criminal offences, cautions, warnings or reprimands, regardless of how minor they may be. Some dental schools require other forms of criminal disclaimers and applicants are advised to refer to the respective university prospectus for more information. There are health checks and offers are only made if the health criteria are met, and all students must complete a full course of immunization against the Hepatitis B virus before commencing any clinical activity. Students usually undertake a health screening soon after enrolment via the university's Occupational Health Department and screening for infectivity of blood-borne viruses, such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV occurs. All must be negative before final acceptance on to the course. Evidence of other vaccinations, such as tetanus, BCG, etc may also be requested by the dental schools before admission is formalized.

Conclusions

Entry into dentistry is very competitive and it is imperative that applicants give themselves every opportunity to succeed in their application. Half-hearted or poorly conceived applications which do not pay detailed attention to the Admissions requirements of the associated schools are unlikely to reach an interview stage. Applicants are strongly advised to ensure that they research their favoured schools and courses thoroughly and make informed and well educated decisions on where they wish to study. School websites, in general, are of excellent quality and contain all the information needed. Owing to competition, systems of applicant selection are gradually changing and so it is important that candidates make themselves stand out from the crowd by being prepared and are familiar with the application process and the range of resources available to help facilitate such selection.