International Dentist Education Program (IDEP)

The application process for 2009 admission is open from August 1 to October 31, 2008

The IDEP offers qualified graduates of foreign dental programs the opportunity to earn the Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center Dental School in San Antonio, Texas. Successful completion of a prematriculation training course and the advanced standing placement DDS program will allow graduates to take state or regional board examinations to be eligible for dental licensure and dental practice within the United States.

The IDEP is a full-time, daily program and has its own admission and application requirements. The accepted 10 students will start in March 2009 and graduate in May 2011. The program will consist of a prematriculation training course to review the first 2 years of dental school and then matriculation through the 3rd and 4th years of the undergraduate dental program with classroom lectures and direct patient care in the general practice group, departmental rotation, and community-based clinics.

Part I. Application Phase

Without exception, each applicant is responsible for providing all of the following documentation and records to the IDEP office by the deadline date of October 31, 2008. Please note that receipt of official school certified transcripts directly from post-secondary institutions and dental schools attended are a legal requirement. They must be on file for all admitted students at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. The same is true for all test scores that are used as a part of the IDEP admissions process.

1. COMPLETED APPLICATION
An application form must be completed in legible handwriting or typewritten where specified and signed and dated by the applicant making application to the IDEP program. The 2009 IDEP Application Packet is available to download by clicking on IDEP Application Packet. Applicants may also contact the IDEP office at IDEP@uthscsa.edu to request additional information about the IDEP admissions process.

2. APPLICATION FEE
A nonrefundable application fee of $150 must accompany the application. The certified check or money order should be made payable to "UTHSCSA Dental School - IDEP". This fee is not applied toward tuition or other fees.

3. PERSONAL STATEMENT AND DENTAL EXPERIENCE
Please provide personal experiences, dental related activities, and professional dental goals typewritten on the separate form provided in the application packet. Statements should be limited to the space available on the form. Do not enclose a Curriculum Vitae (C.V.) and/or Continuing Education documents with the application.

4. DENTAL DEGREE
A notarized copy of the foreign dental degree of the applicant must be submitted directly to the IDEP office at UTHSCSA Dental School. If in a language other than English the dental degree must be accompanied by a notarized translation from a bonified U.S. translator.

5. OFFICIAL COURSE-BY-COURSE DENTAL SCHOOL TRANSCRIPT EVALUATION AND OFFICIAL SCHOOL CERTIFIED TRANSCRIPTS
Only an original ECE course-by-course evaluation of the applicant's dental school transcript will be accepted. Please make sure the document submitted is "Course-by Course Evaluation" and is issued directly to the IDEP office at UTHSCSA Dental School from Educational Credential Evaluators. www.ece.org A minimum U.S. GPA of 2.5 or above is required of all applicants. An official school certified transcript sent directly from each post-secondary institution attended by the applicant must also be on file. U.S. notarized photocopies or faxed copies will not be accepted. The official school certified transcript and all application documents become the property of UTHSCSA and are not returnable.

6. NATIONAL BOARD DENTAL EXAMINATION - PART I
An original score report of the applicant's National Board Dental Examination - Part I must be submitted directly to IDEP at UTHSCSA Dental School from the American Dental Association. No photocopies or faxed copies will be accepted. An overall average score of 80 or above is required of all applicants. The NBDE Part I scores submitted must be earned within the past 5 years. www.ada.org

7. TEST OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (TOEFL)
An original score report of the applicant's TOEFL examination must be submitted directly to IDEP at UTHSCSA Dental School (institution code 0345) from the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Use 00 for the department code for IDEP at UTHSCSA Dental School. No photocopies or faxed copies will be accepted. A minimum score of 237 or above on a computer based version, 580 or above on a paper based version, or 92 or above on the internet based version of the exam is required of all applicants. Scores submitted should be no more than 2 years old. All applicants must submit a TOEFL score, regardless of their residency status or personal circumstances. www.ets.org/toefl

8. THREE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
Applicants must submit a minimum of 3 official school certified or original letters of recommendation written in English, or translated by a bonified U.S. translator, if the letter(s) are written in language other than English. The letters must be written within 12 months of the date of the submission of the application and submitted directly to IDEP at UTHSCSA Dental School. Letters may be written by the Dean, an Associate Dean, department chair, or faculty member at the applicant's former dental school. At least one of the letters should be written by a dental professional who has worked with the applicant within the last 12 months. Telephone and address contact information for these individuals should be provided on the letters.

9. PERSONAL PHOTOGRAPHS
Applicants must submit 2 passport size photographs of themselves, signed and dated by the applicant on the back of the photographs.
All application materials must be sent to:

ATTN: Barbara Sturm
International Dentist Education Program (IDEP)
UTHSCSA Dental School
Mail Code 7897
7703 Floyd Curl Drive
San Antonio, TX 78229

Part II. Interview Phase

Individuals selected for the interview phase of the application process will be notified by mail and telephone approximately 2 to 3 weeks in advance of their interview date. The 2-day interviews will consist of an orientation to the dental school, interviews with selected faculty, written answers to essay questions, and dental skills psychomotor assessments. The class of entering students will be selected from those individuals who present for interviews. A nonrefundable dental skills testing fee of $250 is required of applicants invited for the interview/skills assessment phase of the admissions process. This fee is not applied toward tuition or other fees.

Part III. Acceptance Notification Phase

After the interview phase of the application process, and upon receiving an official letter of acceptance, applicants selected for the IDEP class starting in 2009 are required to respond to the acceptance letter by the deadline reply date. Accepted IDEP students must meet and maintain all educational and financial commitments to allow for their admission, registration, and enrollment at the UTHSCSA Dental School. A nonrefundable $2500 fee is required at the time of acceptance for the prematriculation training conducted from March through June. This fee is not applied toward any portion of the annual tuition and fees listed below. Official enrollment in the 3rd year dental school curriculum, payment of tuition and fees, and purchase of the UTHSCSA compliant laptop computer and educational software takes place in July 2009.

Please note that the IDEP interview/skills assessment is an on-going and continuous process from late October through mid-December 2008 with official letters of acceptance mailed periodically. If an individual accepted for the program withdraws, then interviewed applicants identified as alternates will be notified by telephone of the opening and then mailed an official letter of acceptance up to the 2009 commencement date.

Projected Tuition and Fees:

Projected tuition and fees are estimates only and are subject to annual review and change by UTHSCSA. Annual living expenses for students making their own arrangements are estimated to be approximately $14,386. UTHSCSA has no dormitories or other housing accommodations. Ample numbers of apartments and rental homes are available in the immediate area. Most require a 6-12 month lease and a security deposit. Payment of all annual IDEP tuition and fees is required for continued enrollment in the program.

Residency Classification

The determination of residency classification for admission and tuition purposes is governed by statutes enacted by the Texas Legislature and rules and regulations promulgated by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Individuals selected to attend the IDEP program will be required to complete the Residency Questionnaire for The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio before starting the program to determine whether the student is a resident or nonresident of Texas.

Financial Aid

Acceptance into the IDEP is not a guarantee of eligibility for financial aid. Financial aid is awarded on the basis of financial need to eligible students - those that are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens. A Free Application for Financial Student Aid (FAFSA) may be downloaded electronically from the US Department of Education to determine eligibility at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

Application Deadline

The application deadline for the IDEP class starting in 2009 is October 31, 2008. The completed application must be received by the IDEP office before this date or postmarked no later than this date. Incomplete applications will be kept on file, but they will not be considered for the class starting in 2009. An email from the IDEP office will only be sent to the applicant once their application is complete. Please note that information regarding the status of an application cannot be released over the phone.

Contact Information:

IDEP Office: (210) 567-1411
Email: IDEP@uthscsa.edu

International Dentist Education Program
UTHSCSA Dental School
Mail Code 7897
7703 Floyd Curl Drive
San Antonio, Texas 78229