International Dentist Track

The advanced standing international dentist track at A.T. Still University’s Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-MOSDOH) is designed to enable qualified dentists educated outside the U.S. to earn a doctor of dental medicine (DMD) degree following successful completion of a five-semester (28.5 months) didactic and clinical program. This program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and has been granted the accreditation status of “approval without reporting requirements”. The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at (312) 440-4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611. The Commission’s web address is: https://coda.ada.org/en.

After successful completion of a specifically constructed semester-long didactic and clinical simulation course, the international dentist students will join ATSU-MOSDOH's traditional cohort of students in the D3 and D4 years, culminating in the award of the DMD degree.

MOSDOH’s clinic, referred to as the St. Louis Dental Center, is operated as a unique partnership between ATSU and a Federally Qualified Health Center-Affinia Healthcare. Located at 1500 Park Avenue in St. Louis, the dental center is situated in an area of St. Louis with a high proportion of underserved people. In addition, the unique partnership with Affinia Healthcare ensures access to underserved patients from across the human lifespan and availability of adequate patient experiences for all students to achieve MOSDOH’s stated clinical competencies within a reasonable time. This patient pool is more than adequate to support the addition of 10 students to the pre-doctoral program initially and a total of 20 students in subsequent years.

Admissions standards for the advanced standing international dentist track are based on the same standards of achievement required by students enrolled in the traditional DMD program. These include evidence of academic achievement as well as an assessment of non-cognitive skills.

To be eligible for ATSU-MOSDOH's advanced standing international dentist track, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident (green card holder) and a graduate of a foreign dental school granting a BDS, DDS, DMD degree or equivalent. Similar to traditional dental applicants, the international dentist applicants will be subjected to a background check. A clean background check is expected and required for acceptance and matriculation.

The advanced standing international dentist track requires three letters of recommendation. Two letters from dental professionals, one being from a supervisor or shadowing dentist. The second should be from another dental professional. The third letter must be from a supervisor of a community service organization in which the applicant was involved.

A candidate's academic performance is assessed by reviewing his/her dental school transcript and performance on Parts I and II of the National Boards and/or the Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE). Applicants must provide official copies of all dental school and post-secondary school transcripts attended, in addition to official copies of diplomas and/or degrees from the applicant’s dental school.

  • Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)
  • World Education Services (WES) and
  • International Education Research Foundation, Inc. (IERF)

In lieu of the Dental Admissions Test, candidates for the advanced standing international dentist program must have passed both Part I and Part II of the National Board Examinations or the INBDE. All students are required to demonstrate proficiency in English when applying. Written and spoken proficiency in the English language may be demonstrated by one of the following options:

  • if English is your native language, no action is needed
  • if you graduated from a regionally accredited four-year university or college in the United States (minimum B.A. or B.S.) no action is needed.
  • If either of the above is not accurate, then English language proficiency must be shown by submitting acceptable scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum score of 90 is required on the TOEFL. Only computer-based TOEFL scores are accepted. Only scores from TOEFL exams taken after July 1, 2020 will be considered. Scores from exams taken before July 1, 2020, will not be considered. The home-based TOEFL is also acceptable.

Candidates who are successful at the pre-screening must be present for a personal one-day interview at ATSU-MOSDOH during which several non-cognitive domains are assessed.

Criteria to the advanced standing international dentist track may include:

  • Motivation for dentistry and attending ATSU-MOSDOH
  • Empathy/altruism
  • Communication skills
  • Life experiences
  • Professionalism and maturity

The additional criteria assessed for the advanced standing international dentist track candidates allow for individualized assessment of each candidate and include:

  • Number of years for which dentistry was practiced after graduation from dental school
  • Percentage of time devoted to:
    • Restorative dentistry
    • Endodontics
    • Periodontics
    • Oral surgery
    • Other areas
  • Participation in U.S. postgraduate dental training programs (GPR/AEGD, etc.)
  • Any restrictions or probation on the candidate’s dental license in the country where they practiced

The Application Process

We are pleased that you have chosen to apply to the advanced standing international dental track of the Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health, a school of A.T. Still University. In order to complete your application, the following items must be submitted to the admissions department:

Step one: application process

Application process begins in March of the year prior to anticipated enrollment.

Login to ADEA CAAPID portal and complete the online application.

Deadline for submission: August 1 prior to the fall of anticipated enrollment.

Step two: secondary application

Upon completion of the American Dental Education Association Centralized Application for Advanced Placement for International Dentists (ADEA CAAPID) application, ATSU’s secondary application will be emailed once your ADEA CAAPID application is complete.

Step three: check your application status

We will not process your application materials until the secondary is submitted. Please allow two weeks for us to process your application before you check your status or call our office regarding your status.

To check on the status of your application, you can return to the Secondary Application page at any time!

You are welcome to contact University Admissions at 866.626.2878, ext. 2237 or admissions@atsu.edu

Could you please explain the application process to me?

  • Applicant submits materials to CAAPID.
  • Application is forwarded to Admissions Processing Center to verify complete.
  • If applicant meets all requirements, secondary application is sent via email.
  • Secondary application is submitted to processing center, along with application fee.
  • Application is then forwarded to the Missouri School of Dentistry and Oral Health campus for review.
  • We select students for interviews and admissions on a rolling basis, and interviews take place between August and October.

What is a completed application?
A completed application includes:

  1. CAAPID application
  2. Secondary application with $150 application fee
  3. Official TOEFL score (minimum total score of 90)
  4. Verification of passing passing NBDE parts 1 and 2 or INBDE
  5. 3 letters of recommendation (1 dental professional from shadowing experience, 1 dental professional, 1 community service organization supervisor)

What are the application deadlines?

  • August 1 (submitted) – CAAPID
  • August 31 – secondary