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Australian Dental Schools in Australia
James Cook University Dental School
Program Overview - Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS)
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University and Faculty: | James Cook University (JCU) Faculty of Medicine, Health and Molecular Sciences |
| Program: | Bachelor of Dental Surgery |
| University/Campus Location: | Cairns, Queensland, Australia |
| City Population: | 155,000 |
| Student Population: | Cairns campus: 4,000 |
| Campus Location: | Cairns, Queensland |
| Program Duration: | 5 years |
| Semester Intake: | February each year |
| Next Intake: | February 2014 |
| Est. Annual Tuition: | $46,000 AUD (2014) |
The James Cook University Dental School offers the Bachelor of Dental Surgery which is a five-year, undergraduate degree that provides students with the knowledge and skills they require to become a competent practitioner of dentistry. It is a broad-based program that includes all aspects of dental practice and focuses on issues of concern to northern Australia, particularly those relating to tropical, rural and Indigenous practice. The dental program aims to promote improved oral health care delivery, particularly to people living in rural, remote and tropical regions of Australia. The curriculum integrates the basic sciences with dental clinical sciences and preventative oral health strategies.
James Cook University dental school students will have early exposure to clinical practice, with an increasing proportion of the course dedicated to clinical skills in the later years. The first three to four years of study are based on the Cairns Campus, and the final year is devoted to developing students' clinical skills during placements in public and private dental clinics across northern Queensland including Mackay, Proserpine, Atherton and Thursday Island.
Upon graduating, students will have the knowledge and skills to provide appropriate dental health care in a variety of settings, including rural, remote and Indigenous communities.
Unique Features of the Program
James Cook University dental school had its first intake in 2009. The first cohort of 67 students was admitted to the Bachelor of Dental Surgery program from a pool of more than 600 applicants. The faculty is committed to the education of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the health professions, and has seven Indigenous students in the first two cohorts.
The James Cook University dental school is one of only three schools in Australia located outside a capital city, and is the only one outside the metropolitan areas of southeast Queensland. JCU's dentistry establishment was funded by a grant of $52.5M from the federal government and includes a new building on the Smithfield Campus of JCU with state-of-the-art facilities, including an 80-seat dental simulation laboratory, prosthodontics and science laboratories, and student home group rooms.
The Bachelor of Dental Surgery program is delivered at the Cairns campus of James Cook University, which is located 15 km north of Cairns, in the suburb of Smithfield. Opened in 1987, this campus is situated in a beautiful, mountainous rainforest area of tropical North Queensland.
More than 4,000 students study at JCU Cairns, including approximately 380 international students. The campus location is spectacular, surrounded on three sides by rainforest-covered mountains. Located near the northern beaches in the suburb of Smithfield, the campus is 15 kilometres north of the city centre.
Professional Certification/Accreditation Information
Accreditation has been awarded for the James Cook University's Bachelor of Dental Surgery program by the Dental Board of Australia until 2015. James Cook University's Bachelor of Dental Surgery program is undergoing the normal accreditation processes required for a new school in Australia.
Established in 2009, the School of Dentistry reports annually to the Australian Dental Council as the five-year program unfolds. In 2013, the first cohort of JCU's Bachelor of Dental Surgery students will graduate; the initial accreditation cycle of new schools will then be complete. Ongoing reviews of all university dental and medical schools are part of the normal cycle that maintains the high quality of Australian health professional programs. JCU is a national leader in this field with its tropical, rural, remote and Indigenous focus and ability to develop "fit for purpose" graduates.
Additionally, the National Dental Examining Board of Canada (NDEB) recognizes the reciprocal agreement between the Australian Dental Council and the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada, which allows accredited graduates of either body to practice dentistry in Australia or Canada. For Canadian students studying in accredited Australian dental programs, this means they will return home and follow the same process as Canadian domestic graduates with licensure being granted after successfully sitting the National Dental Examination Board of Canada.
Course Structure
Level 1Anatomy & Physiology for Dentists 1 & 2
Communication Skills for Therapy
Biological Chemistry for Dentistry
Introduction to Dental Science 1 & 2
Chemistry for the Dental Sciences
Health & Health Care in Australia
Lifespan Development & Health
Communication Skills for Health Professionals
Level 2
Health Professional Research 1
Health Promotion for Health Professionals
Biological Sciences for Dentistry 1 (Growth, Development and Microbiology)
Operative Dentistry 1 & 2
Pathophysiology and Therapeutics for Dentistry
Level 3
Introduction to Clinical Dentistry
Clinical Dentistry 1
Level 4
Clinical Dentistry 2
Clinical Dentistry 3
Level 5
Clinical Practice 1 (Comprehensive Oral Care)
Clinical Practice 2 (Comprehensive Oral Care)
For more information about the James Cook University Bachelor of Dental Surgery BDS program, please look at Information for 2014 Entry Bachelor of Dental Surgery for International Applicants.
Scholarships
Every student who applies (and accepts) via OzTREKK and commences his/her studies at an OzTREKK Australian university will receive a $500 scholarship from OzTREKK.
Click here for more info about OzTREKK's Scholarships!
Admissions Criteria/Entry Requirements for Canadians
Students can enter into the JCU Bachelor of Dental Surgery from:1. High School
These qualifications are considered on an individual basis, subject to satisfying prerequisite requirements. A minimum of 92% average, including prerequisite subjects grades: Year 12 or equivalent English, Mathematics, and Chemistry. Biology is desirable. A high level of academic standard is required for entry.
2. Partially or fully completed undergraduate degree
A high level of academic standard is required for entry. Students need to have met the prerequisite subjects at least at the high school level to meet the prerequisite requirements. A minimum of 80% cumulative average across all university studies is required.
Total Number of Places in the Program: approximately 80
Number of Places Available for International Students: 8 - 12
Application Deadline for the February 2014 intake: August 30, 2013
OzTREKK Admissions Officer: Broghan Dean
