Australian Dental Schools in Australia

University of Queensland Dental School

Program Overview - Bachelor of Dental Science (BDSc)

University and Faculty:	The University of Queensland Faculty of Health Sciences
Program:	Bachelor of Dental Science
University Location:	Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
City Population:	2.1 million
Student Population:	45,500
Campus Location:	St.Lucia/Herston, Queensland
Program Duration:	Five years
Semester Intake:	February each year
Next Intake:	February 2014
Est. Annual Tuition:	$49,100 AUD (2013)

The University of Queensland dental school offers the Bachelor of Dental Science (BDSc) program which provides students with the knowledge, skills and attitude they require in order to become competent practitioners of dentistry. These include the application of scientific principles to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of oral diseases and abnormalities. Students are introduced to dental practice and oral rehabilitation in first year and also undertake courses in oral biosciences and biomedical foundations in oral health. The remaining four years of the program involve three years of applied dental science and one year of extramural clinical practice (34 weeks).

Clinical work begins in second year and is broadened in the third and fourth years of study. Each student is assigned patients and is then responsible for the dental care of these patients. Clinical work in areas such as general dental practice, operative dentistry, orthodontics, paediatric dentistry, periodontics and prosthodontics is undertaken at UQ's School of Dentistry. Students gain experience in the areas of oral medicine and oral and maxillofacial surgery in Brisbane teaching hospitals. The final year of study provides external clinical experience. Students will be rotated to a variety of state government health clinics throughout Queensland, including rural, school, hospital and community clinics.

Unique Features of the Program

An Integrated Approach

The Bachelor of Dental Science (BDSc)program at the University of Queensland embraces an integrated approach to study, with student-centred modes of learning as the principal learning style. The second year of the dental program provides the major scientific foundations, and in later years builds on this base, particularly through problem-based learning.

The aim of this integrated curriculum is to provide clinically relevant education in basic sciences and scientifically based education in clinical care. The curriculum focuses on outcomes and on preparation for general practice.

The Clinical Practice Year

A critical component of the curriculum is the final clinical practice year, during which time students are placed within Queensland health clinics throughout the state for a period of 34 weeks. This occurs as a series of rotations through different zones and includes clinics in rural, school, hospital and community-based settings.

Students are able to apply and further develop their diagnostic and clinical skills in a relatively independent environment with access to experienced practitioners.

Professional Certification/Accreditation Information

The Bachelor of Dental Science is a five-year undergraduate program that qualifies a graduate to register as a dentist in all Australian states and New Zealand. Additionally, the National Dental Examining Board of Canada (NDEB) recognizes the reciprocal agreement between the Australian Dental Council and the Commission of Dental Accreditation of Canada, which allows accredited graduates of either body to practice dentistry in Australia or Canada. For Canadian students studying at the University of Queensland, this means that 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.

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 information about the OzTREKK Scholarship!

Admissions Criteria/Entry Requirements for Canadians

There are two entry pathways in to the Bachelor of Dental Science at the University of Queensland:
1. High School
To be eligible to apply, you must have
- completed a high school diploma;
- completed prerequisite subjects Grade 12 English and Chemistry; and
- attained a high school graduating average from the best six subjects, including the above prerequisites, of 98%.

2. University
To be eligible to apply, you must have
- partially or fully completed an undergraduate degree;
- completed prerequisite subjects including Grade 12 English and Chemistry as a minimum or equivalent subjects at university level; and
- have achieved a minimum cumulative GPA of 6.5 on a 7-point scale in your university studies.

Additionally, all international applicants (those who have completed high school and/or university studies) will be required to sit the International Student Admissions Test (ISAT).

The ISAT Test

The ISAT is independently administered by the Australian Council for Education Research (ACER).
It is a three-hour, paper-based, multiple choice test designed to assess a candidate's intellectual skills and abilities. The purpose of ISAT is not so much to test one's knowledge of specific academic subjects, as to assess one's ability to understand and analyze material. ISAT questions typically require candidates to read and think about a passage of writing, to interpret graphical displays of information, to use mathematical relationships and to reason about tables of data. All the information required to answer questions is contained in the stimulus material.

For more information about the ISAT test, please visit the ACER ISAT website.

There is no minimum ISAT score indicated by UQ Dentistry. Applicants should strive to achieve the highest score possible.

OzTREKK Note: Admission into the Universty of Queensland's Bachelor of Dental Science is extremely competitive. Your application must be highly competitive and your marks should be in the top 5% in your class to be considered for admission. There are often only 2 or 3 places available each year in UQ Dentistry for applicants from countries like Canada.

Applications for the 2014 intake are now open!

Total Number of Places in the Program: 45

Number of Places Available for International Students: up to 8

Application Deadline for the February 2014 intake: TBA

OzTREKK Admissions Officer: Broghan Dean