Overview
Welcome to the Dent Lounge!
Congratulations! You’ve applied to dental school! Now what?
Over the months ahead, you’ll navigate interviews, outcomes, acceptances, and some big life choices. The Dent Lounge is your go-to resource through these events. If the Dent Lounge has a motto, it’s “Don’t wait for an outcome—prepare for one!”
Our hope is for you to feel confident about pursuing your dreams so you can confidently tackle any decisions you may encounter.
Here are some items you don’t want to miss:
✓ Required Application Documents: Graduate or Undergraduate
✓ Admissions Timelines: So you can stay on track. Remember, we update this page as we receive info from the universities. Make sure you refresh/clear cache on every visit to see the latest updates!
✓ Join our Dentistry Admissions Facebook group to be a part of the conversation and get real-time updates about offers, interviews, and FAQs!
Below you’ll find guiding resources for each of your next steps.
Step 1
Explore Your Options
Step 1 is about solidifying your dental school preferences, to help you to make confident decisions.
Steps You Can Take Now
✓ Follow OzTREKK on social media. There’s honestly no better way to explore this path than to hear from those who are experiencing it firsthand. Our social accounts will give you access to student takeovers, upcoming webinars, and video highlights from dental students past and present.
Resources
Hear why these OzTREKK students chose to study dentistry in Australia
Step 2
Understand Financing
Step 2 is about financing your degree and getting comfortable with money talk!
Financing a dental degree is often a family matter. The following topics are for you to consider together. Exploring financing now can means less stress once outcomes are issued and decisions need to be made in a pinch.
Steps You Can Take Now
✓ Start off on the right foot by asking the right financial questions!
✓ Understand your financing options.
✓ Have that financial talk with your family now.
✓ Visit our YouTube Financing Playlist for more about money matters!
Step 3
How to Nail Your Interview
Step 3 is about how to shine during your dental school interview.
✓ Mark your calendar and ensure you’re available during interview timelines: Dentistry Admissions Timeline.
✓ Get a feel for the type of student each dental school is looking for. Looking up a program’s curriculum structure, key themes and mission statement is a great place to start. This will help you match your values and qualifications to what’s important to each dental school.
✓ No longer interested in a program? Tell us, so the university can offer an interview to another applicant.
Resources
- Top 6 Tips to Prepare for Your University Admissions Interview
- Make the Most of Your MMI – Bri (who’s now an alum!) does a deep-dive into MMI advice.
- Max shares his interview advice for those going into a casual, conversational-style interview.
- Jerilyne shares her advice and experience in completing dental school interviews.
- Dr. Yasmin Samiee (below) chats about how you can stand out in your interview.
Step 4
Prepare for an Outcome
Step 4 is about offer letters! Learn about lapse dates, acceptance deposits, and how to juggle multiple offers. You’ll feel fully prepared to accept.
Steps You Can Take Now
✓ Bookmark our Offer Prep-Chart – Refer to this document for information about offer timelines, deposit amount, and how to secure your seat in a program.
✓ Read the Fine Print – Read and understand the Australian Government’s Release Policy, as well as university Refund Policies. This is a must!
✓ Get Your Finances In Order – Acceptance deposits consist of making a payment towards your first year’s tuition fees (see Offer Prep Chart), as well as paying for health coverage (aka OSHC).
✓ Know Your Payment Options – Be prepared to make a tuition deposit. Most universities have the option to pay via wire transfer or credit card. We recommend being prepared to pay via credit card. In the case that the offer you’re about to accept is first-come first-served, paying via credit card will save you time and a trip to the bank.
Convera & Flywire – Most of our university partners prefer students to pay their acceptance deposit via Convera or Flywire. Understanding their processes in advance will make for smooth sailing come offer time. (Seriously, read this one!)
✓ Read Carefully – With the time different between Australia and North America, outcome sent directly from the university will come through overnight, prior to any correspondence from OzTREKK the next morning.
Should you be the lucky recipient of an offer letter, it is your responsibility to read everything. Read your offer letter (in full). Read our email, which contains added guidance and answers common questions and concerns.
What’s noted in these two items is the real deal. If you do not understand something, reach out.
Step 5
Understand Your Post-dental School Journey
Step 5 is about understanding your graduate options, so you’ve got a clear outlook from the start.
Steps you can take now
✓ Check out our Practicing Dentistry in Canada page to further understand your pathways after graduation.
Resources
- Our dental school alum panel chats about their experience returning to Canada and sitting their national exam.
- Paula talks about being work-ready in Canada after graduating from an Australian dental school.
- Nasseh shares her journey from Australian dental school to practicing in Ontario.
Step 6
Get to Know Your Uni Community
Step 6 is about becoming aware of the communities that make up your program, uni, and location—and starting to make connections!
✓ Get to Know Your City – Visit OzTREKK’s City Guides to familiarize yourself with your future city and keep your eye on the prize.
✓ Get to Know Your Campus – There are plenty of ways to do this. We’ve provided a few options here:
Adelaide University Campus Tour
Charles Sturt University Orange Campus Virtual Tour
Griffith University Campus Tour
JCU Cairns Campus Tour
La Trobe University Campus Tour
University of Melbourne Virtual Tours
University of Queensland Virtual Tours
University of Sydney Virtual Tour
University of Western Australia Virtual Tour
University of Otago Virtual Tour
✓ Get to Know Your Dent Students’ Society
The Adelaide University Dental Students’ Society (AUDSS): @theaudss
Charles Sturt University Student Dental Society (CSU SDA): @SDACSU
Griffith University Dental Students Association (GUDSA): @GUDSA
James Cook University Dental Student Association (JCUDSA): @JCUDSA
The Bendigo Oral Health and Dentistry Society (BOHDS): @bohds_latrobe
Melbourne Dental Student Society (MDSS): @theMDSS
University of Queensland Dental Students’ Association (UQDSA): @UQDSA
Sydney University Dental Association (SUDA): @usyddent
The University of Western Australia Dental Students Society (UDSS): @udssuwa
New Zealand Dental Students’ Association (NZDSA): @nzdentalstudents
What’s Next?
If you’ve accepted an offer, congrats! Your next resource for this journey is our Boarding Pass website. Here, you’ll find details about…
Steps to take after you have accepted your offer – Applying for your student visa, completing health exams, taking family, etc.
Financing tips – Costs of living, how to transfer money, etc.
Heading to Australia – Setting up accommodation, meeting clinical placement compliance requirements, etc.
Arriving in Australia – Packing tips, working in Australia, exploring your new home, etc.
Feel free to jump over to the Boarding Pass website now to get a feel for what will be coming next. However, please note that much of your predeparture planning won’t need to begin until the fall (and that’s when the site will be completely up to date!). Items like enrolment, program requirements (compliance checks), and applying for your Australian student visa will come later.
Eh to Oz Series – Starting in September, you will start to receive our Eh to Oz email series, which will let you know what predeparture steps you should be taking and when. We’ll also invite you to predeparture and accommodation webinars through the season, so you’ll feel fully prepared for takeoff.
Ask A Question
Ask us about your program of interest, or if you have a question about our services.
CONTACT US TODAY