History of the Melbourne Dental School

22 April 2014

If you’re contemplating studying at a university in Australia, it’s always a good idea to learn about where you’re headed! For everyone who has applied (or thinking of applying) to the Melbourne Dental School, here is a brief overview of how the school came into existence.

University of Melbourne Dental School
Study dentistry at the Melbourne Dental School

In 1884, a group of dentists formed the Odontological Society of Victoria with the aims of the regulation and education of dentists in the state of Victoria. Mr John Illife (1847–1914), a member and later president of the Odontological Society of Victoria, was the driving force in negotiations for the regulation of dentistry in Victoria and the establishment of a hospital and college in Melbourne.
Thanks largely to his efforts, the Melbourne Dental Hospital opened its doors in 1890 and was followed in 1897 by the Australian College of Dentistry devoted solely to the education of dentists.
In 1904, a Faculty of Dental Science was established and the College was affiliated with the University of Melbourne. In 1963 the faculty and the hospital moved from 193 Spring Street to 711 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne.
In 1989, the Faculty of Dentistry merged with the Faculty of Medicine (established 1876) to create a new Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry comprising a School of Medicine and a School of Dental Science respectively. To reflect additional responsibilities, the faculty expanded in 1991 to become the present Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences.
The growth and development of the dental school and the need for improved facilities led to the most recent relocation from Elizabeth Street to the current address at 720 Swanston Street. Here the school changed its name from the School of Dental Science to the Melbourne Dental School and with the implementation of the Melbourne Model in 2011, introduced its graduate program leading to the Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) while continuing to offer the Bachelor of Oral Health.
In 2012 the Melbourne Oral Health and Training and Education Centre (MOHTEC) at 723 Swanston Street commenced operations. The centre includes a Preclinical Simulation Laboratory, the Haptic Virtual Reality Simulation Laboratory and the Melbourne Dental Clinic, all representing an exciting new era in dental education at the Melbourne Dental School.
The dental school is now located over three sites: at 720 Swanston Street in the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne building; at 30 Flemington Road, Parkville in the Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute; and at the Melbourne Oral Health Training and Education Centre (MOHTEC), 723 Swanston Street.
Program: Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)
Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Semester intake: February 2015
Duration: 4 years
Application deadline: June 23, 2014 (Melbourne time). OzTREKK NOTE: All Melbourne DDS application documents must be at the OzTREKK office by Friday, June 20, 2014 in order for your complete Melbourne Dental School application to be submitted on time.

Entry Requirements for the Melbourne Dentistry Program

To be eligible to apply for the Melbourne Dental School’s DDS program, eligible applicants must have

  • successfully completed an undergraduate degree in any discipline at a recognized international university within the past 10 years;
  • completed prerequisite second-year subjects (one semester each) in human anatomy, human physiology and biochemistry (approved by Melbourne);
  • completed an entrance examination: either the Canadian DAT, US DAT, or MCAT. Please note that the carving portion of the Canadian DAT is not required for Melbourne Dental School; however, if you have completed the carving section of the test, this score will be considered. Test scores will not be considered if the exam results are more than 2 years old. There is no minimum cutoff GPA or DAT score for this program; however, a high level of academic standard is required for entry.

Apply now to Melbourne Dental School!

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Do you have any questions about Melbourne Dental School’s DDS program? Contact OzTREKK Australian Dental Schools Admissions Officer Adam Smith to assist you with your application, or to answer any questions you may have regarding dental schools in Australia. Email Adam at adam@oztrekk.com or call toll free in Canada at 1-866-698-7355!

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