Admission Requirements

Students are advised to choose a program of study leading to the baccalaureate degree by the beginning of the sophomore year and to strive for a grade of B or better in their overall course work. A grade of at least C must be earned in each of the required courses.

Admission to The University of Texas-Houston Dental Branch requires a minimum of 90 semester hours from an accredited college (It is recommended that at least 30 semester hours be accomplished at a four-year college or university.), including the following courses:

In addition to the scholastic requirements for admissions, all candidates are required to take the Dental Admission Test.  It is given at several testing centers in the state by the Divisions of Educational Measurements, Council on Dental Education of the American Dental Association.  An  application to take the Dental Admission Test and a brochure describing the testing program may be obtained from:

Dental Admission Testing Program

• 211 East Chicago Avenue
• Suite 1846
• Chicago, Illinois 60611
• (312) 440-2689

The DAT should be taken in the spring of the year in which the application is initiated.  For more information on the DAT, please visit the American Dental Association Website at:
http://ada.org/prof/ed/testing/index.asp

Admissions Policy

The admissions policy of the DB includes a wide variety of criteria, including qualitative and quantitative information, in evaluating applicants on an individual basis and making decisions as to acceptance into the Dental Education Program leading to the D.D.S. degree. The admissions processes for the undergraduate Dental Hygiene certificate and Baccalaureate (B.S.) degree programs and graduate Advanced Education Programs utilize a mix of cognitive and non-cognitive consideration factors that are similar to the Dental Education Program. Dental Admissions Committees give individual consideration to applicants, and no quotas for any specific group are used. The Admissions Committee considers the application in its entirety and gives importance to the following factors:

1. Intellectual capacity, based on consideration of undergraduate and graduate record; academic progression/regression; standardized test scores; academic awards and honors; a history of research accomplishments; degree of difficulty of undergraduate academic program; pre-professional evaluations; personal interview; and any other data submitted;
2. Interpersonal and communication skills, based on consideration of community or charitable service, extracurricular activities and organizations; leadership positions; employment history; recognition for humanitarian service; awareness and direct knowledge of cultural elements as they may impact on healthcare; expression of future goals in the written essay; statements made on the application or in the personal interview; and any other relevant considerations which the student’s pre-professional advisors may present;
3. Knowledge of the profession, based on consideration of an understanding of factors that impact access to care, along with the social and financial implications; consideration of the implications of lifelong learning; and demonstrated significant effort in seeking knowledge regarding the practice of dentistry or who have participated in oral health promotion activities;
4. Potential for service to the State of Texas, based on consideration of the applicant’s goals for the future; size and location of hometown and whether the applicant resides in a Health Professions Shortage Area; potential for future provision of health services to underserved areas or needed specialties; race/ethnicity as it relates to service to underserved and/or underrepresented populations; linguistic skills appropriate to the Health Professions Shortage Area the applicant wishes to serve;
5. Motivation, based on consideration of success in overcoming adverse personal, economic or educational conditions; employment history occurring simultaneously with undergraduate academic preparation; participation in activities requiring time management skills; experience in health-related activities; and heavier than normal academic course loads (³ 18 hrs/semester);
6. Integrity, based on consideration of professional evaluations; any academic integrity violation; conduct of a crime; any other relevant background relating either positively or negatively to the applicant’s standard of integrity; and
7. Essential skills, based on consideration of psychomotor skills (fine motor dexterity and coordination) and observational skills (vision, hearing and tactile abilities) sufficient to master the clinical procedures essential to the treatment of oral disease.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR DENTISTS AND DENTAL HYGIENISTS

To be successful, dentists and dental hygienists must demonstrate cognitive skills in critical and logical/analytical thinking. Dentists and dental hygienists must possess and demonstrate psychomotor skills (fine motor dexterity and coordination) and observational skills (vision, hearing and tactile abilities) sufficient to master the clinical procedures essential in the treatment of dental disease.

All individuals who apply for admission to The University of Texas Dental Branch, without exception, must be able to perform essential functions. Essential functions are the basic activities that a student must be able to perform to complete the curriculum. An applicant who cannot perform the following essential functions - either with or without reasonable accommodations - will not be considered for admission:

COMMUNICATION: Students must be able to communicate effectively with patients and patient family members, peers, staff, faculty and other members of the health care team. Communication requires the ability to assess all information provided by the patient including non-verbal responses, within safety-related timeframes. Students must be able to communicate in oral and written format that is succinct, organized and complete. These communications will include assessments, prescriptions and dental record notes. Students must be able to demonstrate sensitivity to cultural, emotional and societal issues.

SENSORY AND PSYCHOMOTOR SKILLS: Students must be able to gather patient information needed for a diagnosis through adequate visual, tactile, smell, and auditory senses. Students must have sufficient physical abilities and stamina to provide dental care and respond to emergency situations. Students must have the manual dexterity to execute both gross and fine motor movements required to provide dental care for their patients.

COGNITIVE ABILITIES: Students must have the cognitive abilities to master the dental curriculum, including the basic, behavioral, and clinical sciences. Students must be able to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, synthesize, integrate and apply information. In addition, students must be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships required to provide dental care. Students must be able to demonstrate critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making skills required in the practice of dentistry.

BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL ATTRIBUTES: Students must be able to demonstrate professional behavior and function with integrity and responsibility while maintaining a high ethical standard. In addition, the students must be able to demonstrate the ability to be compassionate, empathic and tolerant. Students must be able to interact in a collegial manner and demonstrate the ability to participate in teamwork. Students must possess the emotional health required to use their intellectual abilities fully, such as exercising good judgment, promptly completing all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients, and developing mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients. Students must be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads and to function effectively under stress. Students must be able to adapt to changing environments, respond appropriately to unpredictable circumstances, and to display flexibility.

CHRONIC CONDITIONS: Students must not possess any chronic or recurrent illnesses such as infectious, psychiatric or substance abuse problems that would interfere with quality patient care or safety and that are not compatible with dental practice or training.

The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston Policy for Conducting Criminal Background Checks

The University of Texas Dental Branch must abide by requirements of hospitals and other agencies in which students may have clinical experiences.  Clinical agencies used for rotation/external experiences have the same requirements for students as those required of employees (criminal background checks and, in some cases, drug screening).  An offer of acceptance and admission is conditioned upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.  The criminal background check will serve to verify information in  the TMDSAS Application provided by each applicant.  The Dental Branch requires criminal background screening of all students following conditional admission and prior to enrollment.  

Individuals who do not consent  to the  criminal background check or who fail to provide the report as required will not be allowed to enroll in  the dental education program. 

An independent vendor will be identified by the Dental Branch to provide the criminal background screening.  Students conditionally accepted for admission are  responsible for requesting the report and paying the appropriate fee. Copies of the report shall be provided  to UTDB and to the student conditionally accepted for admission. Students will be informed 1) of how to contact the independent vendor and notify UTDB of any challenge the accuracy or completeness of the report and 2) that the independent vendor was not involved in any decision that may adversely affect the student.  All information will be separately maintained in a confidential file. The background check document will be destroyed upon graduation/separation from the institution.  A validated background report found to be in conflict with responses by an applicant on the application may constitute grounds for withdrawal of an offer of admission.

Background checks will be valid for the duration of the student’s enrollment in UTDB  programs if the participating student has not had a break in the enrollment. A student who has had a break in enrollment may be required to have another background check.  A break in enrollment is defined as withdrawal from a program and readmission.  A student on Leave of Absence (LOA) is considered to be in continuous enrollment.

All students enrolled in the Dental Branch are required to disclose to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs, within 30 days of occurrence, any arrest for any misdemeanor or felony offense (excluding Class C misdemeanor traffic violations), and are required to disclose any  conviction, including any deferrals of adjudication, including probation or “community supervision” (other than Class C misdemeanor traffic violations) for any misdemeanor or felony offense.  Non-disclosure or falsification of information may be grounds for dismissal from the School.  The Associate Dean of Admission will then determine whether any arrest, and/or conviction or deferral of adjudication is grounds for any action.   Any  dismissal or other action may be appealed to the Dean of the Dental Branch in writing within seven working days of the receipt of the decision by the Associate Dean of Student Affairs