Professional Program for International Dentists
Greetings!
Welcome to the website for the UCLA School of Dentistry’s Professional Program for International Dentists (PPID). We encourage you to become acquainted with us, and hope that we may eventually become acquainted with you.
Our program for foreign-trained dentists is specifically designed for those who wish to further their training and become eligible for licensure through the State Board examination process. The philosophy at UCLA differs from that of many schools in that we do not believe in having two separate degree tracks, one for foreign-trained dentists and one for our traditional students. On the contrary, a DDS degree earned through our PPID program will be exactly the same and carry the same prestige as our traditional DDS degree. To accomplish this goal, we provide a rather rigorous summer curriculum for our PPID students so that by fall quarter they are ready to be fully integrated into the 3rd year class. From this point forward, the PPID student will be viewed as a traditional UCLA student, and will progress through the 3rd and 4th years as part of the traditional student body.
While we respect the fact that each candidate has or will have achieved a dental degree in another country, we believe that UCLA has much to offer, especially in the clinical arts and sciences. We take pride in our reputation for academic excellence and the fact that well over half of our graduates are accepted into postgraduate programs each year.
We welcome your application to join the Professional Program for International Dentists and become part of the UCLA community. I personally look forward to meeting you in the near future.
Dr. Ronald S. Mito
Associate Dean, Academic Programs and Personnel
Program Information
- Program Overview
- Admissions Requirements & Application Materials
- Application Process & Timeline
- Interviews & Bench Exam
- Selection Factors
- Fees & Expenses
- Financial Aid (Information regarding financial aid will be sent after acceptance)
- FAQs
- Contact Information
Program Overview
The Professional Program for International Dentists (PPID) offers qualified foreign dental school graduates an opportunity to obtain a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) from the UCLA School of Dentistry. The goal of this program is to produce dentists who possess the necessary scientific knowledge and clinical skills to provide competent comprehensive dental care within the United States. PPID graduates are eligible to take the dental licensing examinations throughout most of the United States.
PPID is an intensive two-year program that begins in late May of each year and continues for a minimum of 25 consecutive months. The program commences with a pre-clinical review course that includes didactic and clinical preparatory instruction. After the students successfully complete these courses, they will be rapidly integrated as 3rd year students in the UCLA School of Dentistry's traditional four-year program. Students who then fulfill all the requirements of the traditional competency-based 3rd and 4th year curriculum will be awarded a DDS degree. As with our traditional students, those who do not pass basic competencies will be required to spend extra time to remediate their deficiencies, while those who demonstrate advanced proficiency will have the opportunity for additional training within the normal curriculum.
After completion of the summer didactic program, PPID students will be granted the same opportunities in clinical experience, professional development, extracurricular activities and research as are available to the traditional students.
Length of Program: 25 months
Number of Positions: 20
Admissions Requirements & Application Materials
To be considered for admission, each applicant must fulfill the following steps:
Step 1: ADEA CAAPID Application
Submit an online application to ADEA's Centralized Application for Advanced Placement for International Dentists (CAAPID) by the application deadline. For more information please visit the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) website.
The following documents must be submitted directly to CAAPID:
- ECE Course-by-Course Report
All applicants are required to have their transcripts translated and evaluated by the Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE) in a "Detail Report" / "Course by Course" report. The applicant should specify on the ECE application that he/she would like the evaluation to be sent directly to CAAPID. The following materials must be submitted directly to ECE for evaluation:
- Original certified college (post-secondary) transcripts
- Original certified professional education transcripts
- Official copy of the diploma and/or degree from the applicant's dental school program
If accepted into the program, we will require an official ECE report to be sent directly to the Office of Student Affairs. For more information please visit the Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. website. - Three Letters of Recommendation (in English or with certified English Translation)
The applicant must submit one letter of recommendation from each of the following individuals:
- Dean or head of the applicant's dental school
- Dental school clinical instructor who is able to evaluate the applicant's potential
- A person of the applicant's choosing, preferably someone with whom the applicant has worked with
We recommend that letters of recommendation be written within the last 2 years.
Step 2: PPID Supplemental Application Form
Submit a completed and accurate PPID supplemental application form to the UCLA School of Dentistry, Office of Student Affairs (see address below) by the application deadline. To download the PPID supplemental application form, please click here.
The following documents must be submitted directly to the Office of Student Affairs:
- Application Fee
A non-refundable application fee of US $150 (Money order or Cashier’s check ONLY) made payable to "UC Regents," must be submitted to the Office of Student Affairs. - National Board Dental Examination (NBDE), Part I
Official scores can be submitted by the applicant or by the administrator of the examination directly to the Office of Student Affairs (school code: 05). For more information please visit the American Dental Association website. - English Language Proficiency (TOEFL)
The TOEFL exam is required of all applicants who did not complete their High School education in the United States. Official scores can be submitted by the applicant or the administrator of the examination directly to the Office of Student Affairs (Campus code: 8354). For more information please visit the Educational Testing Service website.
Minimum score requirements for paper-based TOEFL*Total560Minimum score requirements for internet-based TOEFL (iBT)*Writing25Speaking24Reading21Listening17Total87*Waivers will not be granted for scores below the stated minimums. - Curriculum Vitae/Professional Resume
A current copy of the applicant’s curriculum vitae/professional resume must be submitted to the Office of Student Affairs. Please include education, professional employment/organizations, research/publications, honors/awards, and community service. - Certification of Finances
Qualified applicants who require an F-1 visa must complete a confidential financial statement before final admission. The certification is necessary for UCLA to provide a certificate of eligibility, which allows the applicant to apply for a student visa. Only those accepted to the program will need to complete the Certification of Finances.
Application Process & Timeline
Applicants must complete steps 1 & 2 in order to be considered for admission. The PPID supplemental application and listed items (1 – 4), unless otherwise noted, must be submitted to the UCLA School of Dentistry Office of Student Affairs:
Professional Program for International Dentists
Office of Student Affairs
UCLA School of Dentistry
10833 Le Conte Ave, Rm A0-111 CHS
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1668
It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all materials are received by the Office of Student Affairs by the deadline. Only complete applications will be eligible for review by the Admissions Committee.
Application Deadline: All items must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. PST on August 2, 2013.
Timing of Decisions: Accepted candidates will be notified in mid-November.
Bench Exam, Written Exam & Personal Interview
The Admissions Committee reviews all application files and selects finalists for a written and bench examination. Should you be selected, you will be notified by mid-October and will need to provide a non-refundable testing fee of US $300 (money order or cashier’s check), made payable to UC Regents. Applicants who pass the bench examination will be invited for a personal interview which will take place one to two days after the bench examination. *The written exam will be in the NBDE format and focus on the Part 1 content; applicants are encouraged to review the NBDE Part 1 Candidate Guide available on the www.ada.org website.
Timing of Interviews & Bench Exam: Mid- to late October
Selection Factors
The Admissions Committee considers the following criteria in its decisions:
- Academic record
- Performance on NBDE
- TOEFL scores
- Personal statement
- Letters of recommendation
- Performance on bench exam
- Interpersonal skills as demonstrated in the interview
Fees & Expenses
To view the PPID fees and expenses please click here.
Frequently Asked Questions
To view a list of frequently asked questions please click here.
Contact Information
Geneva Rangel
Coordinator-Professional Program for International Dentists
ppid_admissions@dentistry.ucla.edu
UCLA School of Dentistry
Office of Student Affairs
10833 Le Conte Avenue, Rm A0-111 CHS
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1668