Frequently Asked Questions

Do you give tours of UFCD?

Tours of the school are offered as part of our Annual Pre-dental Forum. We especially invite pre-dental students, families, and pre-dental advisors to attend this popular and informative event. We hope to see you there.

A tour of the dental school is also a regular part of our admissions process. Every student invited for an interview is escorted on a tour of our facilities as part of our interview day activities. Regretfully, we cannot offer individual tours of the college at other times. The University of Florida, http://virtualtour.ufl.edu/, has a virtual tour of the main campus at their web site, in addition to links to the Gainesville area.

Are there enough patients in Gainesville for the dental students to become competent beginning dentists?

Yes. Gainesville is not a major metropolitan area and it may seem that there would be more of an issue identifying dental student patients than in a large city. The facts are that the University of Florida Health Science Center is a major referral center for health care treatment in this region and attracts a large patient base from both Gainesville and surrounding counties. The College of Dentistry continues to have waiting lists of patients interested in becoming dental student patients. We have more patients who would like to be treated than our dental students can possibly treat.

Do dental students have to find their own patients to treat?

No, dental students do not have to find their own patients. UFCD faculty screen potential patients, accepting patients appropriate for student treatment only after a clinical examination and interview. Dental students are assigned patients appropriate to their level of experience. In other words, patients with simple dental needs are assigned to beginning clinical students and patients with more complex needs are assigned to upper level students. Patients are also assigned to students based on the patients the student already has in their family of patients. On average, a Junior level student will have about 15 patients assigned to her/him for dental care and a Senior student will have about 25 patients assigned.

Can dental students treat patients they "find on their own?"

Dental students are permitted to treat patients they have self-identified, providing the patient has dental needs appropriate to the student's level of experience and that the patient would be accepted into the student program using our patient screening guidelines. Basically, students are given dental patients by the school but are not prohibited from treating patients they identify, so long as the patient has appropriate dental needs.

What DAT scores and GPA's are the Admissions Committee looking for?

High GPA's and DAT scores are not a guarantee of admission. While high scores will not hurt your application, grade point averages and test scores are only part of the characteristics the Admissions Committee is looking for.

The class entering Fall 2006 had an overall average GPA of 3.5, a science GPA of 3.5, an average Academic Average score on the DAT of 19 and a PAT average score of 18.

When should I apply to dental school?

Apply early in the application cycle for your application to receive the fullest consideration. This means that you should send your application to AADSAS in the summer a year before you plan to enroll in dental school. Example, for the class enrolling in Fall 2007, you should apply to AADSAS in the summer of 2006. Waiting until the application deadline is a poor strategy and does not strengthen your chances of being accepted.

When should I take the Dental Admissions Test (DAT)?

Take the DAT late in the spring a year before you plan to apply to dental school. For example, take the DAT in late spring 2006 if you are applying for the class entering Fall 2007. You must wait a minimum of 90 days to retake the exam if you are not satisfied with your scores. Taking the DAT in late spring will allow you to retake it and still have your new scores available in late November when the Admissions Committee is making decisions about the entering class. Be sure you have completed the courses that are covered on the DAT before taking it.

Why doesn't UF have my DAT scores yet?

Applicants must separately request that DAT scores be sent to schools from the ADA. AADSAS does not do this automatically. If you apply to UF through AADSAS, but do not request to have the DAT send your scores to UF, then we will not receive your official scores.

When did the AADSAS application deadline change from January 1 to December 1?

In 2004, due to an overwhelming number of applications, it was decided to shorten the AADSAS application deadline by 1 month. December 1 is the deadline for AADSAS applications.

What does the December 1 deadline mean?

December 1 is the last date that applications can be received at AADSAS. We do not accept applications received at AADSAS after December 1. Be advised you should not wait until December 1 to apply. You will be competing for far fewer spots in the entering class and your chances of being accepted decrease accordingly. Remember, AADSAS can take up to 12 weeks to process and disburse applications, so timing is a big issue.

When will I hear from UF regarding my application?

December 1 is the earliest that AADSAS schools can notify applicants about their status. While we do not select all of our class in December, we do send out the majority of our acceptances during the month of December. We continue to interview applicants in January and February, but they will be competing for a smaller number of places in the class.

I only want to apply to the University of Florida College of Dentistry. Do I have to apply through AADSAS?

Yes. We only accept applications for our DMD program through AADSAS.

How many students do you accept in your DMD class?

We enroll approximately 80 DMD students each fall.

What kind of letters of evaluation should I send?

You will need either 3 individual letters of evaluation or one composite letter from the pre professional committee at your school. To strengthen your application, 2 of the letters should be from college level science professors who know your work well. The third letter can be either from another professor or from a dentist or other person who knows you and your accomplishments. If you are invited to send a Supplemental Formal Application, we will also send you a clinical observation form and a research form for your use in documenting your activities. Use these forms to provide us with additional information about your clinical and research activities.

Should I wait to send my application to AADSAS until I have the DAT, my transcripts and all of my letters?

Apply to AADSAS as early as possible. Request letters and transcripts to be sent to AADSAS at the same time you send in your application to AADSAS. Be sure to request the DAT to send your scores to all of the schools you are applying to, including the University of Florida.

I cannot complete all of the required prerequisite courses before I enroll in dental school. Can you make an exception for me?

The prerequisites are required because our dental school curriculum assumes you already have mastered the prerequisite course material. If you have not taken the prerequisite courses, you will be at a disadvantage in the dental classes. You must complete the prerequisite courses before you will be permitted to enroll.

Do you accept transfer students in the DMD program?

We accept transfer students in good standing, currently enrolled in an accredited dental school in the upper 50% of their dental class on a case-by-case basis providing space is available in the appropriate class. Individuals must be either a US citizen or a Permanent Resident Alien. Transfer candidates must be of high moral and ethical character. Preference will be given to residents of the state of Florida. Candidates must be prepared to take the National Dental Board Examinations with the class in which they enter.

What information does a transfer student need to send to the college?

Applicants need to supply a UFCD transfer application, UF formal application Part I- Registrar's office copy, official DAT transcripts, official pre-dental college transcripts, official transcripts from current College of Dentistry. Application packets must be completed at least 45 days prior to the beginning of the entering term. Qualified candidates will be invited to Gainesville, Florida for an interview. Applicants may be required to take a supplemental written and practical examination. Pre-dental college and DAT materials will be evaluated and expected to meet the minimum standards of the entering class to which the transfer candidate is applying.

I read that UF dental students must lease their dental instruments from the college. I want to purchase my instruments instead. Can I do that?

No. Since the instrument leasing program began several years ago, both students and the college have come to the realization that instrument purchasing is not a significant advantage to the student, and this option is not available.