IDEP Application

Checklist Before You Apply

Step 1: For Academic and program costs, see our Home Page. For more information, see our Frequently Asked Questions.

Step 2: To see if you are eligible to apply, review the  admission requirements below. When you apply to CAAPID, we strongly suggest selecting our program first so you will be guided in your application by our requirements.

Step 3: Consider what interests you about this program. When completing your application, it is important to describe your values, learning styles, and career goals. Does this school meet your expectations? By exploring these things, you can demonstrate to the admissions committee that you have put time and effort into researching this program. Your application is also the platform to explain why you are a good fit for UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry IDEP.

Step 4: Create a plan and organize what you will need to complete an application.  See below what information you will need to apply.

Step 5: Go further - take an objective look at your knowledge, experiences, and personal development.  Speak with others and begin looking at opportunities to strengthen your weaknesses.  Take strides to create broader career and personal goals.  Demonstrate your willingness to put your core values into action.  Record these experiences to build your CV.

Step 6: Reach out to your past Dental Faculty, and to those who can attest to your dental skills and knowledge, as well as personal attributes.  This is an important part of your application.  Make sure the people you select will be willing to take the time and effort to describe your achievements and be called as a reference. 

Step 7: It's time to apply!  

Minimum Admission Requirements

Through CAAPID, when selecting our program...

Personal information

• Biographical, contact, and citizenship information is collected information which includes alternate name, gender and birth information; current and permanent addresses; email address most often checked by the applicant; and phone number. 
• Citizenship Information:
  • All applicants with US citizenship, permanent/conditional-temporary residents or holding any legal visa status in US are eligible to apply. It is important for all applicants to accurately represent their immigration status. The citizenship statuses include: U.S. Citizen, Permanent U.S. Resident, Temporary U.S. Resident, and Non-Resident
  • Applicants with dual citizenship can note this after they have indicated their U.S. citizenship.
  • Please note the following: If you are a non-immigrant, please say "Non-Resident." If you are a Conditional U.S. Permanent Resident (I-531C), please say "Temporary U.S. Resident."
  • The visa types available include:
  • B-1: visitor.  F-1: student.  F-2: spouses and children of F-1 visa holders.  H-4: spouses and dependents of H visa holders.  H-1B: employee.  I-94: asylum granted.  I-94: Cuban-Haitian entrant.  I-94: parolee.  I94: refugee.  I-94: victim of human trafficking.  J-1: student. J-1: teacher, researcher or trainee.  J-2: spouses and dependents of J-1 visa holders. Refugee.  Visa waiver; WB status.  Visa waiver: WT status.  Other. 
  • IMPORTANT: If an applicant's citizenship or visa status changes after submitting the application, he/she must contact IDEP at IDEP@uthscsa.edu directly with the information. 

Academic History

• Colleges Attended
  • Please report all institutions, related or not to the program you are applying for, starting by entering the institution where you earned your international dental degree. 
  • ECE “Course by Course” Evaluation of the applicant's foreign dental school transcripts is required. We accept only ECE evaluations. 
    • When generated by ECE, a minimum U.S. COMPREHENSIVE GPA of 2.50 or above is required for the dental degree.  Visit www.ece.org to request that your  ECE course-by-course evaluation be sent electronically to CAAPID.  Please see CAAPID website for instructions. This does not take the place of an official dental school transcript. 
    • Please include in the ECE evaluation any advanced dental education programs completed or in progress at the time of application that you attended outside of the United States if you want it to be considered by the admission committee. There is no minimum requirement for the GPA of the advanced dental programs. 
• Previous Application and Attendance
  • Please list all the US dental or health professions degrees completed or in progress at the time of the application. Please follow ADEA CAAPID instructions for all the transcripts of  US institutions. 
• ADA Standardized Tests
  • National Board Exam
    • We require either the Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE) or the National Board Exams Part 1 and Part 2 with a status of PASS.  Please contact www.ada.org to request that your score be sent electronically to CAAPID. Please see the CAAPID website for instructions. The National Board Exam results do not expire. 
• Standardized Tests
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) 
    • An official score report of your TOEFL examination must be received electronically by CAAPID  from the Educational Testing Service (ets.org) 
    • We require a minimum iBT Scaled Score of 92. TOEFL and Home Edition iBT Scaled Scores are accepted. MyBest Scores are NOT accepted; no exceptions or modifications The test must not be more than 2 years old and cannot expire before July 7th of the application cycle you are applying. Go to www.ets.org to request a TOEFL score to be sent electronically to CAAPID.  

Supporting Information

• Evaluations
  • We require three electronic evaluations through CAAPID. Evaluation #1 must be from the Dean or a faculty from the dental school or a dental post-graduate program you attended. All references must have a contact phone number and be willing to be contacted by the admissions committee.
  • Content of the evaluation is important.  References that have personal stories to attest to your knowledge, skill, and personality are stronger. 
  • Length and involvement of relationships matter.  Example: Someone who worked with you full-time (5 days a week for a year) is stronger than someone who worked with you occasionally for a year. 
• Experiences
  • Dental Related Experience: List only experiences that were NOT mandatory graduation requirements.  Examples are: volunteering, paid or optional academic credit experiences such as home country dental practice, U.S./Canada assisting, U.S./Canada observing, dental hygiene, dental laboratory work, etc. 
  • Employment: List paid non-dental employment experiences.
  • Mandatory Internship rotations or Clinical Experience: List only experiences that were mandatory graduation requirements. 
  • Non-Dental Healthcare: List healthcare experiences, including paid, volunteer, or optional academic credit. 
  • Research: List all the research experiences. 
  • Teaching: List all the teaching experiences. 
  • Extracurricular Activities 
  • Volunteer Activities: List activities that were not paid, such as tutoring or community service. 
    Please provide information about the organization with which the experience was completed, supervisor contact information, dates of experience, time commitment made to the experience, and a description of the experience or responsibilities. 
• Achievements
  • List awards, publications, and presentations during or after Dental School, including the DOI  of the publications, the name of the honor or award, the name of the organization presenting the honor or award, the date the honor or award was received, and a description of the honor or award. 
• Licenses
  • Provide information about any dental or other licenses held, including the license number, date of issue, and country of issue.  Applicants will be asked to upload a license copy to the application. 
• Other Relevant Information
• Personal Statement
  • This section is required for ADEA CAAPID. However, we do not use this personal statement in our decision-making process. 
  • A personal statement more tailored to our program can be added to your CV that you will upload in the “program materials” specific to our program. 
• Documents:
  • You will upload all the dental transcripts in this section, starting with the dental school degree.  

Program Materials

• Documents
  • CV
  • Any current U.S.-based oral health license 

Directly to our program...

Official school-certified dental school transcripts

• Please note: this is the only document that will be sent directly to our program. Every other required document must be submitted in the CAAPID application.

• You or your University/Dental School must mail a copy of your original, official dental school transcript with the school seal in an unopened signed/sealed University envelope. Or your University/Dental School can email a signed and scanned copy that contains the University seal to idep@uthscsa.edu but if emailed, it must originate from a university email address. Please note: if your transcript is not in English, it must include a certified English translation. An ECE or WES report will not satisfy this requirement. 

• The mailing address of the program is:
  International Dentist Education Program
  UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry
  Mail Code 7897
  7703 Floyd Curl Drive
  San Antonio, Texas 78229

Supplemental fees

• We do not require supplemental application fees
• Upon invitation for an interview, a non-refundable dental skill testing fee of $350 (fee subject to change) and a 2x2 inch (51x51 mm, 5x5 cm) photo are required of all candidates invited for this phase of the IDEP admissions process. 

Application Deadline

• Application opens March 7, 2024; the deadline is June 21, 2024.
• Only applications that are complete, meet the deadline, and meet the requirements will be reviewed and considered for interview. 
  Please note that information regarding the status of an applicant or an application cannot be released.
  Apply here.

Interview and Skills Testing Phase

• The committee reviews all completed, eligible applications for scoring. Scoring is rubric-based, holistic, and blinded. On average, we receive 350 - 500 applications a year. Candidates selected for the interview and skills testing phase of the admissions process will be notified by email approximately two to three weeks in advance of their scheduled interview date. A non-refundable dental skill testing fee of $350 (fee subject to change) and a 2x2 inch (51x51 mm, 5x5 cm) photo are required of all candidates invited for this phase of the IDEP admissions process. This fee is not applied toward tuition or other fees. These sessions will be conducted in person, from July through September. All candidates selected for the interview and skills/bench test will receive detailed instructions and tips on preparing when they confirm the invitation.

Acceptance Notification Phase

• After the interview and skills testing phase of the application process, and upon receiving an official letter of acceptance, applicants selected for the IDEP class starting in 2025 are required to respond to the acceptance letter by the deadline reply date. We are currently accepting 20 students into the Program. 
• Accepted IDEP students must meet and maintain all educational, financial and immigration commitments before matriculation to UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry.
• At the time of acceptance, a non-refundable $5,000 (subject to change) placement holder fee payment is required.  This payment must be received along with the signed Statement of Intent by the deadline reply date to maintain acceptance. This fee is not applied toward tuition or other fees. 
• You will then begin the process to become a registered student in our Advanced placement program with official enrollment. 
• If an individual accepted for the program withdraws, then applicants identified as alternates may be sent an official letter of acceptance.

Texas Residency Classification and Immigration

The determination of Texas residency classification for admission and tuition purposes is governed by statutes enacted by the Texas Legislature and rules and regulations promulgated by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. IDEP applicants will be required to answer questions to determine Texas residency.

Only after official acceptance into the program will the IDEP office initiate contact with the Office of International Services (OIS). At that time, accepted applicants will be required to submit documentation to the OIS office. Instructions will be given at the appropriate time.

Financial Aid

Acceptance into IDEP is not a guarantee of eligibility for financial aid. Financial aid for dental school is awarded to eligible students based on financial need and citizenship — those that are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens. A Free Application for Financial Student Aid (FAFSA) may be downloaded electronically from the U.S. Department of Education to determine eligibility.

Contact Information

IDEP Office: 210-567-1411
Email: IDEP@uthscsa.edu

International Dentist Education Program
UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry
Mail Code 7897
7703 Floyd Curl Drive
San Antonio, Texas 78229