FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR THE BACHELOR OF DENTISTRY PROGRAM

							FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR THE BACHELOR OF DENTISTRY
PROGRAM

What do I need to do to apply for the Bachelor of Dentistry program?
To be considered for admission, all applicants must have completed or be in the final year of a
Bachelor's degree and have achieved a weighted Grade Point Average (GPA) of 4.0 or above (which is
the equivalent to a pass level at The University of Sydney) from an accredited university and have
successfully completed GAMSAT (Graduate Australian Medical Schools Admission Test)..

Is preference given to applicants who put Dentistry as their only choice or first
choice.
All applications are processed according to successfully fulfilling the application criteria. Applicants
can apply for both the Graduate Dental program and the Graduate Medical program and no penalty is
incurred for selecting both programs


What mark do I need to achieve in the GAMSAT to be eligible to apply?
Applicants must attain a minimum level of 50% in each of the three sections of GAMSAT for consideration
for entry to the dental program. However, this does not guarantee an invitation to attend the interview as the
Faculty uses a cut off, which is determined by the overall GAMSAT mark.. This cut off will not be
determined until all applications are received. If applicants do not achieve the minimum of 50% in each of
the three sections of GAMSAT, they are ineligible to apply.

Can I apply for the BDent program without sitting GAMSAT i.e are there any
exceptions?
All local applicants without exception must sit GAMSAT. International applicants may sit the MCAT
(North American Medical School Admission Test).or the DAT (Dental Admission Test) or the
Canadian Dental Admission Test or GAMSAT.

When should I sit GAMSAT?
As GAMSAT can be used for a period of 2 years, it is recommended that candidates sit GAMSAT at
the beginning of the second year if completing a three year degree and at the beginning of the third year
if completing a four year degree.

I completed my Bachelor’s degree at another university and not at The
University of Sydney. Will this affect my application?
No, as long as the university is an accredited Australian university and the degree is of a minimum of
three years in duration. For information regarding overseas universities, please contact the International
Office.

My degree was completed over 10 years ago. Can I still use it?
If your degree is over 10 years, you need to need to have completed postgraduate studies and a
transcript is required to substantiate this. This postgraduate degree can be in the form of a Graduate
Certificate, Graduate Diploma or Masters. A PhD is not accepted as there is no evidence of obtaining
results. The Postgraduate degree will not have any additional weighting on your Bachelor degree.

Do I have to complete a science related degree to be eligible to apply for
Dentistry and will I receive any credits for study completed in this degree?
There is no specific degree which is recommended by the Faculty. Applicants are generally
recommended to choose a degree in which they will do well and use if not accepted into the
competitive dental program. There are no credits issued in the BDent program for previous study.

What criteria is used for local applicants to be offered Commonwealth
Supported (HECS) places for the BDent program?
As there are only limited numbers of Commonwealth Supported places, applicants who are eligible for
an interview will be offered a place according to merit. In the first instance places will be awarded
according to the Interview score. Remaining CSP places will be awarded according to the interview
score and then the overall GAMSAT score and the GPA.

I completed a Medical Degree at another University other than University of
Sydney, am I eligible to apply for entry into the Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor
of Dentistry program?
No. Only Graduates of the Sydney University Graduate Medical programme are eligible to apply for
this program. Sydney Medical and Dental students complete the same units of study in the first 2 years
of the program and are then eligible to be given credits for these units of study. As the program is
delivered in block form, i.e. Foundations of total Patient Care, Personal and professional development,
Life Sciences and Dentist/Doctor in the Community, there cannot be any credits granted from study at
other University as these Units of study are only offered at Sydney University. Applicants must apply
as per all other applicants and must sit GAMSAT and complete the full 4 years of the degree. There
can be no exceptions to this rule.


I am an international student and have applied for Permanent Residency. Can I
apply as a local student?
If you have not received permanent residency at the close of applications, you need to apply as an
international student. If you subsequently receive Permanent Residency after enrolling for Dentistry,
you will be offered a Full-fee paying local place if your PR has been received before the census cut off
date i.e. 31st March for semester 1 and 31st August for semester 2. If your PR is received after the cut
off date, you will be enrolled as an international student for that semester and then as a local fee paying
student in the next semester.

Are international applicants required to sit GAMSAT?
International applicants can sit either GAMSAT or MCAT or the Canadian DAT or the US DAT.
Most international applicants living in Australia sit GAMSAT and a small number sit MCAT.

Are there any scholarships available for Dentistry?
There are scholarships available. Please see the scholarships website:
http://www.usyd.edu.au/scholarships/