ADEA, American Dental Education Association

Applicants 

NOTICE TO RE-APPLICANTS

If you are re-applying to programs using PASS services, you must submit a new web-based application including all new required documents. Applicants cannot use their previous applications.

If you are applying to postdoctoral programs that do not participate in PASS, you will have to obtain application information directly from those programs.

PROGRAMS

Use the PASS Program Search Engine to identify participating programs.

More than 550 advanced dental education programs in the following program types participate in PASS.

  • Advanced Education in General Dentistry
  • Anesthesiology
  • Clinical Research Fellowship
  • Dental Public Health
  • Endodontics
  • General Practice Residency
  • Implant Dentistry
  • Operative Dentistry
  • Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
  • Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
  • Oral Biology
  • Oral Medicine
  • Orthodontics
  • Pediatric Dentistry
  • Periodontics
  • Periodontics Prosthesis
  • Prosthodontics

BEGINNING THE APPLICATION PROCESS

PASS begins processing applications June 1, 2008 and sending applications to programs in late July. The 2009 application cycle ends in March 2009.

Plan to apply early. Applicants whose PASS applications are received by programs well before the official deadlines benefit from being among the first reviewed and considered for interviews.

The standard PASS application contains an essay, Professional Evaluations submitted on your behalf, an Institution Evaluation from the dean of your dental school, and your official dental school transcript.

You may opt to customize your application by: 1) providing multiple essays that can be designated to specific programs, and/or 2) designating different evaluations to specific programs. Please be advised that applicants who are customizing their applications can only use online e-Form Professional Evaluations; hard copy evaluations cannot be customized. There is an additional charge for customizing your application.

Some applicants desire to submit a Customized Application, particularly if they are applying to multiple program types (e.g., orthodontics and pediatric dentistry).

For faster and more efficient service, we recommend:

  • Online eForms for submitting your Institution Evaluation and Professional Evaluations (see below). (Downloadable paper forms are also available in the application; use of online e-Forms is faster and more efficient.)
  • Using Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover for fee payment.

To expedite acquiring materials from other institutions, we recommend that you:

  • Use online eForms to request and monitor the status of your Professional Evaluations. Evaluation forms are contained inside the PASS application and will be available in mid-May 2006.
  • Use online eForms to request and monitor the status of the Institution Evaluation. This evaluation is submitted to PASS from your dental school dean’s office and reports your current or final GPA and rank-in-class. Most advanced dental education programs ask that your third-year grades be figured into the GPA and rank-in-class be included.
  • Request your dental school transcript(s) from your registrar’s pffice. Most dental programs recommend that your third-year grades be submitted with your PASS application.

COMPLETING THE APPLICATION PROCESS

To consider your application complete, PASS must receive your online application, fee payment, and all Required Documents. Required documents can include, but are not limited to: a printed copy of your CV/resume, all Professional Evaluations (online or paper version), Institution Evaluation (online for all U.S. and some foreign dental schools or paper version for other foreign dental schools), and official dental school transcript.

Some required documents must be mailed to PASS. All application material should be mailed using express courier services (e.g., Fed Ex, Express Postal Service) to provide you with adequate tracking abilities

Applications are processed and sent to programs only when they are complete. Once applications are complete, they are immediately processed and mailed to the designated programs.

Be sure to monitor the status of your application, including receipt of required documents, through your PASS application.

Applications that are complete by the PASS deadline will arrive at the programs by their deadline dates.

Other items to be aware of:

  • The curriculum vitae/résumé that you submit will be sent to all designated programs. You cannot designate different CV /resumes to different programs.
  • If you attended a foreign dental school, your transcript must be translated into English and evaluated using an approved service. Check with the programs to which you are applying to determine the service and type of transcript evaluation they require. 

PASS Fees

  • Base application processing fee (including one essay): $175 for the first program and $45 for each additional program for the original application
  • Additional essays: $35 each
  • Additional designations: $50 for the first program and $45 for each additional program (per transaction)