Become a dentist
You can download this infographic as a PDF. You have My Health Career’s permission to distribute it via email and hard copy.
From high school
Check with the university or universities you are applying to about the entry requirements for high school graduates. This may involve:
- UCAT – you may need to register for and sit the Undergraduate Clinical Aptitude Test and achieve a high score
- HSR – your high school rank at the end of grade 12 may need to be an ATAR of 99 or better; click here for the ATARs for dentistry for every dental school in Australia in 2022
- Interview – an interview may also be used by the university as a way of selecting which students will gain entry into their dental school
There are some variations on obtaining a qualification as a dentist directly from high school. Different universities offer
- A 5 year undergraduate degree
- A 5 year program which includes a 3 year undergraduate degree followed by a 2 year post graduate course
The fee structures may be different for these two options. Make sure you know the costs involved before you start a course.
Please check with the institution you are applying to in case they have alternative entry pathways.
Graduate entry
Check with the university or universities you are applying to about the entry requirements for university graduates. This may involve:
- GAMSAT – you may need to register for and sit the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test and achieve a high score (click here for Dr Gerry Considine’s tips for GAMSAT success)
- GPA – your grade point average, that is, the average of your grades in your undergraduate university degree (the highest being 7) may be used as part of the entry criteria
- Interview – an interview may also be used by the university as a way of selecting which students will gain entry into their dental school
In Australia the dentistry degree is generally 4 years when you are entering as a university graduate. Following on from an undergraduate degree that is at least 3 years, this pathway takes at least 7 years.
If you are considering a graduate entry dentistry program be sure to plan ahead! Ensure that your undergraduate subjects meet the pre-requisite requirements of the university or universities you are looking at applying to.
Please check with the institution you are applying to in case they have alternative entry pathways.