Each applicant usually submits a concise statement detailing his or her present academic status, personal
or educational hardships overcome, rationale for consideration of disadvantaged status, anticipated
benets from the program, and plans for the location and type of dental practice in the future. The
applicant also submits a recent copy of his or her American Dental Education Association Associated
American Dental Schools Application Services (ADEA AADSAS) application, three letters of
recommendation, college transcripts, a copy of a denial letter from a dental school, and, if available, a copy
of an invitation letter for a dental school interview. Some postbaccalaureate programs admit students who
were not denied admission to dental school; however, students are admitted based upon a strong desire
to work in underserved communities. The selection and application process usually has no fees. The
criteria of economic or educational disadvantage and willingness to serve in dental shortage areas are
heavily weighted in the nal selection process. Each applicant's personal statement, letters of
recommendation, and interview are used to document these subjective factors.
The program is usually oered in six components. In the summer and fall are usually DAT preparation,
learning skill workshops, seminars, application support, and clerkships. The academic program (six to
thirteen units of science courses) starts in the fall and continues until summer. The program requires a
year of full‐time participation. The following is a brief description of each component:
DAT preparation: The primary program activities for the rst two months during the summer component
are tutoring and practice sessions in preparation for the DAT. It is best to contract with a test
preparation agency that prepares a course to t the summer curriculum. The program sta and student
tutors also supplement the formal DAT review course to provide more in‐depth instruction. Students
must take the DAT within two weeks of concluding the summer component.
Learning skills training: The learning skills components consist of an initial assessment, study skills
workshops, and individual consultations with students. Individual assessments are completed during
the rst two weeks of the program. Each student takes a mock DAT, completes a questionnaire about
learning styles, writes an in‐class essay, takes a timed silent‐reading comprehension test, and indicates
his or her preference for study skill workshop topics. The results of the assessment are analyzed by a
learning skill specialist and integrated with other academic information. The learning skills specialist
and program director then meet with each student to discuss the assessment results, identify learning
strengths and weaknesses, and plan specic study skills support. The study skill workshops are based
on student needs, preference, and program demands. Individual consultations are also held to provide
assistance with students’ personalized study skills.
Seminar series: Seminars during the summer focus on topics such as nancial aid, diversity training,
application assistance, and team building. These help students prepare for the academic year. It is best
to align the series with a center that addresses disparities in health care. These centers usually host
researchers and public health dentists who engage in disparities research. The experience provides
students with an opportunity to interact with senior researchers, become more familiar with the needs
and concerns of disadvantaged communities, and, hopefully, have their desire to practice in an
underserved community reinforced.
Application support: Postbaccalaureate students participate in a three‐hour workshop on preparing a
personal statement. Each student makes several revisions to his or her statement and reviews each
draft with program sta. The program sta also provides guidance for each student in selecting dental