IDS Frequently Asked Questions

Pacific Health Care Collaborative (New Sacramento Campus IDS Cohort)

Q: Is the IDS program moving to Sacramento?

A: No, there will now be two separate cohorts for our IDS program. Each year we will matriculate 27 students at San Francisco and 30 students at Sacramento every July.

Q: Will the Sacramento cohort be following the same curriculum as the San Francisco cohort?

A: Yes, the curriculum taught in Sacramento will mirror the curriculum in San Francisco.

Q: Where can I find out more information about the Sacramento program?

A: More information about this new program can be found in our university catalog soon, as well as through a few YouTube videos: youtu.be/peJagEfk3Cs and youtu.be/HGW9ilaP-Cs. More information will be provided here in the FAQ as more information about the program becomes available.

Q: How can candidates apply to the Sacramento cohort?

A: The application is the same for both San Francisco and Sacramento cohorts. All candidates should apply through ADEA CAAPID, for the Dugoni School of Dentistry. There will be a question in the application that asks for your preferred campus, but the application is the same.

Q: Can we choose the campus that we apply to / are accepted to?

A: The IDS Admissions Committee does take campus preference into account, but first choice cannot be guaranteed.

Q: Can the campus preference question on CAAPID be updated if I change my mind?

A: No, once you submit your application, this question cannot be updated. However, candidates that are invited to interview will be asked this question again before final admissions decisions are made.

Q: Is the tuition the same for both the San Francisco and Sacramento programs?

A: Yes, the tuition itself will be the same for both programs. 

Centralized Application for Advanced Placement for International Dentists (CAAPID) Application

Q: Can I submit my CAAPID application directly to the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry?

A: No, all IDS applicants (first-time or returning) must submit a CAAPID application directly with the American Dental Education Association (ADEA).

Q: I have previously applied directly to the Dugoni School of Dentistry. Do I need to submit a CAAPID application?

A: Yes, all returning applicants must submit a CAAPID application with American Dental Education Association (ADEA).

Q: The last time I applied I had to submit a PDF file of supplemental documents, externally from CAAPID. Is this still required?

A: No, all materials including transcripts, letters of recommendation, and test scores should all be sent through your CAAPID application. IDS Admissions will no longer accept duplicate or supplemental documents manually.

Q: What happens when I submit my CAAPID application with ADEA on the deadline date?

A: Applicants are highly encouraged not to wait until the deadline to submit their CAAPID application. Applicants who do apply on or near the ADEA/CAAPID deadline — Friday, June 14, 2024, 11:59 pm Eastern Time, must take full responsibility to fulfill ADEA's application requirements by filing an online CAAPID application, paying the processing fee, and providing all test scores, letters, and other documentation required prior to the deadline. It is also important to understand that ADEA may take more than 2 weeks before releasing the CAAPID application to Pacific, so the earlier you can submit your application, the better.

Q: I see that I can still submit my CAAPID application to other programs, but I am not able to submit it to the Dugoni School. Is this normal after the application deadline?

A: Yes, many programs using the CAAPID application service all have their own deadlines and processes. The Dugoni School of Dentistry has set their deadline for Friday, June 14, 2024, by 11:59 pm Eastern Time, though your CAAPID application will remain active until early February 2025. During this time, you may also submit your CAAPID applications to other programs. Our deadline is final, and no exceptions or extensions will be made. We always encourage applicants to be familiar with all dates and deadlines associated with other schools that they are planning to apply to.

• Important Note: The ADEA Program Finder tool is live for ADEA CAAPID programs! Check out this page for more information on programs you are looking into applying for this cycle.

Q: I paid my supplemental application fee of $100 but was not able to submit my CAAPID application in time. Can I still be considered for admission?

A: No. We are not able to review materials submitted without a valid and complete CAAPID application submitted by the deadline in June.

Application Fee

Q: Can I pay the application fee online with a credit card?

A: Applicants will pay the $100 (USD — non-refundable) application fee online with a credit card (American Express, Discover, Mastercard or Visa). Please be sure to provide all requested payment information, including your CAAPID ID#.

Q: Is the supplemental application fee different from the fees I already paid through CAAPID?

A: Yes. You are required to pay all ADEA CAAPID fees associated with your application to each dental school. The Dugoni School’s separate application fee of $100 can be paid through the school's online payment portal.

Q: I’ve paid my $100 supplemental application fee but couldn't submit my CAAPID application. Is the application fee refundable?

A: No, unfortunately there are no refunds given for the $100 fee. We recommend candidates wait until submitting their completed CAAPID application successfully before paying the Dugoni School’s $100 fee.

Q: Do you accept fee waivers from the ADEA Fee Assistance Program?

A: No, fee waivers only pertain to fees associated with ADEA. Our application fee is required for processing applications.

Dental Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Q: Do I need to copy the same format of the provided sample dental CV?

A: We strongly recommend using the sample CV as a template to ensure the admissions committee thoroughly reviews your experiences and accomplishments.  Applicants should provide information about their dental experience from earning their initial dental degree to the present (unless noted otherwise). You should replicate the sample CV and classify your dental experience by International and/or United States / Canada. 

Q: Is there a page limit to the CV? 

A: No, in fact, though most schools ask you to submit a concise CV, we encourage our applicants to submit a CV that is as comprehensive as possible. This is the primary tool that our committee uses for review, so the more experiences that you can include on here the better. 

Q: What if there is an experience that I would like to include on my CV, but I am not sure what section it goes in?

A: This document is meant to be used as a guide to help maximize visibility of your experiences in the committee review process. Not everything will fit perfectly into one category or another, so just do your best. The most important thing is to put your experiences on there as close as possible to the corresponding categories.  

Q: Do you use auto-grading technology to review this CV?  

A: No, all CVs are reviewed by human reviewers, not computers. 

Q: Can I submit updates to my dental CV after submitting my CAAPID application? 

A: No, the IDS Admissions office will not accept any application updates after submitting the CAAPID application. Make sure to submit your application with as much information on your file as possible to ensure the admissions committee has all the information needed to make an informed decision regarding your application. 

Q: Can I include items that are planned or in progress on my CV? 

A: Absolutely. If you have any experiences that are coming up as planned or that you are currently working on, we encourage applicants to include them. 

Q: Other schools require a shorter CV. If I submit this one on CAAPID, will other schools see it? 

A: No. This CV is an application material that we request through the “Program Materials” section of CAAPID, which means it is only delivered to us.  

Q: What if I need something to include under one of the categorical heading options (i.e., I never received an advanced degree)? 

A: If do not have any information to provide under a specific category, you can leave out that section header. 

Q: When logging my research experience, do I also log any associated publications I have completed with the research section, or do I also log publications in the section for publications (presentations, etc.). 

A: If you published any writing during your research experience, you would log your total research hours for each project in the research section AND log the publication you were a part of under the publications section. 

Q: How would I list conferences I have attended or presented on my dental CV?

A: If you are PRESENTING at a conference, list the presentation under “presentations.”  If you ATTENDED the conference, this would likely go under Continuing Education if CE credits were earned at this conference. If no CE credits were earned by attending the conference, do not include it on your CV. 

Q: Should I include any experiences, dental or non-dental related, from the time before receiving my initial dental degree? 

A: No, the committee will only score and consider experiences gained AFTER receiving your initial dental degree.  Note – any internships, preceptorships, etc., that are part of your dental degree graduation requirements should not be included on the Dental CV, as they are part of your degree requirements. 

Q: When listing my Continuing Dental Education (CDE) credits, do I summarize the hours, or should I list every course I have taken? 

A: We prefer and recommend that applicants list ALL CDE-related courses, both online and in-person, on their Dental CVs. Please still sort them by International CDE courses and US/Canada CDE courses, as with all section categories on your CV. 

Q: I applied in a previous application year, and in the past, I had to include all my other documents and files with my dental CV and send them as a PDF directly to admissions. Is this still required?

A: No, we no longer ask for or accept additional files outside of the CAAPID application. There is a section on the CAAPID application where you can upload additional files, including your Dental CV.  Applications will only be considered complete after uploading your dental CV. 

Q: What if I have a dental experience that I’d like to include in my application completed before my dental degree? Can I put it on my CV?

A: The CV is geared towards getting information on experiences after dental school only (some sections allow items from during dental school). However, you will also be logging experiences directly on your CAAPID application. In the CAAPID experiences sections, you may include any experiences gained before your dental degree in this area. 

Q: How many CEs should I include?  

A: I would recommend including all your CEs individually, rather than clumping them together.  Feel free to list all of them, even if your CV gets lengthy, since there is no page limit. However, if you have more than 20 CE credits either internationally or in US or Canada, feel free to pick and choose your top 20 to prioritize.  
 

Letters of Evaluation

Q: How many letters of recommendation are required for admission?

A: Three letters are required, submitted through your ADEA CAAPID Application. Otherwise known as “Evaluations,” all three letters should be written in English (or translated to English by a certified translator) and should be as recent as possible written, signed, and dated no later than January 2021.   

Q: Who should I ask to write these letters for me?

At least two of these three letters must be written by either U.S. or international dental professionals (dentists, dental school faculty, etc.) with whom you have worked or studied from. A letter from a dental school dean is not required.

Q: What instructions should I give my evaluators to ensure that the letters are submitted properly?

A: Please have your evaluators follow the following guidelines when submitting their letters:

• Provide the letter on company or school letterhead.
• Evaluators need to include their name, phone number, email, and mailing address either directly on the letter or through the CAAPID submission process.
• Letters must be hand signed by the evaluator. Digitally signed letters will not be accepted.

Q: When do the letters need to be submitted by?

A: No later than the UOP Application Deadline in June. For the 2024-25 Application Cycle, the deadline to submit letters through ADEA CAAPID is Friday, June 14, 2024 by 11:59 PM Eastern Time.

Q: What if my evaluator sent in their letter to CAAPID without a physical signature or letterhead?

A: If we find that a letter is missing a requirement such as a signature or letterhead while processing applications prior to the June application deadline, IDS Admissions will email the applicant with specific instructions and deadlines to have the evaluator correct the error, and to re-send the letter to us directly at ids@electronic-fittings.com. Only letters of correction requested by the Office of Admissions will be accepted outside the ADEA CAAPID application. Failure to correct errors in a timely manner can cause your file to be incomplete after the June deadline passes.

Q: Do I need to submit letters of evaluation to the Dugoni School of Dentistry when I have already submitted them to ADEA CAAPID?

A: No, ADEA CAAPID will ask for up to three letters when you complete your application. Please submit your evaluations that we require through ADEA CAAPID as instructed on your application.

Q: To whom should the letters of evaluation be addressed?

A: The letters of recommendation can be generally addressed, since the same three letters must be used for all the CAAPID programs that you are applying to. 

Q: May I submit more than 3 letters of evaluation to Pacific?

A: Starting in the 2024-25 CAAPID Application cycle, we will be accepting 1 optional additional letter of evaluation through the CAAPID application.  This additional letter must be written by a dental professional, either an academic or professional reference.  This will be collected as a scanned letter through the Program Materials in the documents section.  Additionally, we will not collect any additional letters sent to us via mail or email. 

Q: What happens if my letter is not written in English?

A: Applicants will be required to provide the letter in its original language along with an English translation from a certified translator.

National Board Dental Examination (NBDE1&2 or INBDE)

Q: Can I apply to the IDS program now and take the NBDE 1&2 or INBDE later?

A: No, applicants must take and pass NBDE 1&2 or INBDE by application deadline and request ADA Department of Testing Services to submit results to ADEA.

Q: Will my application be considered with a NBDE score of 74 (just one point from 75) or a Fail result to NBDE or INBDE?

A: No, applicants who earned a score less than 75 or a Fail result, are encouraged to retake the NBDE 1&2 or INBDE to earn a Pass result; otherwise, the application will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed by the IDS Admissions Committee.

Q: Does the Admissions Committee consider the number of attempts when reviewing these submissions?

A: The IDS Admissions Committee evaluates applications holistically, so the number of attempts would not disqualify an applicant from applying to our program.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

Q: Am I required to take the TOEFL?

A: Yes, all applicants, including U.S. citizens, are required to take the TOEFL. Request ETS to provide the TOEFL score report to ADEA (institution code – B451) with scores earned between January 2021 to present. An internet-based test (iBT) total score of 92 or higher is required.

Q: Am I exempt from taking the TOEFL when I have earned a degree from a U.S. college/university that did not require me to take a TOEFL since my English is good/proficient?

A: There are no exemptions. All applicants are required to take the TOEFL.

Q: Can I apply to the IDS program now and take the TOEFL later?

A: No, it is recommended to wait for the TOEFL result before sending the PDF email attachment with all the supplemental documents.

Q: Will my application be considered with a TOEFL internet-based test (iBT) total score of 91?

A: No, applicants who earned less than the iBT total score of 92 are encouraged to retake the TOEFL; otherwise, the application will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed by the IDS Admissions Committee.

Q: Do you accept MyBest scores?

A: No, MyBest scores will not be considered. IDS Admissions will only accept TOEFL scores from a single test date.

Q: I have taken the TOEFL exam more than once. How does the IDS Admissions Committee consider multiple TOEFL scores?

A: We do not have a limit on the number of TOEFL attempts taken. However, the Admissions Committee will only consider the most recent score. I.e., if you get a lower score when you retake the TOEFL, the Admissions Committee will consider that new score, and the higher first score will be voided.

Q: Will you accept TOEFL retakes that are taken after application submission?

A: Yes, if we receive the TOEFL scores before the June deadline. We will include the new scores for the committee’s review. After the deadline, we will not consider the new TOEFL scores.

Dental Diploma/Certificate

Q: Can I apply with a medical degree?

A: Only applicants who have earned a dental degree (BDS, DDS, DMD, Odontology, Stomatology) are eligible to apply to the IDS program.

Q: Can I apply with a provisional dental degree?

A: IDS Admissions do not accept provisional dental degrees nor offer any exceptions to this dental degree requirement. Applicants are required to submit a scanned version of the dental diploma/certificate to be included in the uploaded documents section of their CAAPID application.

Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)

Q: What grade average will be considered?

A: A U.S. grade average of 2.00 – 4.00 is required. Applicants with a grade average of 0 – 1.99 will not be eligible to apply to the IDS program.

Q: Do you accept any other agency’s evaluations?

A: IDS Admissions will only accept ECE course-by-course evaluation with a U.S. grade average of 2.00 – 4.00.

Q: What if I discover an error was made on my grade average calculation?

A: Corrected grade average from the ECE course-by-course evaluations will be considered if they are received by us before the June deadline. If ECE provides an additional grade average score (i.e., best result or comprehensive), Pacific will only consider the comprehensive grade average.

Financial Aid/Scholarships

Q: As an international student, am I eligible to apply for federal financial aid?

A: This depends on your current citizenship/visa status. Only students who are U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents or eligible non-citizens are eligible to apply for federal financial aid.

Q: Does the Dugoni School of Dentistry provide any kind of scholarships for the applicants?

A: The Dugoni School of Dentistry has limited institutional scholarships; however, there is no guarantee of receipt of these funds. Students accepted to the IDS program will receive a consultation appointment from the Financial Aid office prior to matriculation to discuss the cost of attendance and financing their dental education.