The Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences at King’s College London has expanded the entry requirements for its undergraduate bachelor of dental surgery (BDS) program. Committed to increasing the number of potential students irrespective of their background, the school says it has changed its requirements in recognition of the changing landscape of education to allow a broader student mix to apply.
Studying both chemistry and biology is no longer essential at A-level, and psychology is now recognized as one of the science choices. The change was proposed as the faculty believed that the requirement to perform well in both biology and chemistry at A-level potentially excluded many individuals who would make excellent dental professionals.
Psychology has been included as an option, as the faculty recognizes that those studying it will have developed attributes of great relevance to the practice of dentistry such as the ability to implement behavioral change. Similar changes have been made to the entry requirements for applications studying for the International Baccalaureate (IB).
“At King’s, we pride ourselves on finding the best and brightest minds regardless of background. We are pleased to announce that the entry requirements for Dentistry BDS will be opened up to allow access to a wider range of students,” said Kim Piper, dean for education at the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences. “We believe there are talented young people across the UK who might not have previously been able to access a dentistry degree, and we’re delighted to give them the opportunity.”
Additionally, as part of its drive toward widening participation, the faculty offers 10 places each year on its Enhanced Support Dentistry Programme (ESDP), aimed at applicants attending non-selective state schools from within Greater London. The A-level entry requirement for the ESDP is AAB, two grades below the standard A*AA offer.
The standard five-year program at the school, which was recently named the fourth best dental school in the world, now requires:
- A*AA A-level grades
- A-level biology or chemistry in addition to studying at least one biology, chemistry, physics, math, or psychology
- GCSE or equivalent English and math at grade 6 or above
- All applicants must take the UCAT (previously known as UKCAT)
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