Tips on applying to NUS Dentistry

Update: Currently a Final Year NUS Dental Student in 2021, just updated some information to keep this post relevant. For those wondering how dental school is like, here’s a sneak peek:

This blog post aims to help prospective students who are keen on applying to NUS Dentistry! I am currently serving my second year of National Service, and will be entering NUS Dentistry in 2018.

I will be talking about the reasons as to what made me interested in applying to study Dentistry (back in 2016), and what to expect during the application process so that you can improve your chances of getting in. 👍

I was interested in pursuing a career as a dentist for the following reasons:

Firstly, I felt that becoming a Dentist was a meaningful career as it gave me the ability to alleviate the pain of others and to help improve their quality of life. This aspect of Dentistry is extremely fulfilling. Compared to other desk-bound careers, I felt that Dentistry was in a unique place as I could help others. Compared to Medicine, I felt that Dentistry would be more suitable for me as I didn’t feel ready to be able to deal with the emotional stress associated with deaths in the medical profession.

Secondly, I felt that Dentistry was a unique discipline, involving a blend of Science and Art (craftsmanship). This resonated with my passion for the sciences and also my hobby in drawing when I was younger. Besides learning about the basic medical sciences relating to the human body (Anatomy, Biochemistry, Physiology, Oral Biology, Pharmacology, Pathology, Microbiology) , one has to also hone their craft and manual dexterity in order to work skillfully with the limits of the oral cavity. This was one of the reasons why I had considered Dentistry as my choice of university education as it would be a challenging, yet fulfilling profession which allowed me to work in an area that combined both Science and art.

Thirdly, I applied to dental school as I, like many others, felt that becoming a dentist would allow me to achieve a greater degree of work-life balance. However, having shadowed various dentists, I feel that this concept of “work-life balance” is more of a personal choice. While it is indeed true that some dentists may decide to work with a flexible schedule without having to worry about OT (overtime), other dentists may be more inclined to work longer hours. However, the good thing is that a career as a dentist does indeed provide the option of having flexible working hours and a better work-life balance if one chooses to work in a private clinic or to start their own practice. Furthermore, I feel that being a dentist is a career with good long term prospects. In fact, dentists have a low probability of being replaced by Robots (According to a Fortune article in 2016), and with an ageing population in Singapore, there would certainly be a increased demand for oral healthcare.

Now, moving on to the things to expect during your application to NUS Dentistry!

Pre-requisite Grades – The Dentistry course at NUS is relatively competitive! There are 72 places (increased from 54, to 60, to 72) allocated yearly (as of 2020). In order to be considered for the MDT and the MMI, your ‘A’ Level grades/ IB Grades/ Poly GPA/ NUS High CAP would have to be reasonably good in order to be considered.

A LEVEL: H2 Chemistry is a compulsory subject and you need to take either H2 Biology/ Physics. While one has to score relatively good grades, it is not necessary to get straight As to be considered for the MDT and MMI. For example, I know of cases whereby students with a C in their H1 General Paper/ B in their H1s who have secured a place in Dentistry (and are doing really well right now.) So don’t be disheartened if you got a few Bs, your grades do not define you and just apply as you still stand a chance!

Poly: Poly Students will be considered as well, in fact, the most recent batch of Year 1s have 3 Poly students, so definitely do apply if you are interested in Dentistry as you do stand a good chance as well!

Click Here For: More Information Regarding NUS Dentistry Entry Requirements

MDT (Manual Dexterity Tests) – Basically this involves you carving a soap bar into certain shapes of specific dimensions, bending wires to a specific shape, and using a Plasticine to make a mold of a tooth (e.g. molar)! It’s really like art and craft and aesthetics, so try your best to do the tasks as nicely as possible! I won’t go into specifics but that’s roughly what you would be doing! You can get more information from other online sources (blog posts) or the NUS Dentistry Website! You can try practicing at home so that you come better prepared for the MDTs by buying Plasticine/ metal wires to increase your chances of doing well.

I remember not doing well for the MDT (during my weekend after booking out from BMT, probably should have practiced) as I had kinks in my wire after re-bending it, and I had told my parents that I probably won’t get in considering the sheer number of applicants involved. But… somehow I managed to get in and I am really thankful for that! So don’t lose hope if you didn’t do well, just press on for your MMI.

MMIs (Multiple Mini Interviews) – I remember dressing up in a suit for my MMI, I don’t know if that played a part, but it did make myself look a lot nicer and more presentable, plus it does let the interviewers know that I really wanted a spot in Dentistry! There will be a series of interview stations in separate rooms, whereby there are mock-scenarios (reminds me of English oral examinations) to see how you deal with certain scenarios (e.g. comforting an emotional patient, patient who is angry, unreasonable, etc.), and also stations that are really like an interview to ask you more about yourself.

Do try to find time to attend/ attach to some dental clinics to learn more about Dentistry before the interview, if possible. They may also ask you about some basic dental related questions and whether you know what you are getting yourself into, so try to read up and watch some Youtube videos on dental school during your free time.

The interview is meant to assess your qualities, your personality, and your interests and whether it fits that of a dentist. So just maintain a good smile and be nice! If you don’t know something, admit it. Just be your natural self and respond to the scenarios and questions and I believe you will do well. 😄

That’s about it for now! If you have any questions or queries, do comment below! I hope that the information above helps you with your application to Dentistry!
All the best! 😄

– Jiang Smiles (formerly known as Denticonomist)