Applicant selection procedures for orthodontic specialty programs in the United States: survey of program directors

With the recent changes in scoring of the National Board Dental Examinations and grading systems in some dental schools, ranking prospective orthodontic applicants has become a challenge.

A 31-item survey was sent to orthodontic program directors in the United States to determine admission practices of all accredited specialty orthodontic programs.

Forty-four of 64 program directors responded (69%). This study showed a wide variation of admission practices among these programs. The only consistent part of admissions in all programs was the interview process. The top factors considered for each applicant were interview ratings, dental school class rank, and letters of recommendation. The top sources of recommendations were the orthodontic department chair, the graduate program director, and the predoctoral orthodontic program director. The top 3 character traits considered most favorable were maturity, and good verbal and listening skills.

Accredited orthodontic programs in the United States follow different procedures in assessing applicants for admission. It is important to consider both academic and nonacademic measures in assessing applicant information in a standardized manner to ensure a fair and efficient selection process.