OVERVIEW

FOCUS Certificate Program: First Orientation Course for US Dental Education is organized by University of Washington (UW) School of Dentistry and will be held from Oct 23, 2026 - Jul 16, 2027 at University of Washington School of Dentistry, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.

Course Description:
The FOCUS Certificate Program is a 12-month certificate designed for internationally trained dentists who plan to apply to U.S. International Dentist Degree Programs (IDDS), advanced standing DDS programs, or dental residencies.

Positioned in the pre-application phase, this cohort-based program provides longitudinal academic and professional preparation to strengthen readiness for the U.S. dental education environments. Participants gain structured guidance on the U.S. application process, professional communication expectations, evidence-based didactic learning, and the structure of the U.S. healthcare systems.

Through focused preparation aligned with the NBDE board requirements and English proficiency standards, participants enhance their academic confidence, research literacy, and professional competitiveness for U.S. dental programs.
The program includes a structured professional development component integrated throughout the year and culminates in a faculty-evaluated group capstone presentation. Enrollment is intentionally limited to maintain a cohort-based learning environment and direct interaction with faculty.

Course Objectives:
As a result of attending this course, you will be able to:

Describe key components, timelines, and requirements of U.S. IDDS and residency application processes.
Demonstrate professional communication skills for interviews, didactic participation, and patient interactions in U.S. settings.
Apply evidence-based principles to read, interpret, and discuss dental literature used in U.S. DDS/IDDS programs.
Explain structure of the U.S. healthcare for dental education systems.
Develop a structured preparation plan for the INBDE and program applications.