DMD Program

Applicants for the Dental Medicine Program must have:

• Bachelor’s Degree: Applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Minimum GPA: Preferred minimum overall GPA of 3.2. and preferred Science & Math GPA (SGPA):  3.4 minimum
• University Application Processing Fee:  All applicants to the University must pay the Application Processing Fee at the time of submitting AADSAS.  The Application Processing Fee Verification Form must be uploaded to your AADSAS.  See Button below for detailed information.
• Application through AADSAS
  
• Shadowing Experience: Although not required, prior experience in dental medicine is highly recommended.  Consideration will be given to applicants who have a minimum of 100 hours of shadowing in a dental field. These hours should be completed by the time of application submission.
• Letters of recommendation:  Applicants must submit 3 letters of recommendation. These should come from professionals who can speak to the applicant’s qualifications, such as healthcare professionals, professors, or supervisors. Recommendations submitted by relatives, personal healthcare providers, or friends are not acceptable.
  
• Personal Statement: Applicants are required to submit a personal statement in which the applicant explains their motivation for becoming a Dentist, and their career goals.

• Interview Process:   Applicants will be reviewed in a holistic approach.  Qualified applicants who meet all the requirements will be invited to participate in an interview process.
• Technical Standards: Applicants must meet the technical standards required to complete the program, which include physical, cognitive, and behavioral abilities.
• Background Check and Drug Screening: Applicants who have been granted a seat in the DMD Program will be required to have a background check and drug screening prior to admission.

• Applications who meet or exceed the program’s requirements and demonstrate one or more of the following attributes will be given favorable consideration:
  • Applicants with Masters or Doctoral degrees.
  • Larkin University graduates.
  • Residents from Central and South Florida.

University Application Processing Fee Instructions

1. All applicants must pay a $50 non-refundable University Application Processing Fee (link below) before your application is considered for review. Your fee must be paid before completing the University Application Processing Fee Verification Form.  Payment confirmation information is needed to complete the Form.
2.  Complete the University Application Processing Fee Verification Form (link below).  The form requires payment confirmation information.
3. Upon completion of the University Application Processing Fee Verification Form, upload it to your AADSAS application under the “Document” Section”.  Please note that you must upload the form before submitting your AADSAS application. Once your AADSAS application is submitted, you may not modify or resubmit your application.

 Pay Application Processing Fee  

University Application Fee Verification Form

Prerequisite Coursework: Applicants must have completed the following prerequisite courses with a grade of “C” or better. 

• Biological Sciences
  • Human Anatomy and Physiology  or
  • Anatomy 
  • Physiology 
  • General Biology with labs, if offered
•  Chemistry
  • General Chemistry I and II, with labs if offered.
  • Organic Chemistry I and II with lab if offered.
  • Physics I & II
  • Biochemistry
•  Higher Level Science (examples):
  • Microbiology
  • Histology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

•  English 
  • English I (100 level)
  • English II (200-higher level)

• The following Reflect Positively, but are not required. 
  • A minimum of 100 hours of ongoing dental shadowing/work experiences in 3+ different practices.
  • A minimum of 100 hours of ongoing community service in 3+ different organizations, exhibiting evidence of service and compassion.

For general questions, please contact DMDadmissions@larkin.edu or 305-760-7488

The Office of Financial Aid and Student Access (OFASA) provides support to students who need financial assistance to pay tuition and living expenses while attending school. 

Larkin University is currently provisionally approved by the U.S. Department of Education to participate in federal Title IV student aid loan programs. At the time of approval, the programs included were the Master of Biomedical Sciences and the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD).

At this stage, no additional programs can be added to our Title IV eligibility until the university undergoes a re-evaluation. Once Larkin University is eligible to reapply, we will request to add the Physician Assistant (PA) program. Once approved, PA students will become eligible to apply for federal student aid. Until that approval is received, students in the PA program may explore private student loan options to assist with educational expenses. Students can also explore scholarships offered through LU and outside of LU.

Visit the OFASA’s webpage for additional information, including how to apply, tuition, and fees costs. 

For information regarding tuition refunds refer to Bursar’s Office tuition refund policy. 

Technical Standards (Permission granted and adapted University of Pittsburgh School of Dentistry, Essential Program Standards)

Accepted applicants to Larkin University School of Dental Medicine (SDM) must be able to demonstrate the ability to perform the skills and abilities specified in the SDM’s technical standards with or without reasonable accommodation consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Applicants must be able to perform the physical and intellectual functions and possess the behavioral skills necessary to the performance of dentistry.

Candidates for the DDS degree will be assessed on a regular basis according to the academic standards and the technical standards of the SDM on their abilities to meet the requirements of the curriculum.

1. Communications:

General: Students must be able to communicate effectively, compassionately, sensitively, and efficiently with patients, their families, faculty, staff, and peers. A student must have sufficient facility with English to elicit, retrieve, and understand verbal and non-verbal information in all forms.

Examples of effective, compassionate, sensitive, and efficient communication include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Convey or exchange information at a level allowing development of a health history in a timely manner
• Communicate concepts on written and electronic exams and patient charts accurately and clearly
• Describe non-verbal communication with patients such as changes in moods, activity, and body language
• Give directions during treatment and post-treatment
• Establish and maintain a therapeutic rapport with patients
• Communicate in lay language so that patients and their families can understand the patient’s condition

2. Ethics/Professionalism:

General: Students must uphold the standards of conduct for ethics and professionalism as set forth in the American Dental Association’s Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct, the University’s Student Code of Conduct, as well as policies, procedures and protocols as outlined by the school.

Examples of ethical and professional behaviors include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Always Act in the best interest of the patient and society.
• Conduct oneself as a trustworthy and responsible citizen and act with impeccable integrity in their actions with fellow students, staff, faculty, and the public
• Care for all individuals in a respectful and effective manner, regardless of race, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender, disability, or any other protected status.
• Practice honesty and ethical behavior and be able to take responsibility for their behavior, which includes being open to feedback from their supervisors and academic instructors

3. Behavioral/Social Demeanor:

General: Students must have sufficient behavioral, social, and emotional skills to meet their own needs and the needs of others. This includes being able to interact effectively and appropriately with others including faculty, staff, peers, patients, families, caregivers, and other health care professionals.

Examples of the types of behavioral, social, and emotional skills required to meet this standard include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Demonstrate emotional maturity and maintain emotional stability to positively contribute to the learning environment
• Function both physically and emotionally under heavy workloads and ongoing psychosocial stress to maintain a healthy status
• Tolerate uncertainty and ambiguity while being flexible and adaptable without showing undue signs of distress
• Be organized, manage time, and meet deadlines and time limits
• Demonstrate good judgment and insight as expected from a healthcare profession
• Reflect and self-evaluate, including examining personal attitudes and stereotypes, to offer respect to the individual needs of faculty, staff, peers, as well as patients from diverse cultural and complex medical and psychological backgrounds
• Accept criticism and take responsibility for behavior; make changes to own behavior as needed, to include identifying when resources are needed and obtaining them and advocating for own needs
• Recognize emotions and desires of others and demonstrate compassion, respect, concern and empathy.
• Maintain a balance of one’s own views with those of others.
• Collaborate with others as a member of a team.

4. Intellectual/Cognitive/Conceptual/Executive Functioning:

General: Students must be able to develop and apply skills in reasoning, analysis, synthesis of information, problem-solving, and critical thinking.

Examples of intellectual, cognitive, conceptual and executive function include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Interpret, assimilate and apply information from the didactic, preclinical, and clinical coursework presented throughout the curriculum to simulated cases or problems and to live patient experiences in a timely manner.
• Critically interpret and analyze scientific information and apply it to patient care.
• Work independently, as well as part of a collaborative and interprofessional team.
• Understand three-dimensional relationships sufficient to achieve competence as defined by the school in the preclinical, laboratory, and clinical procedures required.

5. Motor Skills:

General: Students must have sufficient motor skills, physical mobility, strength, equilibrium, endurance, and coordination required to perform tasks in didactic, preclinical, laboratory, and clinical settings.

Examples of sufficient motor skills include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Provide all aspects of patient care within a time frame that maintains safety and comfort for patients
• Apply both gross and fine motor skills and demonstrate controlled instrumentation techniques, which includes equilibrium and touch, to patient care
• Operate controls, move high speed and/or low speed dental drills with precision of less than a millimeter.
• Distinguish depth and width accurately.
• Be certified and remain current in basic life support, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
• Reposition or direct the reposition of patients with disabilities to include physically restraining adults and children who lack motor control.
• Position and reposition oneself around the patient and chair and perform dental procedures for prolonged periods of time.

6. Sensory/Observational:

General: Students must have sufficient ability to obtain information accurately in didactic, preclinical, laboratory, and clinical settings.

Examples of sensory and observational skills include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Observe and assess oral health conditions with acuity.
• Detect subtle changes in radiographic density and normal/abnormal variations in oral soft and hard tissues
• Observe tissue conditions and changes.
• Distinguish depth and width accurately.
• Acquire information from written documents, microscopic slides, projected images, and video