Bench Test Prep Course for International Dentists

Did you receive an invite for an interview and bench test from a US dental school? Congratulations! This invitation will definitely bring you one step closer to the well-deserved success you’ve been working for! Before you start with your bench test preparation, remember that your performance in this test is one of the most important criteria in the selection process. Let us talk about the overview of this exam, its importance and a few tips on bench test prep course for international dentists.

Importance of Bench Test Prep Course for International Dentists

What exactly is a bench test?

A bench test is a skills evaluation to test your practical and clinical knowledge. The admission committee of the universities will assess your insight and experience in dentistry based on how you perform on this test as a part of their admissions process . The time-based exam consists of a specified number of exercises, usually pertaining to general dentistry. The exam is mostly in a simulation lab on a typodont. Most advanced standing programs (excluding residency programs) require you to take a bench exam along with the interview process.

Why the bench test?

The dental schools are looking for the perfect candidate, who do not only have a strong educational background but also have an evidence-based experience in practical dentistry skills. Although DDS for foreign trained dentists is a 2-year study program in which you will be learning many concepts, the schools conduct this exam to make sure that you have the basic knowledge of general dentistry along with dental education.  The schools use a holistic review process for selecting their candidates and consider reviewing a number of factors. Good performance in the bench test is one of those important factors and perfecting this will certainly help increase your chances of getting selected.

How important is the bench test?

The bench test is as equally important as the other factors in your profile. To give you a quick overview, the first step in the entire process of getting accepted into a school of dentistry is to make sure you represent yourself effectively in your application. This can be achieved through competitive GPA, above 100 TOEFL score, passing the NBDE, shadowing and a good clinical experience in both your home country and in the United States. One should leave no stone unturned to stay ahead in the game.

The second step in this process is to prepare well for the interview and the practical exam. You can always review the common interview questions for the preparation. Usually candidates think that getting an invitation is enough but don’t make the mistake of undermining the value of this latter process. Even though this is the last step, it’s one of the more difficult ones. Through your interview and bench test, you have an opportunity to really differentiate yourself from others and demonstrate your skills to the school’s admission committee. 

The bench test is what concerns many international dentist applicants. If you have applied to programs that require you to take the bench test, I highly recommend you to start preparing in advance. Most candidates make the mistake of initiating their exam preparation only the day after they’ve received an invite, leaving them with only a few weeks to prepare and master the skills they need in acing the exam.

Schools send out invitations usually one month prior to the exam and interview date and most of the applicants have a vague idea of the exam. If you ever have gotten that invitation, please don’t waste this one month ordering dental equipment and bench test material. Make sure to use that time to start practicing and doing ideal preps .

How to practice for the bench test?

You have a few options that you can consider in preparing for this important exam; you have the choice of taking a bench test preparatory course for foreign trained dentists here or completely preparing by yourself.

Here are your options briefly discussed:

1. Do It Yourself (or possibly with a friend)

You can get the necessary equipment and materials to set up a home lab yourself and practice on your own with the help of your mock bench and do manikin exercises. Although feedback is really important in practicing for the ideal preps, nobody can do your preps for you. You need to practice on your own anyways even if you plan to take an in-person course. There are lots of great Youtube videos out there to learn from, and more get published every day.

As a graduate from UCLA’s Advanced Standing Program in 2012, I was accepted into their program in 2010 thanks to the time and effort necessary to perfect my preps at home, allowing me to pass UCLA’s bench test. So I’m a big believer in the DIY method of bench test prep.

That said, I don’t want to give the impression that the study-at-home method can work for everyone, or that most bench tests are easy in any way. Having gone through the process myself, I feel that the expectations of bench test results are getting higher every year. Please do not make the mistake of underestimating the high standards of these exams.

2. Hands-on courses

You can find private institutes and programs that dental schools offer to help any international dentist get prepared for the skills-assessment test. Price and duration of the courses may vary. Some of these courses are a day course for the people who don’t want to spend a lot of time on a course. Some courses are designed to include specific instructions like instruction in fixed prosthodontics, operative dentistry and removable prosthodontics or restorations of amalgam and composite preparations. If you feel totally lost with your preparation and if you can afford this, this might be the option for you.

Here a few hands-on courses for your reference:

• Duggan Dental Studies
• OSTC Dental
• The Dr. Tools

3. Join a Virtual Bench Test Course – Practice at Home

I’m a big proponent of practicing at home and joining a virtual bench test preparatory course. When I first started helping international dentists with bench test prep over 10 years ago, I coached candidates through both hands-on courses and online courses, but 7 years ago, I made the decision to teach exclusively online through my Bench Test Mastery program. Online learning is definitely a perspective shift in learning dentistry, but it works surprisingly well! Arguably, if I had to choose just one type of training to prepare for a bench test, I put my vote on online training. 

I’ve helped hundreds gain acceptances into advanced standing programs all over the U.S. since that time, all through my online course Bench Test Mastery. If you are preparing in a location where it is difficult to find a hands-on course, if you want to save money while still getting premiere mentorship, or if you simply want to compliment an in-person course with a way to continue practicing at home, this could be a great option for you.

I believe there are three reasons why online bench test prep works as well as or better than in-person training are:

1. Online bench test prep courses teach via high definition video vs. live demonstration where a group of people are all trying to peer inside in a tiny oral cavity to see what’s going on. In my online bench test prep course, the majority of our videos show 2 different angles of the prep-work simultaneously because we wan to ensure our learners can truly see what’s going on.
2. You can watch the videos repeatedly, as many times as you need while you practice at home. It’s repetition over a few weeks to months, not 2-4 days, where I see candidates make the biggest gains.
3. Online bench test prep courses come with daily feedback (at least my course does!) As your mentor, I have the ability to see details in your preps when you send me high definition photos of your work. I then create detailed personalized feedback videos and send those to you for improvement over a long period of time. I can also see how you’re progressing over time and can help troubleshoot what may the be problem when your progress stalls.
   Remember: daily feedback = daily improvement

If you’re interested in learning more about why I think virtual bench test prep works better for most candidates than hands-on courses, check-out my full article about it

Also, if you’re ready to get started improving your bench test skills in a completely virtual format, click on the button below. I cannot wait to help you confidently take the bench test so you can start your Advanced Standing Program or residency program of your choice soon.