Temple Kornberg Advanced Standing Program for International Dentists (2026 Guide)

  • Dr. T
  • October 16, 2026
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School guide · Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry · Updated October 2026

Temple Kornberg Advanced Standing Program for International Dentists (2026 Guide)

Temple University’s Kornberg School of Dentistry runs the Advanced Standing Program for Internationally Trained Dentists, a 24-month program that ends with a US DMD degree, with a 36-month option when second-year seats open. You apply through ADEA CAAPID; the 2026 window closed in July 2026 for a class starting April 1, 2027, so your next chance is the spring 2027 CAAPID cycle.13

Who this guide is for: Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Nepali dentists (BDS), and other internationally trained dentists aiming for a US DDS or DMD through the INBDE and CAAPID.

24months, DMD degree (36-month option)
30places a year (ADEA listing)
2 yrsclinical experience after your degree
Yesbench test, OSCE and CASPer

At a glanceWhat Temple wantsRequirementsSelection and timelineAm I ready?Cost and loansHow to prepareOther routesFAQ

How The Study Boards helps you get into Temple

  • INBDE: Temple will not consider you without a passed INBDE (or NBDE Parts I and II). The Study Boards INBDE course gives you faculty-written Modules and Master Files, 35,000+ questions, the Master and Grand Test Series and nightly live tests at 9 PM New York time, with a 99% first-attempt pass rate for students who complete the course.
  • Personalised to you: our courses are extremely personalised. The course learns from the way you study, red lines and assignments are given to you on the go, and faculty assist you whenever you are stuck.
  • TOEFL: Temple asks for 100 on the old TOEFL scale. Our TOEFL course for dentists is built for that score.
  • Your CAAPID file: our CAAPID application program builds your personal statement and CV with you, guides your letters, and helps you pick a realistic school list.
  • Bench test: Temple tests your hands in person with a bench test and an OSCE. Our bench test preparation with Dr. Kaur critiques your own preparations before you sit it.
  • Interview: Temple uses an oral examination by a faculty search committee plus CASPer. Interview preparation with Dr. T trains you to answer clearly, ethically and in your own words.
The facts in one place

Temple Advanced Standing at a glance

From Temple’s own pages, the Temple Bursar and the ADEA CAAPID listing, checked in October 2026.

Advanced Standing Program for Internationally Trained Dentists, Philadelphia
DegreeDMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine)1
Length24 months; a 36-month option if second-year seats are vacant12
Start dateApril 1, 2027 for the 2026 cycle (ADEA listing)3
Class size30 (ADEA listing)3
How to applyADEA CAAPID, then a Temple supplemental application and fee that Temple emails to you2
Last deadlineJuly 1 on Temple’s page; the ADEA listing showed July 15, 202623
INBDEPass required, or NBDE Parts I and II; the ADAT is not required2
English testTOEFL 100 (old scale), under two years old2
Credential evaluationECE required3
Bench testYes, plus an OSCE, after your interview (2-year track)3
InterviewOral examination by the faculty search committee; CASPer for both tracks23
Tuition (2026-27)$108,786 a year, the same for Pennsylvania and out-of-state students4
Total cost of attendanceNot published for this program; university fees and living costs come on top14
Loans for international studentsNot stated on Temple’s program pages; private loans are the usual route

What the program is like

Temple calls this a 24-month advanced doctoral program for experienced dentists trained abroad. You work in a comprehensive general dentistry clinic set up to feel like a US private practice and follow American Dental Association guidelines. Alongside clinic, you study US practice models, dental law, ethics, practice management and leadership.1

24-month trackFor experienced dentists who meet the standard expected of Temple students entering the third year
36-month trackVacated seats in the second year of the DMD program; waitlisted 24-month applicants are eligible

Graduates can take the licensing exams needed to practise in any US state.1

What the school looks for

What Temple focuses on

Temple is unusually clear about who it wants. These points come straight from its program and admissions pages.

Practice

Real clinical experienceYou need at least two years of clinical work after your first dental degree, or a CODA residency or postgraduate program. Preference goes to applicants with advanced clinical experience.12

D3 level

Ready for third yearTemple prefers applicants who already meet the competency standard of its students moving into the third year.32

Ethics

Professional conductThe school places high weight on ethical and professional conduct and on evidence of a desire to learn and innovate.2

Clinic

Private-practice modelTraining runs in a general dentistry clinic that simulates a private practice, with courses in practice management and leadership.1

Patients

Care for everyoneThe school describes patient-centred, humanistic care, including for disadvantaged community members and special-needs patients.1

Grades

GPA and class rankYour transcripts must show your GPA and class rank, and faculty run a full educational review of every file.2

Our advice

So in your CAAPID essays and interview, show this

  • Your years in practice in numbers: how long, what kind of clinic, and the procedures you do every week. Temple selects for experienced clinicians, so make this concrete.
  • How you ran or helped run a practice: scheduling, staff, patient records, finances. The program teaches practice management, and experience here fits it.
  • One real ethical situation you handled, told simply: what happened, what you did, what you learned. Temple weighs ethics heavily, and CASPer tests the same judgement.
  • Proof you keep learning: courses, new techniques, research or teaching since you graduated.
  • Care for underserved or special-needs patients, if you have done it: camps, rural clinics, community work.

This is our advice, built on what the school publishes above. The school does not publish a scoring rubric.

What Temple asks for

Requirements in detail

Temple says the requirements are the same for the 24-month and 36-month tracks.2

A dental degree and two years of clinical experienceYou must have graduated from an accredited international dental school and have at least two years of clinical experience after your first dental degree, or a CODA-accredited residency or postgraduate program, or a non-CODA graduate program at a peer institution.12

A passing INBDE resultTemple needs a pass on the INBDE or NBDE Parts I and II. If you are invited to interview, Temple asks for an official or notarized copy. The ADAT is not required.2 The INBDE costs $1,325 for internationally trained dentists ($890 plus a $435 processing fee) as of October 2026.6 Plan it with our INBDE and CAAPID timeline.

TOEFL of 100 or higherTemple’s page asks for a TOEFL of 100 or higher, or an equal score from another accepted English test, no more than two years old. The ADEA listing gives 5.0 in one place and 5.5 in another for the new 1 to 6 scale, and says the home-based TOEFL is preferred.23 Our advice: aim for 5.5 so both readings are covered.

ECE evaluation and full transcriptsTemple requires an ECE evaluation for any consideration, plus official transcripts from every college and dental school you attended, showing your GPA and class rank.32 See WES or ECE: which do you need.

Two letters of evaluationWritten within one year of your application: one from the dean of your dental college, and one from a science professor or a dental professional.2 Our letters of recommendation guide explains how to ask.

CV, supplemental application and CASPerSend your CV through CAAPID. Temple emails you the supplemental application and fee request; do not pay this fee to CAAPID. Temple also requires the CASPer test for both tracks.23 Read our CASPer test guide.

Not a US citizen or green-card holder?The ADEA listing says Temple does not require US citizenship or permanent residency. Temple’s own pages do not describe the visa process, so ask Admissions once you are invited.3

From CAAPID to your first day

Selection steps and the application timeline

This is how the 2026 cycle ran. Temple has not posted dates for the next cycle, so check before you plan.

Before MarchFinish the hard partsINBDE passed, TOEFL 100 or above, ECE ordered, two letter writers agreed, CV ready.
March 6, 2026CAAPID opens for TempleSubmit early. If CAAPID is new to you, follow our CAAPID login and application walkthrough.3
After you applyTemple emails the supplemental applicationSend it and the fee straight to the Kornberg School when asked.2
July 1 to July 15DeadlineTemple’s page says July 1; the 2026 ADEA listing said July 15, 2026. Treat July 1 as your real deadline.23
If invitedInterview, then hands-on testsAn oral examination with faculty, then a bench test and an OSCE for the 24-month track, plus CASPer. Bring official or notarized INBDE and TOEFL copies.23
DecisionThe Advanced Standing and Transfer Admissions Committee decidesIt acts on faculty recommendations after a full educational review. Waitlisted 24-month applicants may be offered the 36-month track if seats open.21
April 1, 2027Classes beginFor the 2026 cycle (ADEA listing).3

Three tests on top of the interviewTemple checks your hands (bench test), your clinical reasoning with standardised stations (OSCE) and your judgement (CASPer). Start bench practice months before invitations arrive. Our guides to what the bench test is, how schools grade it and the bench test exercises by school are the place to start.

Self-check

Am I ready to apply to Temple?

Tick what is already done. Anything left unticked is your to-do list before the next CAAPID window.

Temple’s own figures, 2026-27

Cost and financing

Temple publishes a tuition rate, not a full cost of attendance, for this program.

Tuition, Post Dentistry Foreign Training 2 Year Program, per year (2026-27)$108,786
Pennsylvania resident or out-of-stateSame rate
University Services FeeEach semester, by credit hours
Two years of tuition if the rate stayed flat (our estimate)About $217,600

Temple’s 2026-27 schedule lists this program at $108,786 a year and adds a University Services Fee each semester.4 Rates change every year, and Temple does not publish living costs or how the 36-month track is billed, so ask Admissions for a full budget once you are invited. Before you are accepted, budget for the INBDE ($1,325), the CAAPID fee ($264 for your first program, $115 for each extra one), your ECE report, Temple’s supplemental fee and CASPer.65

How international dentists pay for it

Advanced Standing usually costs roughly $250,000 to $450,000 all-in. Almost everyone finances it with loans, so do not let the number stop you.

Temple’s program pages do not describe loans for international students. Its graduate aid page refers to university funding, external scholarships and federal aid, and federal aid is generally limited to US citizens and permanent residents.

Across the US, the common routes are private education loans, co-signer loans with a US citizen or green-card holder, and a few international lenders that need no co-signer. Read is becoming a US dentist worth it and the cost to apply to US dental schools for the full picture.

We prepare you for each step

How to prepare: our full plan

Temple judges six things: experience, INBDE, TOEFL, your written file, an interview with CASPer, and hands-on skill. Here is how The Study Boards prepares you for each part.

INBDE

INBDE Premium BoardsGet the pass Temple needs before the July deadline:

  • Faculty-written Modules and Master Files for every subject
  • 35,000+ focused questions, answered by US-licensed dentists, not AI
  • Master and Grand Test Series, plus nightly live tests at 9 PM New York time
  • 99% first-attempt pass rate for students who complete the course
  • $299 for 3 months, $499 for 6 months, $899 for 12 months, or $39 a month

See the INBDE Course Blueprint

CAAPID

Master the CAAPID ApplicationYour written file, built with our faculty:

  • Personal statement, letters and CV, reviewed by our faculty
  • Profile and school-list strategy with Dr. T
  • Mock interview sessions included

See the CAAPID Program

Hands

Bench test preparation with Dr. KaurTemple tests you with a bench test and an OSCE after the interview:

  • Video sessions with Dr. Kaur, one preparation at a time
  • Your own preparations critiqued by US-licensed faculty
  • A practice week and a competency exam at the end

See Bench Test Preparation

Interview

Interview preparation with Dr. TFor Temple’s faculty oral examination:

See Interview Preparation

TOEFL

TOEFL iBT course for dentistsTemple asks for 100 on the old scale:

  • 45 days, mentor-reviewed, built on the 2026 TOEFL format
  • Reading, listening, writing and speaking practice for the new task types

See the TOEFL Course

Call

Not sure where you stand?Share your INBDE status, TOEFL score and years of practice, and we will tell you honestly whether Temple belongs on your next CAAPID list.

Book a 10-minute call with Dr. T

Keep your options open

Other routes if Temple is not the right fit

Thirty places a year is a fair number, but the two years of experience rule and three hands-on tests narrow the field. Most dentists apply to several programs.

DDS/DMD

Advanced Standing elsewhereOther US schools run 2 to 3 year Advanced Standing programs to a DDS or DMD, mostly through ADEA CAAPID. Compare them in our full list of US dental schools and the Advanced Standing programs guide.

AEGD

AEGD programsSome states give a limited licence after an AEGD; the rules vary by state. You apply through ADEA PASS. Temple itself lists an AEGD graduate certificate; check its eligibility rules before you apply. See AEGD programs for international dentists.

PASS

Residency directlySpecialty residencies through ADEA PASS. This is more competitive for internationally trained dentists. Read CAAPID or PASS to choose.

Teach

TeachingSome dentists start in teaching and research roles at dental schools while they plan their next step.

If you are also weighing Canada, the NDEB AFK route is the first exam on that path, and many of our students prepare for the INBDE and the AFK together.

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

Can an Indian BDS graduate apply to Temple’s Advanced Standing program?
Yes, if your BDS is from an accredited dental school and you have at least two years of clinical experience after it, a passed INBDE, a TOEFL of 100 and an ECE evaluation. The ADEA listing says US citizenship is not required.
Do Pakistani dentists need the INBDE for Temple?
Yes. Every applicant needs a pass on the INBDE or NBDE Parts I and II to be considered, whatever their country. Temple asks for an official copy if you are invited to interview. The ADAT is not required.
Does Temple have a bench test for international dentists?
Yes. After the faculty interview, 24-month applicants sit a bench test and an OSCE and complete CASPer. For the 36-month track, the bench test and OSCE are preferred but not required; CASPer is required.
What is the difference between Temple’s 24-month and 36-month tracks?
The 24-month track is for experienced dentists who meet Temple’s third-year standard. The 36-month track fills vacated second-year seats in the DMD program, and waitlisted 24-month applicants are eligible for it.
How much does Temple’s Advanced Standing program cost?
Tuition is $108,786 a year at 2026-27 rates. Temple does not publish a full cost of attendance for this program, so add university fees and Philadelphia living costs.
How can The Study Boards help me get into Temple?
We prepare you for each part Temple tests: the INBDE, TOEFL, your CAAPID file, the bench test with Dr. Kaur and the interview with Dr. T. Every course is personalised to the way you study.
Your Temple application starts with the INBDE

INBDE Premium Boards by The Study Boards

Modules, Master Files, Grand Tests and nightly live tests at 9 PM New York time, with US-licensed dentists answering your questions. Finish the course on time, score 60% or more on every test and still do not pass? The Pass Guarantee refunds the course and your exam registration fee.

35,000+ questions99% first-attempt pass ratePass Guarantee

See the Blueprint

US Dental Schools for International DentistsEvery Advanced Standing program, side by side.Top 5 Toughest Interview QuestionsPractise the questions a faculty panel asks.

Planning to apply to Temple?

Message us on WhatsApp. Our Admin Team with Dr. T and Dr. Kaur will contact you over WhatsApp and help you plan your INBDE, TOEFL, bench practice and CAAPID around the next cycle.

Message the Admin Team on WhatsApp

References

  1. Temple University. Dentistry (Advanced Standing Program for Internationally Trained Dentists) DMD: 24-month program, clinic model, curriculum, mission. temple.edu
  2. Temple University. Admissions, Advanced Standing Program for Internationally Trained Dentists: eligibility, exams, TOEFL, letters, skills assessment, selection, July 1 deadline. temple.edu
  3. ADEA CAAPID. The Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry, Temple University program listing (updated May 8, 2026): dates, 30 places, ECE, bench test, OSCE, CASPer. programs.adea.org
  4. Temple University Office of the Bursar. Tuition Rate Schedule, Professional Programs, Academic Year 2026-2027. bursar.temple.edu
  5. ADEA. ADEA CAAPID: Prepare to Apply, 2026-27 application fees. adea.org
  6. Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations. INBDE 2026 Candidate Guide: fees. jcnde.ada.org

Current as of October 2026. Program details, dates and costs are from Temple University, the Temple Bursar and ADEA CAAPID; costs change each year. Confirm everything with Temple’s Kornberg School of Dentistry Admissions before you apply. The Study Boards is not affiliated with Temple University.

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