UNE Dental School for International Dentists: The DMD Advanced Standing Track (2026 Guide)

  • Dr. T
  • October 16, 2026
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School guide | UNE College of Dental Medicine | Updated October 2026

UNE Dental School for International Dentists: The DMD Advanced Standing Track (2026 Guide)

The University of New England (UNE) College of Dental Medicine in Portland, Maine, offers a 29-month DMD Advanced Standing Track (AST) for dentists trained outside the US and Canada, with about two seats in a typical cycle. It did not run for the 2026-2027 cycle; ADEA CAAPID lists the next window as March 15 to June 1, 2027, for a January 3, 2028 start, and you need a passing INBDE when you apply.

29months, January start, DMD degree
~2seats in a typical cycle; can vary
2028next listed start: January 3, 2028
50hours of volunteering required

Status in October 2026: no 2026-27 intakeADEA CAAPID states that this pathway will not run for the 2026-2027 cycle and that information for future cycles will be published in spring 2027. Its listing shows the next cycle opening on March 15, 2027 and closing on June 1, 2027, for a January 3, 2028 start, with an estimated program size of 2.2 UNE’s own AST admissions page still shows a generic March to July 2026 window; treat the CAAPID listing as current and confirm with UNE Graduate Admissions before you plan around it.3

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 ADEA CAAPID, who want a small program with a rural and community care focus.

At a glanceWhat UNE looks forRequirementsSelection and timelineAm I ready?Cost and loansHow to prepareOther routesFAQ

How The Study Boards helps you get into UNE

  • Use the extra year: with no 2026-27 intake, you have until June 2027 to finish the INBDE. Our INBDE Premium Boards course gives you 35,000+ questions, faculty-written Modules and Master Files, full test series, nightly live tests at 9 PM New York time, and a 99% first-attempt pass rate for students who complete the course.
  • Personalised to you: the course is extremely personalised. It learns from the way you study, red lines and assignments are given to you on the go, and faculty are there to assist you.
  • Bench test with Dr. Kaur: UNE sets an on-campus bench test. Our bench test preparation with Dr. Kaur gets you ready.
  • Interview with Dr. T: interview preparation with Dr. T, for a virtual or in-person evaluative interview.
  • File and English: our CAAPID application program (essays, school list) and our TOEFL course.
The facts in one place

UNE Advanced Standing Track at a glance

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

DMD Advanced Standing Track (AST), Portland, Maine
DegreeDMD, the same CODA-accredited degree as the regular class12
Length29 months, full time1
Next startJanuary 3, 2028, per ADEA CAAPID2
Class size2 seats in a typical cycle; the number can vary3
How to applyADEA CAAPID, then a $100 supplemental fee if invited3
Next windowMarch 15 to June 1, 2027, per ADEA CAAPID2
INBDEPass required at application, preferably within five years; NBDE not listed23
English testTOEFL or IELTS for non-native speakers; UNE graduate minimum iBT 79 or IELTS 6.035
Credential evaluationECE or WES, detailed course-by-course23
Bench testYes, on campus; $500 fee3
InterviewVirtual or in person, by invitation, rolling; plus a written exam or writing sample3
CitizenshipProof of US citizenship, permanent residence or other appropriate immigration documents23
Tuition (2026-27 rates)$53,080 + $106,160 + $106,160 for the three billing years4
Direct costs (2026-27)$59,645 + $119,745 + $119,745; some fees not yet final4

What the 29 months look like

You matriculate in January into the second-year DMD class. The preparatory spring semester brings you up to speed on the first two years of UNE’s curriculum, with a curricular plan customised to your earlier coursework. From the summer semester of the D3 year you treat patients in the UNE Oral Health Center and follow the same curriculum as the regular class, including externships at community sites in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.12

January to springPreparatory semester with the D2 class
Summer onwardsD3 and D4 years: Oral Health Center patient care and community externships

Read the school before you write

What UNE focuses on, and what that means for you

These points come from UNE’s mission, its AST pages and its CAAPID profile. The advice under them is ours.

Rural

Northern New England, rural and underservedUNE’s College of Dental Medicine exists to improve the health of northern New England and rural and underserved areas.12

Serve

Service is a requirementYou must show at least 50 hours of volunteering when you apply. Clinical experience or shadowing is strongly encouraged.3

Clinic

Community-based clinical trainingExtensive patient care in the Oral Health Center and externships at community sites across five states.2

Hands

Clinical skills, in letters and on the benchUNE recommends that at least one letter speak to your clinical skills, and full consideration includes an on-campus bench test.23

Write

Your writing is assessedFull consideration includes a written exam and/or a writing sample, as well as the interview.3

Small

Two seatsUNE describes a creative, humanistic environment with small classes.1 With about two places a cycle, every part of your file has to be strong.3

Our advice for your CAAPID essays and interview

  • Make service the spine of your story. Name the communities, the hours and what you did, and well past the 50-hour minimum if you can.
  • Explain why rural or underserved care matters to you, with a real patient or a real place. A generic “I want to serve” will not stand out for two seats.
  • Ask a faculty member who watched you treat patients for one of your two dental school letters, so a letter speaks to your clinical skills.
  • Practise clear, short written answers in English, because UNE may ask for a writing sample on the day.

What UNE asks for

Requirements in detail

These are the requirements on UNE’s AST admissions page and its CAAPID profile. UNE will confirm details for the next cycle in spring 2027.

A dentist’s degree from a non-US, non-Canadian dental schoolUpload a legible colour scan of your school-issued degree document (BDS, DDS, DMD or equivalent), and send all dental, non-dental and postgraduate transcripts through CAAPID. Documents not in English need an official US-certified translation.23
ECE or WES course-by-course evaluationOfficial and detailed, for every foreign transcript.2 See WES or ECE: which do you need.
A passing INBDE, submitted with your applicationPreferably taken within the last five years. The ADAT is not required, though UNE accepts the results if you send them.23 The INBDE costs $1,325 for internationally trained dentists as of October 2026.8 Plan it with our INBDE Premium Boards course and the INBDE and CAAPID timeline.
English proficiencyNon-native speakers submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores. UNE’s graduate minimum is TOEFL iBT 79 or IELTS 6.0, with scores under two years old; Duolingo is not accepted.35 Aim higher than the minimum: many other schools on your list will ask for 90 to 100. See our TOEFL course for dentists.
Three letters of recommendation (four at most)Two from administrators or faculty of your dental school, ideally one who can speak to your clinical skills, and one professional or academic reference. In English or certified translation, signed, dated within two years preferred. No friends or family.23 See our letters guide.
At least 50 hours of volunteeringRequired at the time you submit. Clinical experience or shadowing is strongly encouraged; an observership helps.3
Immigration documents and a background checkProof of US citizenship, permanent residence or other appropriate immigration documentation on request, and a satisfactory criminal background check before you start.23

From CAAPID to your first day

Selection steps and the next cycle

Dates below are from the ADEA CAAPID listing for the next cycle. UNE will publish its own details in spring 2027.

Now to early 2027Finish the hard partsINBDE passed, English test done, ECE or WES ordered, 50+ volunteer hours logged, letter writers agreed.
March 15, 2027UNE opens in CAAPIDNew to the system? See our CAAPID walkthrough.2
June 1, 2027Deadline2
After a preliminary reviewSupplemental fee, by invitationSelected applicants pay a non-refundable $100 supplemental processing fee.3
RollingInterview, bench test and writingAn evaluative interview (virtual or in person), an on-campus bench test with a $500 fee paid in advance, and a written exam and/or writing sample.3
SeptemberDecisions releasedAdmitted students pay a non-refundable enrollment deposit.3
January 3, 2028Classes begin2

Do not let the bench test catch you coldUNE does not publish the exercises. Practise the common preparations until they are routine. Read what the dental bench test is, how schools evaluate it and the bench exercises reported by school. The Study Boards bench course with Dr. Kaur covers these preparations one by one.

Self-check

Am I ready to apply to UNE?

Tick what is done. What is left is your to-do list before March 2027, and The Study Boards can help you plan it.

UNE’s own figures, 2026-27

Cost and financing

UNE publishes direct costs for the AST by billing year. These are 2026-27 rates; a January 2028 start will cost more. Tap a year.4

Tuition$53,080
General service fee, program fee, malpractice insurance$6,565
Total direct costs$59,645
Living, transport, personal, equipment (UNE estimate)$18,500

UNE also lists a surgical magnification system ($2,000), a laptop ($1,500) and student health insurance ($5,854 at 2025-26 rates).

Tuition$106,160
General service fee, program fee, malpractice insurance$13,585
Total direct costs$119,745

UNE does not list AST living costs for this year.

Tuition$106,160
General service fee, program fee, malpractice insurance$13,585
Total direct costs$119,745

Tuition, all three years$265,400
Direct costs, all three years$299,135

Our sum of UNE’s 2026-27 figures. UNE notes that the 2026-27 program fee and malpractice cost were not yet final. Living costs for years two and three come on top.

Before you are accepted, budget for the INBDE ($1,325), CAAPID ($264 for the first program, $115 for each extra one), your English test, the ECE or WES report, and UNE’s $100 supplemental and $500 bench test fees if invited.378 See what it costs to apply to US dental schools.

How you 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.

US citizens and green-card holders are eligible for federal student aid; F-1 students are not.6 UNE’s cost page links to its loans page and a recommended lender list. Across the US, the common routes are private 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 for the full picture.

We prepare you for each step

How to prepare: our full plan

UNE judges your INBDE, English, service record, interview, writing and hands. Here is how The Study Boards prepares you for each.

INBDE

INBDE Premium BoardsThe pass UNE requires at application:

  • 35,000+ questions, faculty-written Modules, Master Files and Grand Tests
  • Nightly live tests at 9 PM New York time, questions answered by US-licensed dentists
  • 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

Bench

Bench test preparation with Dr. KaurFor UNE’s on-campus bench test:

  • 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

CAAPID

Master the CAAPID ApplicationYour essays, letters, CV and school list:

  • A personal statement built around service and community care
  • School-selection strategy with Dr. T, so two seats are not your only plan

See the CAAPID Program

Interview

Interview preparation with Dr. TFor a virtual or in-person evaluative interview:

  • One-on-one practice with Dr. T
  • Or the 3-session program with Dr. Slesnick and Dr. T

See Interview Preparation

TOEFL

TOEFL iBT course for dentistsFor UNE and the higher bars elsewhere on your list:

  • 45 days, mentor-reviewed, built on the 2026 TOEFL format

See the TOEFL Course

Call

Not sure where you stand?Share your INBDE status, English score and immigration status, and we will tell you honestly whether UNE belongs on your 2027 list.

Book a 10-minute call with Dr. T

Keep your options open

Other routes if UNE is not the right fit

Two seats, and a cycle that was skipped in 2026-27, so never apply to UNE alone.

DDS/DMD

Advanced Standing elsewhereOther US schools run 2 to 3 year 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. 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.

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 AFK route through the NDEB is the first exam there, and much of your INBDE study carries over.

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

Is UNE’s Advanced Standing Track accepting applications in 2026?
No. ADEA CAAPID says the pathway is not running for the 2026-2027 cycle. The next cycle is listed as March 15 to June 1, 2027, for a January 3, 2028 start, with details to be published in spring 2027.
Can an Indian BDS graduate apply to UNE’s Advanced Standing program?
Yes. UNE takes dentists with a degree from a non-US, non-Canadian school, including the BDS. You need a passing INBDE, an English test, an ECE or WES evaluation, three letters and 50 hours of volunteering, plus proof of US citizenship, permanent residence or other appropriate immigration documentation. If you would need a student visa, ask UNE Graduate Admissions before you apply.
Do Pakistani dentists need the INBDE for UNE?
Yes. Passing the INBDE is mandatory, with scores submitted at the time of application, preferably from the last five years. UNE does not list the older NBDE as an alternative.
How many seats does UNE have for international dentists?
Two in a typical cycle, though UNE says the number occasionally varies.
Does UNE have a bench test?
Yes. Full consideration includes an on-campus bench test with a $500 fee, an evaluative interview and a written exam or writing sample.
Your UNE 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 TSB 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 them before your evaluative interview.

Planning to apply to UNE in 2027?

Message us on WhatsApp. Our Admin Team with Dr. T and Dr. Kaur will contact you over WhatsApp and help you plan your INBDE, English test and bench preparation around the 2027 cycle.

Message the Admin Team on WhatsApp

References

  1. University of New England College of Dental Medicine. DMD Advanced Standing Track for Internationally Trained Dentists. une.edu
  2. ADEA CAAPID. University of New England College of Dental Medicine program listing (updated July 27, 2026): 2026-27 cycle not running, next cycle dates. programs.adea.org
  3. University of New England College of Dental Medicine. DMD Advanced Standing Track admissions: requirements, seats, selection, fees. une.edu
  4. UNE Student Financial Services. Doctor of Dental Medicine costs, AST 2026-2027. une.edu
  5. University of New England. English Language Proficiency: graduate minimum scores. une.edu
  6. Federal Student Aid. Eligibility for Non-U.S. Citizens. studentaid.gov
  7. ADEA. ADEA CAAPID: Prepare to Apply, 2026-27 application fees. adea.org
  8. 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 the University of New England and ADEA CAAPID; next-cycle dates are CAAPID estimates and 2026-27 costs are subject to change. Confirm everything with UNE Graduate Admissions ([email protected]) before you apply. The Study Boards is not affiliated with the University of New England.

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