Admissions Requirements
Canadian applicants
The program is open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents who are graduates from CDA and ADA-approved dental schools. Applicants must receive their Doctorate in Dental Medicine or Surgery (DMD/DDS) or an equivalent program and obtain a license from the Ordre des dentistes du Québec by the start of the program, July 1.
International Applicants
The program is only open to candidates who are graduates of programs that have a contractual sponsorship agreement through the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences at McGill University, and the applicant must be eligible for a restricted license from the Ordre des dentistes du Québec. Please check your eligibility by contacting gpr.dentistry [at] mcgill.ca
French language proficiency
Graduates from Quebec are required to pass the Ordre des dentistes du Québec exam in order to obtain a permit to practice dentistry in Quebec or in the rest of Canada.
Candidates who have earned their dental medicine degrees outside of Quebec
Candidates who do not meet the requirements of the Charter of the French Language concerning appropriate knowledge of French but who meet all other criteria for practising dental medicine may obtain a temporary permit valid for a maximum of one year. This temporary permit will be granted by the ODQ along with a registration form for the French exam administered by the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF).
Temporary permits may be renewed up to three times, subject to the OQLF's authorization. Candidates must take the OQLF exam after each renewal. A passing mark must be obtained by the deadline to be granted an ODQ permit.
Candidates who have earned dental medicine degrees in Quebec
Candidates who have earned their dental medicine degree in Quebec, no matter if they were born in Quebec or elsewhere, must demonstrate their knowledge of French before they can apply for a permit from the ODQ. They are not eligible for temporary permits. Candidates who have not completed their secondary school studies in French must take an exam administered by the OQLF to evaluate their knowledge of French.
Application Procedures
The online application platform will open in August 2025. The application fee is $132.90 and is non-refundable.
Admissions Requirements
Canadian applicants
The program is open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents who are graduates from CDA and ADA-approved dental schools. Applicants must receive their Doctorate in Dental Medicine or Surgery (DMD/DDS) or an equivalent program and obtain a license from the Ordre des dentistes du Québec by the start of the program, July 1.
International Applicants
The program is only open to candidates who are graduates of programs that have a contractual sponsorship agreement through the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences at McGill University, and the applicant must be eligible for a restricted license from the Ordre des dentistes du Québec. Please check your eligibility by contacting gpr.dentistry [at] mcgill.ca
French language proficiency
Graduates from Quebec are required to pass the Ordre des dentistes du Québec exam in order to obtain a permit to practice dentistry in Quebec or in the rest of Canada.
Candidates who have earned their dental medicine degrees outside of Quebec
Candidates who do not meet the requirements of the Charter of the French Language concerning appropriate knowledge of French but who meet all other criteria for practising dental medicine may obtain a temporary permit valid for a maximum of one year. This temporary permit will be granted by the ODQ along with a registration form for the French exam administered by the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF).
Temporary permits may be renewed up to three times, subject to the OQLF's authorization. Candidates must take the OQLF exam after each renewal. A passing mark must be obtained by the deadline to be granted an ODQ permit.
Candidates who have earned dental medicine degrees in Quebec
Candidates who have earned their dental medicine degree in Quebec, no matter if they were born in Quebec or elsewhere, must demonstrate their knowledge of French before they can apply for a permit from the ODQ. They are not eligible for temporary permits. Candidates who have not completed their secondary school studies in French must take an exam administered by the OQLF to evaluate their knowledge of French.
Application Procedures
The online application platform will open in August 2025. The application fee is $132.90 and is non-refundable.
Supporting Documents
All documents must be submitted through the application platform. Documents sent by email will not be accepted.
Official transcripts of all previous university education
You are required to submit all academic transcripts of your previous university education, including exchange or study-abroad sessions. An unofficial copy of each transcript can be uploaded at the time of application.*
All applicants must be ready to provide an official transcript if requested.
Unofficial copies of transcripts must include the following information:
- name of the university
- name and type of program
- student's name
- categorical and numerical grades, credits, semesters
*narrative transcripts are not accepted
Important: Our Admissions Office reserves the right to require official academic records at any time during the admissions process and rescind any offer of admission if discrepancies between unofficial and official transcripts are found. Official transcripts sent to McGill University become the property of the University and will not be returned or forwarded to other institutions.
Three reference letters
Your application must include a total of three reference letters even if you are applying to multiple sites, including:
- Dean’s letter from your dental medicine school; (If you are graduating from McGill's Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, kindly enter studentaffairs.dentistry [at] mcgill.ca as the email address for the Dean's letter request)
- Two letters of reference from dental medicine professors (referees) who are familiar with your academic ability and who have agreed to provide references.
When you are completing your application, you will be asked to submit your referees’ email addresses. They will be sent an automated email with a link to upload their letter.
CV
Personal statement
A personal statement explaining your interest in the Special Care Dental Medicine Residency Program must be included with your application.
Match Process
Match process for Residency positions
The match process normally takes place in November of the year prior to the July program start date. The match process is executed and governed by a third party service, National Matching Services Inc. All information regarding this process is clearly outlined on the NMS Dental Matching website.
All Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences residency programs will participate in the National Canadian GPR match. Please refer to the National Matching Service website for deadlines.
All candidates will apply to the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences Special Care Dental Medicine Residency program through the online application system. Applicants will be asked to select which residency program they would like their application sent to.
It is mandatory that all applicants register to participate in the National Canadian GPR Match by October 1. Information and registration information is available on the NMS Dental Matching page.
Candidate interviews are held in Montreal the first weekend of November to facilitate travel arrangements for out-of-town applicants. Local applicants may be interviewed at different dates.
The Dean’s Office will send a letter to candidates who have been selected for an interview informing them of the time, date and location of their interview.
NMS will release in November the results of the “match” to the applicants. Candidates have approximately seven days to accept or decline a position offered to them.
A candidate who accepts the residency position is required to make a deposit in the amount of $2,000 to hold the position. This fee will be credited towards the candidate’s university fees. It will not refunded if they fail to register for a position they have accepted.
Apply online
Applications to the Special Care Dental Medicine Residency program must be submitted online through McGill's recruitment and admissions platform: https://future.mcgill.ca/portal/pgd