SDP Pathways

  • Qualifications Pathway

    Candidates who have completed an approved program in their Specialist discipline and meet certain other requirements may be eligible to apply for Membership in that discipline without further examination.

    Please click HERE for more information and to submit your application.

  • Conjoint examination via the MOU Pathway

    The College has a Memorandum of Understanding with the faculty of Dental Surgeons of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. This provides candidates the opportunity to sit one examination for Membership of both Colleges. For more information, please contact [email protected]. For more information on RCSEd examinations, please visit https://www.rcsed.ac.uk/exams/our-exams.

     

    The College also has a conjoint arrangement with the College of Dental Surgeons of Hong Kong in the Specialist Dental Practice discipline of Dental Public Health (Community Dentistry).

     

    How to apply?
    Applications for a conjoint examination must be made to both Colleges. To enrol with RACDS, you must submit the MSDP03 – Enrolment for Conjoint Membership Examination.

  • College Examination Pathway

    The College offers an annual Membership examination in August. Candidates may sit for the Membership examination in a Specialist Dental Practice discipline within 6-months of completion, or following completion of, an approved University program or an equivalent course as approved by the relevant Board of Studies.

     

    How to apply?
    You must first become an Affiliate Member of the College. Following this, you can have your eligibility assessed by submitting an MSDP02 form. If you are assessed as eligible, you will then be invited to submit the MSDP04 examination enrolment form.

Examination PathwayOverseas ResidentAustralian Resident
Affiliate Member Annual fee (FY 1/7/23 to 30/6/24)$238$261*
Assessment
Assessment of eligibility to sit Membership Examination in SDP$695$695
Membership Examination
Enrolment$4,186$4,186
Reconsideration fee$260*$260*
Review fee$610*$610*
Appeal fee $7,302*$7,302*
Membership Fees
Admission to Membership$355.45$391*
Annual fee (FY 1/7/23 to 30/6/24)$695$765*
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) PathwayOverseas ResidentAustralian Resident
Affiliate Member Annual fee (FY 1/7/23 to 30/6/24)$238$261*
Assessment
Assessment of eligibility to sit Membership Examination in SDPn/a n/a
Membership Examination
Enrolment$4,186$4,186
Reconsideration fee$260*$260*
Review fee$610*$610*
Appeal fee $7,302*$7,302*
Membership Fees
Admission to Membership$355.45$391*
Annual fee (FY 1/7/23 to 30/6/24)$695$765*
Qualifications Pathway                                               Overseas ResidentAustralian Resident
Application fee$2,093$2,093
Reconsideration fee$260*$260*
Review fee$610*$610*
Appeal fee $7,302*$7,302*
Membership Fees
Admission to Membership$355.45$391*
Annual fee (FY 1/7/23 to 30/6/24)$695$765*
Notes
1. All fees are in $AUD.
2. Membership in Specialist Dental Practice (SDP) is offered in the following disciplines: dento-maxillofacial radiology (via Memorandum of Understanding pathway only), endodontics, oral medicine, orthodontics, paediatric dentistry, prosthodontics, special needs dentistry, periodontics and dental public health.
3. Fees marked with asterisk (*) denote GST inclusive, otherwise fees are GST free.
4. The annual fee is payable on the 1st day of July each year. All unpaid annual fees by the 31st of August each year will attract a monthly late payment surcharge. Members or Fellows who are elected to Membership or Fellowship during the year will pay a pro rata annual fee based on the whole months remaining in the financial year (FY).
5. For the 2023/2024 financial year, the Board has again approved a 33% discount on Annual Fees for Fellows/Members residing outside of Australia and New Zealand. Additionally, the Board has approved further discounts for Fellows/Members living in countries classified by the World Bank as either upper-middle, lower-middle or low-income countries.
6. For more information, please refer to the RACDS Specialist Dental Practice (SDP) Handbook and other relevant policies (including refunds) which are available on the website.

Membership is available in ten different specialties. If you have completed a postgraduate qualification that was accredited for registration in Australia or New Zealand, you may be eligible to apply via the Qualifications Pathway without further examination.

If you have completed your qualification outside Australia or New Zealand, you are eligible to apply for an Assessment of Eligibility to sit the Membership examination. You will need to provide additional documentation e.g. evidence of program accreditation in your country of study.

The Assessment of Eligibility application will determine if you are eligible to sit the Membership examination and applications are assessed by the relevant Board of Studies on a case-by-case basis.

The College Membership examinations are conducted annually in August, using online software. No travel is required to Sydney.

Applications for Assessment of Eligibility to sit the Membership examination in the same year must be submitted by the 1 April. This leaves enough time for the College to make an assessment of your qualifications and experience.

The form you need to submit is the MSDP02 – Assessment of Eligibility for Membership by Examination. The fees may change each year, so please refer to the College Fees.

If your Assessment of Eligibility application if approved, you will be invited to enrol in the examination and submit case reports by 1 June. The MSDP04 – Enrolment for the Membership Examination form and fee applies.

The Membership examination for Specialist Dental Practice includes a written paper, a viva voce based on unseen case/s, a viva voce based on previously submitted case report/s and a viva voce based on your chosen speciality with general discussion.

SDP Handbook for specific information regarding the examination structure and content.

If you are a Member or Fellow in General Dental Practice you can still pursue Specialist Dental Practice. Specialist Dental Practice is intended for people practicing as specialists. A general dentist who is interested in a specialist discipline but who does not hold any specific qualifications in that field will not be eligible to sit a Membership examination in Specialist Dental Practice. The RACDS has many Members and Fellows who have chosen to undertake Membership and/or Fellowship in both fields.

No, you will only need to pay one annual fee if you hold a qualification in GDP and SDP.

A letter will be sent to candidates by email within a week of the exam.

If you are unsuccessful, you will be notified at the same time as the successful candidates. The examiners will produce a report within six weeks of the exam with constructive feedback designed to assist you with future attempts. The Registrar – SDP will be available to discuss the feedback with you should the need arise.

There is no reason you cannot try again the next year, however you will need to submit a new Enrolment form.

If you pass the Membership examination you would be invited to submit an Admission to Membership application and be able to use the Post-nominals in your chosen speciality.

Completing any of the College programs can contribute to professional development, recognition, career pathways and will give access to College events and opportunities for advancement to Fellowship (SDP).

Members and Fellows enjoy a collegial experience and there are often opportunities to become actively involved with College activities. Members and Fellows may be invited to act as assessors, examiners, mentors or members of a Committee or Board of Studies.

A conjoint examination means the College holds an agreement with a separate University or international College to allow candidates to sit one examination and receive two qualifications. This agreement is called a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

RACDS has previously facilitated conjoint examinations with five Universities –The University of Sydney, The University of Queensland, The University of Western Australia, University of Otago and Griffith University.

The College has implemented a new Qualifications Pathway for graduates of specialist programs which were accredited by the Dental Board of Australia or the Dental Council of New Zealand. Submit your online application for assessment now. You will need a copy of your degree certificate to be assessed.

RACDS has a conjoint arrangement with the Faculty of Dental Surgeons of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. The conjoint examination MOrth/MRACDS(Orth) is held twice per year – May in Edinburgh and November in Adelaide

RACDS also has a conjoint arrangement with the College of Dental Surgeons of Hong Kong for Dental Public Health (also known as Community Dentistry). The conjoint examination is usually held in January each year.

You will need to submit a MSDP03 – Enrolment for Conjoint Membership Examination and indicate on the form which exam you are intending to complete.

Enrolments for conjoint examinations do not require a separate assessment of eligibility form.

The respective University or international College will set the requirements and be in charge of the structure of the conjoint examination.

No. All the examination requirements, including case reports, are set by the respective University or international College.

By choosing this pathway, you are omitted from sitting a separate examination at the College. Other than submitting a form and paying a fee to RACDS, there are no additional requirements you would need to fulfil to receive Membership.