Applicant selection procedures for orthodontic specialty programs in the United States: Survey of program directors

At the 2010 American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Annual Session, the sections on orthodontics, graduate and post-graduate education sponsored a well-attended symposium on the future of post-graduate program admissions. The main issue was how to assess prospective applicants of advanced education programs in the light of pass-fail grading systems in a number of dental schools and pass-fail national dental board exam scoring. This brings about a tremendous concern, not only to the specialty program directors and faculty, but to the prospective applicants as well.