Dental specialization is a postgraduate education process lasting 3–4 years, during which candidates are admitted through the Dentistry Specialization Entrance Examination (DUS) (Dentistry Specialization Entrance Examination – DUS – ÖSYM). It enables dentists to specialize in one of the departments of dentistry.
The Dentistry Specialization Entrance Examination (DUS) is a centralized examination taken by graduates of faculties of dentistry who wish to pursue specialist training. Administered by the Student Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM), the examination is designed to select and place candidates seeking specialist training at university faculties of dentistry. Based on their DUS scores, candidates are placed in their preferred programs according to the available quotas, thereby gaining the right to receive training in a specific specialty. The primary purpose of the examination is to assess candidates’ ability to recognize and understand concepts, principles, and methods in dentistry, reason with them, and apply them to various situations. In this respect, DUS is an official assessment process for identifying candidates who are academically and professionally suited to specialist training. The DUS consists of the Basic Sciences Test and the Clinical Sciences Test, and candidates’ scores are evaluated according to the relevant specialty during the placement process. At the Faculty of Dentistry of Üsküdar University, specialist training is provided in all departments to candidates who qualify for and are placed in the programs through the DUS and the centralized placement process.
General Eligibility Requirements for DUS Applicants:
- Graduates of faculties of dentistry or candidates who are expected to graduate in the year of the examination.
- Candidates whose diploma registration procedures have been completed by the Ministry of Health as of the examination date.
- Foreign nationals of Turkish descent who fall within the scope of Law No. 2527.
- Candidates who do not have any physical or mental condition that would prevent them from practicing their profession or working in the specialty in which they wish to receive training.
- Candidates who, if subject to compulsory service arising from scholarships or similar obligations, are able to complete that service within three months of the examination date.
Foreign nationals may also apply for the DUS. However, applicants must meet all the requirements specified in the relevant legislation. Candidates who do not meet the eligibility requirements may not be entitled to placement, even if they pass the examination.
DENTAL SPECIALTIES AND TRAINING PERIODS
DISTRIBUTION OF DUS QUESTIONS BY SUBJECT AREA
| SPECIALTY | TRAINING PERIOD |
| Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery | 4 years |
| Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology | 3 years |
| Paediatric Dentistry | 3 years |
| Endodontics | 3 years |
| Orthodontics | 4 years |
| Periodontology | 3 years |
| Prosthodontics | 3 years |
| Restorative Dentistry | 3 years |
| SUBJECT AREAS | NUMBER OF QUESTIONS | APPROXIMATE PERCENTAGE |
| BASIC SCIENCES TEST | 40 | 40% |
| Anatomy | 6 | 5% |
| Physiology | 6 | 5% |
| Histology and Embryology | 4 | 4% |
| Medical Biochemistry | 6 | 5% |
| Medical Microbiology | 6 | 5% |
| Medical Pathology | 4 | 4% |
| Medical Pharmacology | 4 | 4% |
| Medical Biology and Genetics | 4 | 4% |
| CLINICAL SCIENCES TEST | 80 | Approximately 60% |
| Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery | 10 | 8% |
| Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology | 10 | 8% |
| Paediatric Dentistry | 10 | 8% |
| Endodontics | 10 | 8% |
| Orthodontics | 10 | 8% |
| Periodontology | 10 | 8% |
| Prosthodontics | 10 | 8% |
| Restorative Dentistry | 10 | 8% |
| TOTAL | 120 | 100% |