The Student Room Group

Gap year for Dentistry BDS

Does anyone know if every UK dental school accept gap year reapplication to dentistry?

I'm planning to take a gap year but not sure if dental schools will likely to accept it.
Would I be less successful if I do take the year out??
Many thanks in advance
Gap years will never put you at a disadvantage for any uni otherwise it'll be vile and horrid.

Not everyone was to go straight into university (e.g me) Gap years is a great chance to relax and rewind or either to find employment since uni is expensive and not everyone can afford it. Also to better prepare you for University since A Levels is really draining and Uni only gets harder lol (so rewinding will help)

However, during the application process if you're in year 12 you can apply for deferred entry (e.g, applying for 2025 instead of 2024) this means that you can see if you get accepted into your dream uni and if you dont, you can have a 2nd chance on applying again during a gap year (you would need a reference) and then see if you get accepted :smile:

however you have to include in your personal statement about your gap year and what you've learnt (e.g your experiences )

hope this helps
(edited 9 months ago)
Reply 2
Original post by tinaaa.aaaa
Gap years will never put you at a disadvantage for any uni otherwise it'll be vile and horrid.

Not everyone was to go straight into university (e.g me) Gap years is a great chance to relax and rewind or either to find employment since uni is expensive and not everyone can afford it. Also to better prepare you for University since A Levels is really draining and Uni only gets harder lol (so rewinding will help)

However, during the application process if you're in year 12 you can apply for deferred entry (e.g, applying for 2025 instead of 2024) this means that you can see if you get accepted into your dream uni and if you dont, you can have a 2nd chance on applying again during a gap year (you would need a reference) and then see if you get accepted :smile:

however you have to include in your personal statement about your gap year and what you've learnt (e.g your experiences )

hope this helps


Hi, this defo helps.
With gap year do you know the exact process or rough timeline? As i have heard opposite opinions on when they give out interviews ... but most of my friends told me they will offer interviews during the gap year.
is this true?
did you took a gap year?
Original post by Be_alone
Hi, this defo helps.
With gap year do you know the exact process or rough timeline? As i have heard opposite opinions on when they give out interviews ... but most of my friends told me they will offer interviews during the gap year.
is this true?
did you took a gap year?

No I haven't took a gap year YET, but I know people who did, they traveled around Europe for fun :smile:

So gap year is literally the same as someone who would apply for the next academic year, the only difference is that you're just doing a deferred entry.

So for example, you would have an interview at the same time as everyone else and find out whether or not you received an offer at the same time as everyone else too and then at results day you can secure your place.

But the only differences is that they would start in the same year while you start the next academic year.

So during your gap year you can chill knowing that you're going to university after your gap year finished
Reply 4
Original post by Be_alone
Does anyone know if every UK dental school accept gap year reapplication to dentistry?

I'm planning to take a gap year but not sure if dental schools will likely to accept it.
Would I be less successful if I do take the year out??
Many thanks in advance

I applied to dentistry this year on a gap year and the thought that some unis dont accept gap year applicants didnt even cross my mind. You can always check the unis webstie before however I doubt that any uni prevents gap year applicants. You wouldn't be less successful as long as you've shown you've utilised your gap year. In my 3 interviews this year only Manchester talked about my gap year and that as well very briefly.
Original post by Be_alone
Hi, this defo helps.
With gap year do you know the exact process or rough timeline? As i have heard opposite opinions on when they give out interviews ... but most of my friends told me they will offer interviews during the gap year.
is this true?
did you took a gap year?

The timeline is identical to as if you were still in school.
Reply 5
Original post by drdent
I applied to dentistry this year on a gap year and the thought that some unis dont accept gap year applicants didnt even cross my mind. You can always check the unis webstie before however I doubt that any uni prevents gap year applicants. You wouldn't be less successful as long as you've shown you've utilised your gap year. In my 3 interviews this year only Manchester talked about my gap year and that as well very briefly.

The timeline is identical to as if you were still in school.


So for example I would mostly likely to apply using my actual results to apply for the 2024 cycle and start the programe in 2025 academic year if i got offers. When do the unis start giving out offers is it same as a normal application process (so in Dec - Jan), but this means I need to sit interviews during my gap year
Reply 6
Original post by Be_alone
So for example I would mostly likely to apply using my actual results to apply for the 2024 cycle and start the programe in 2025 academic year if i got offers. When do the unis start giving out offers is it same as a normal application process (so in Dec - Jan), but this means I need to sit interviews during my gap year

Yeh u use actual results. Unis start giving out offers from dec - may. And yeh u do interviews in ur gap year
Reply 7
Original post by drdent
I applied to dentistry this year on a gap year and the thought that some unis dont accept gap year applicants didnt even cross my mind. You can always check the unis webstie before however I doubt that any uni prevents gap year applicants. You wouldn't be less successful as long as you've shown you've utilised your gap year. In my 3 interviews this year only Manchester talked about my gap year and that as well very briefly.

The timeline is identical to as if you were still in school.


What work experience did you do and have you got any offers yet?
Reply 8
Original post by drdent
Yeh u use actual results. Unis start giving out offers from dec - may. And yeh u do interviews in ur gap year


Much appreciated your advice.
But @drdent, if you are happy to share which unis did you receive your offers from after you applied through a gap year?
Reply 9
Original post by aki4
What work experience did you do and have you got any offers yet?


Most of what i talked about was kinda unconventional. I mentioned interviewing a dentist and online MOOC. However I did have some prior experience shadowing a dentist. Also talked about things I did and how the skills i developed are transferrable into dentistry for example tutoring.

Original post by Be_alone
Much appreciated your advice.
But @drdent, if you are happy to share which unis did you receive your offers from after you applied through a gap year?

I got interviews from Manchester, Newcastle and Kings. Rejected pre-interview from Bristol.
Got 2 offers from Newcastle and Kings and I rejected Manchester because I firmed Kings as soon as I got the offer

Quick Reply

Latest