The Royal College of Dentists of Canada (RCDC, the College) was established by an Act of the Federal Government of Canada in 1965 to promote high standards of specialization in the dental profession and to recognize properly trained dental specialists. This is accomplished, in part, through the administration of the Fellowship Examination for all the recognized dental specialties.

The Fellowship Examination is designed to evaluate a candidate’s clinical decision making, judgment, and leadership skills, as well as their ability to effectively evaluate needs and deliver high-quality patient care in a global, holistic, and systematic manner. Successful completion of the Fellowship Examination is one of the criteria for the conferring of the Fellowship designation (FRCDC) within the College.

The College held a short info session about the Fellowship Examination on November 20, 2024, to discuss various topics such as eligibility criteria, deadlines, and the differences between the Fellowship Examination and National Dental Specialty Examination (NDSE). If you haven’t been able to attend this session, a recording is available for viewing here.

For more information about the requirements for licensure in Canada, contact the dental regulatory authority (DRA) of the province or territory in which you wish to register. As part of the licensing process, the DRA of your province or territory may require you to pass the National Dental Specialty Examination (NDSE). For more information about the NDSE, please visit ndse-ensd.ca