Guidance from a former residency Program Director who has read the applications, run the interviews and scored the bench work. Learn how your application is judged, and fix it before it's read.
The other side of the table
Mentorship from someone who has made the admissions decisions.
Most advice helps you polish your application. Lumina shows you how a program director reads it: what reads as strength, what raises a question, and what gets passed over. Dr. Oliveira-Haas trained abroad, completed a U.S. residency and went on to direct two postgraduate programs. She has taken the same path you're on.
Former Director, Postgraduate Operative Dentistry (NSU) and AEGD Residency (UMKC)
Academic appointments at NSU, UMKC, UF, UNMC and UNESP
Author, published by Quintessence
Internationally trained, so she knows this path firsthand
Ways to work with Lumina
Learn in a group. Go deeper one-to-one.
Start with the masterclasses to learn how admissions works. Book a Clarity Call for a plan built around your profile, or an Application Review for detailed feedback on your own documents.
01
Masterclass Series
4 live classes · Group
Inside the Admissions Room: programs, CV, personal statement and interview, each taught from the director's side, with a template you keep.
From
$149
02
Clarity Call
60 minutes · 1:1
A director's read of your profile: your strengths, the red flags, how realistic your program list is, and a written plan for what to do next.
From
$295
03
Application Review
Written review + 45-min call
Your CV, personal statement and program list, marked up with detailed comments, then a private video call to go through every fix together.
From
$595
Your $295 Clarity Call is credited toward the Bench & Beyond™ Intensive booked within 60 days.
Masterclass series
Inside the Admissions Room. Four live classes.
Each class runs two hours live on Zoom: the director's view, the framework, a live "red pen" review of real samples (shared anonymously and with permission), and open Q&A. Seats are capped at 30, and replays stay available for 30 days.
01
The Application Blueprint
Sat · Nov 7
Choosing between advanced standing, AEGD and GPR; CAAPID and ADEA PASS timelines; budgeting a cycle; building a reach, target and likely list.
Program selection matrix + 12-month timeline
02
The CV a Director Reads
Sat · Nov 14
U.S. academic CV format, what directors scan for first, how to put your experience abroad in U.S. terms, and the red flags to remove.
Lumina CV template
03
Your Story, Their Criteria
Sat · Nov 21
What committees look for in a personal statement, choosing the right story, structure and length, and what to leave out.
Story worksheet + structure map
04
The Interview Room
Sat · Dec 5
Interview day from the director's chair: behavioral, ethical and clinical-reasoning questions, professionalism, and the questions you should ask.
60-question bank + answer planner
$149
$497
One-to-one
Your profile. Your documents.
For when you're ready for advice on your own application. Both sessions are private, recorded for you, and available in English or Portuguese.
Start here
Clarity Call
For anyone unsure where they stand or what to do next
Before: a short intake form covering your education, licensure, INBDE and TOEFL status, target programs, timeline and budget.
The call (60 min): your goals, a director's read of your profile and red flags, and a recommended next step.
After: a one-page Clarity Plan with your next three actions. Your $295 is credited toward the Bench & Beyond™ Intensive booked within 60 days.
$295
Credited toward the Intensive within 60 days
Detailed feedback
Application Review
For applicants whose documents are drafted but not yet strong
Upload your CV, personal statement and program list.
Written review: detailed comments on every document, read together as a committee would read them, plus a check of your program list.
Video call (45 min), within 7 days: we go through each comment, your top five fixes, and your questions.
Optional second round of written comments on your revisions: $195.
$595
Limited to 4 reviews per month
The Bench & Beyond™ Intensive
A two-day Bench Test and Interview Mastery Program designed for internationally trained dentists applying to U.S. dental schools.
Nine graded hands-on exercises, operative and fixed prosthodontics
A timed mock bench exam, graded on criteria-based rubrics
Mock admission interviews with written feedback
Our commitments
Honest guidance, on your own work.
Programs want to meet you, not a ghostwriter. Mentorship here builds your skill and your voice; it never replaces them.
01
Your words, your work
We teach and comment. You write your own CV and statement.
02
Honest over comfortable
If your program list is unrealistic, or a document is weak, you'll hear it early and clearly.
03
No promises we can't keep
No one can guarantee admission. We promise preparation, candor and a clear plan.
04
Nothing confidential
No real exam cases or committee information. Only criteria, reasoning and practice.
Investment
Clear pricing, no surprises.
Clarity Call credit
Your $295 Clarity Call is credited toward the Bench & Beyond™ Intensive booked within 60 days.
Rescheduling
Free up to 24 hours before any one-to-one session.
Refunds
Full refund before your session or class takes place.
Questions
Before you book
See your application the way a program director does.
Sixty minutes, a written plan and a clear next step. Your $295 is credited toward the Bench & Beyond™ Intensive booked within 60 days.
Questions first? Call 352-349-4927