Dental School Preparation

Preparation for dental school requires, first and foremost, that certain pre-requisite courses be completed and that the applicant take the Dental College Admission Test (DAT)

You can choose any undergraduate major, provided that you include the required dental school prerequisite classes in your course of study. You must do very well academically in the area of study that you choose and also in all prerequisite courses. The following courses are the minimal requirements:

You must check the pre-requisites of all schools that you are considering.  For example, the University of Maryland School of Dentistry also requires 1 semester of Biochemistry (CHEM 417).

If you choose a non-science major, it is recommended that additional science courses be added to your course of study.  Suggested additional courses are:  anatomy and physiology (BIOL 215 & 216), cell biology (BIOL 350), and molecular genetics (BIOL 370). This will ensure that there will be an overlap between courses you have taken in pursuit of an undergraduate degree, and those required in dental school.

In order to be eligible for this committee letter, you must successfully apply for an HPAC interview by March 1 of the semester before you plan to apply to dental school. You should monitor the HPAP newsletter for announcements about when and how to apply for the interviews.

It is very important for a competitive applicant to have extracurricular activities. There are a wide range of possibilities. It is important that you have some type of clinical experience and many applicants have research experience as well. Dental schools want to be certain that you have knowledge of the field and job of the dentist. Research or clinical experiences that you initiate or develop yourself are particularly rewarding and viewed very positively. Community and campus service, participation in organized sports or arts, leadership, and well developed personal interests are all important in the admission process.

• What is a Dentist?
• The pros, cons, and life of a dentist

Resources and opportunities

• Programs and professional development resources for current and prospective undergraduate students -- research experiences for undergraduates (REU), scholarships, and travel and research opportunities: www.pathwaystoscience.org/Undergrads.aspx 
• NSF funds a large number of research opportunities for undergraduate students through its REU Sites program.  You can find more information at www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/ 
• American Student Dental Association
• Hispanic Dental Association 
• American Dental Education Association
• National Dental Association
• Health Resources and Services Administration Scholarships
• Sign up for the SU Undergraduate Student National Dental Association (USNDA) by contacting Spencer Citro (scitro1@gulls.salisbury.edu). 
• Join GroupMe today 

Where should I apply? 

• List of dental schools nation wide 
• ADEA YouTube