Dental School Preparation

www.adea.org

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. Requirements may vary by school, but the following courses are generally required.

It is recommended that additional science courses be added to your course of study if you choose not to major in science.  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.

Dental School applications will require a letter of recommendation from the Health Professions Advisory Committee (HPAC) at Salisbury University. In order to be eligible for this committee letter, you must file an interview application to HPAC by March 15, the semester before you plan to apply to dental school.

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.