Dentistry
The academic requirements for dental school are essentially the same as those for medical school, with only few schools requiring additional work in the sciences. The typical dental school requirements are:
- Two semesters of biology
- Four semesters of chemistry (including Organic I & II)
- Two semesters of physics
- Two semesters of English/comparative literature/writing
Several dental schools also require or recommend biochemistry, microbiology, cell biology and mathematics. We recommend that students preparing for the health professions consider taking Math 113, Calculus I and Math 253, Statistics.
As with all the health professions, dental schools favor candidates who have shown evidence of service to their communities. Many dental schools require that applicants have substantial experience in a dental clinic and provide a recommendation from a practitioner with whom they have worked. See Leslie North to schedule shadowing opportunities with dentists.
The successful practice of dental medicine requires manual dexterity and excellent perceptual ability. Candidates who have played the piano or a wind instrument, or who enjoy hobbies that requires small motor skills (model building, knitting) have an easy time demonstrating that they have sufficient dexterity for the profession.
All U.S. dental schools require applicants to take the DAT (Dental Admissions Test). This examination is a computer-based, multiple choice test that covers:
- Biology
- General Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry
- Perceptual ability (two & three-dimensional problem-solving)
- Reading comprehension
- Quantitative reasoning
The DAT is administered throughout the year at Prometric Testing Centers. Candidates must submit a DAT application form and pay a fee before they can schedule a test date at Prometric. Scores are available immediately after the test. See Leslie North to develop a testing and application time line.