A career in dentistry combines science, artistry, and patient care to create healthy and confident smiles. While the path to dental school is challenging, requiring a strong foundation in the sciences, it leads to a career filled with personal and professional rewards.
The steps below will help make preparing for dental school less overwhelming. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Pre-Health Advisors.
Additionally, if you are a current student, consider joining the Pacer Pre-Health Organization on campus. This organization offers valuable resources, such as meetings, volunteer opportunities, campus visits, professional panels, mock exams, and more, to support your journey toward your professional goals. To join, reach out to your Pre-Health Advisors.
Pre-Health Advisors:
- Mary Katherine (MK) Mills, Ph.D. – [email protected]
- Susan Glenn, Ph.D. – [email protected]
Step 1: Choose Your Programs
Identify 3-4 dental programs you’re interested in applying to. These choices will help determine your course requirements and shadowing/patient care hour expectations.
Use the following links to research and select your dental programs:
Step 2: Identify Prerequisite Courses
Prerequisite courses vary by program, so review the requirements for your chosen schools. Below are commonly required courses for dental school:
- Introductory Biology (BIOL A121 and BIOL A122)
- General Chemistry (CHEM A111 and CHEM A112)
- Organic Chemistry (CHEM A331 and CHEM A331L; CHEM A332/332L may also be
required)- Prerequisite: CHEM A111/112
- Biochemistry (BIOL A241)
- Prerequisite: Organic Chemistry (CHEM A331/331L)
- Microbiology (BIOL A330)
- Prerequisite: CHEM A111
- Anatomy and Physiology (BIOL A243 and BIOL A244)
- BIOL A244 (A&P II) requires a corequisite of CHEM A101 or CHEM A111
- Physics (PHYS A201 and PHYS A202)
- Medical Terminology (EXSC A201)
Step 3: Identify Hour Requirements
Most programs require volunteer, shadowing, or patient care hours. Plan these early to manage your time effectively.
- Shadowing – Observing a dental professional in their practice.
- General guideline: 100–250 hours
- Note: Requirements vary by program.
- Patient Care – Direct interaction with patients.
- General guideline: 100–200 hours
- Note: Requirements vary by program.
Step 4: Plan your courses and accumulate hours
- Focus on maintaining a strong GPA while steadily gaining shadowing and patient care experience.
- The DAT (Dental Admission Test) won't be required until your junior year, so prioritize your grades in the meantime.
Step 5: Prepare for and take the DAT
- Begin studying for the DAT in the fall of your junior year. Plan to take the exam in the winter or spring of that academic year.
Step 6: Start Your Application
- You can begin your application as early as the spring of your junior year. Application requirements typically include:
- Writing a personal statement
- Securing letters of recommendation
- Navigating the ADEA AADSAS application system
Step 7: Submit Your Application
- Once everything is complete, click submit!
Step 8: Prepare for Interviews
- After submitting your application, be prepared to wait for responses
- Some programs may require follow-up essays or conduct interviews before making final decisions
Step 9: The Fork in the Road
- Option 1: Acceptance – Congratulations! Relax and prepare for matriculation into your program.
- Option 2: Non-Acceptance – Don’t be discouraged. Many students reapply and succeed on their second attempt. Evaluate how you can strengthen your application and tackle the next cycle with confidence.