What Major Do You Need to Enter a Dental School?
Ever wonder what it’s like preparing for a dental career? What steps should you take in your undergraduate years to prepare? What majors are most valuable for a pre-dental student? What kinds of pre-requisites are expected by admissions boards? Find the answers to these questions and more here.
Pre-Health Education
Most undergraduate students who intend to continue their education into a healthcare career will declare a science major with the hopes that it will increase their odds of acceptance. Dental and Medical schools, however, tend to admit more non-science majors every year. Admissions boards are looking for well-rounded students with proclivity to excel in both academics and personal endeavors. Most applicants will have a Bachelor’s degree in a discipline that is most interesting to them, allowing them to excel. These days any major is acceptable as long as your pre-requisites are completed prior to matriculation.
Common Pre-Requisites
Pre-requisites and other requirements usually vary slightly from one school to the next; however, most schools will want some form of biology with lab, chemistry and organic chemistry, and English. You will most likely also need physics and human anatomy and physiology. You will probably be required to have at least three quarters (or two semesters) of each of these done the year before you matriculate.
Other Requirements
In most cases you will need letters of recommendations from science faculty, a dentist, and a personal reference. You will also need to take the Dental Admissions Test. It is also advisable to participate in extra-curricular activities, especially those that promote manual dexterity, like piano classes. It is not uncommon for most applicants to have some volunteer hours reported on their applications, and job shadows can be valuable too.
Dental School Research
The best thing to do when preparing for a dental career as an undergraduate student is to research dental schools you may be interested in and make note of their individual entry requirements. You should plan to apply to several schools, sometimes as many as ten. A good source of information is the American Dental Association.