What Education Requirements Do You Need To Enter Dental School?

For some students, their dream of entering the medical field is by becoming a dentist. While each dental school has their own specific prerequisite courses and information, most of them have very similar required courses a student must take. Here are some typical education requirements a student needs to enter dental school.

Education Requirements

While other prerequisite courses may be needed before a dental school will consider you, typically you will need to study the following courses.

1. Biology with lab time

2. Physics

3. General Chemistry with lab time

4. Organic Chemistry with lab time

5. English class

It is not usually a necessity to major in science in university, but you will most likely need to take a predental science course as a requirement before you will be able to apply. It is not always mandatory to complete four years of college and obtain a degree, but the majority of students do.

Dental Admissions Test

Before you can apply to dental school you need to take the dental admissions test for the school you are applying to. This test will measure your academic ability, your understanding of scientific information, and your ability to be perceptive. It is advised to take this test at least a year before applying for admission to dental school and at least one year of college-level science courses in biology and chemistry should be taken before attempting to take this test.

Application Process

It is possible to apply for multiple schools at once to increase your chances of attending dental school, and this is accomplished by paying a fee to subscribe to the Associated American Dental Schools Application Service. You should apply for at least a year in advance of when you wish to attend.

The admissions review committee will look at your credentials and eligibility for enrollment. For example, they will look at your grade point average, the results from your Dental Admissions Test, give you personal interviews, ask if you have shadowed at a dental office to gain experience, and will read letters of recommendation.

You can expect to receive a personal interview because schools like to assess a person's desire and willingness to help people, how they can meet challenges, if they get along with others including co-workers and patients, if they can work independently, and their self-confidence levels. It is your chance to ask any questions you have about the school you wish to attend as well. For more information on becoming a dentist, consider seeing if a dentist from a clinic like Family First Dentistry LLC will be willing to meet with you and offer some tips.