Predental Advising
Students interested in pursuing a career in dentistry may major in any subject but the sciences are the most popular majors. A good grade point average is of primary importance when applying to dental school. The number of applicants is rising dramatically so you must do your best to maintain a high grade point average. Do your best to keep your g.p.a. above a 3.5, but by all means do not let it fall below a 3.3.
Required Courses: This varies depending on the school that you are interested in but most will require a year of general biology, a year of advanced biology courses, two years of chemistry (General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry), a year of Physics (algebra- or calculus-based), two math courses, and a number of writing-intensive courses. You will also find that more and more dental schools are requiring Biochemistry - you should plan to take that course as well. You can find links to various dental schools web sites by consulting the American Dental Education Association's web site.
The DAT: You should be certain that you take the Dental Admission Test at the end of your Junior year; preferably right after you complete organic chemistry. The DAT is a computerized test that is designed to test your knowledge of Math, Science (Biology and Chemistry) and Reading Comprehension as well as your perceptual ability. It is critical that you prepare for the examination. (Please feel free to contact me regarding review materials for this test.) It is possible to take the DAT more than once but you need to know that there is a 90-day waiting period between times that you may take the test and that the most recent rules suggest that you may only take the test three times. Do not take the test without preparing. Further information about this test, including how to register, may be obtained from the ADA's web site. A practice exam (on-line) is available free of charge from Kaplan but you will be required to register. You can also view practice questions for the DAT from Kaplan. Another site with practice questions can be found here. This site is a forum for students to discuss the DAT and other dental issues of interest to students.
Internships: Performing Internships are critical. You need to be certain that dentistry is really what you want to do. You also need to be informed about dentistry when it comes time for an interview. You may do these internships during Wofford's Interim period or you can see Dr. Bass for a list of dentists who are willing to assist you with an internship. Either way you should take notes each night after the internship so you can comment on specific things you observed ... what was your favorite procedure? Can you point to a specific case where the dentist clearly made a difference in their patient's life? Dental mission trips can get you a little more involved. Participate in programs such as Give Kids a Smile.
Application: The first step in making an application to dental school is to apply through ADEA. You may fill out an on-line application (does not need to be done in one sitting - you can begin before taking the DAT) and pay a fee which standardizes your application with others from around the country. This process can take some time so it is important that you begin early. You should set as a goal that your application to ADEA will be complete by the middle of June following your junior year. (This year's application is supposed to be posted on the web on June 1st. Recommendations sent to ADEA will require that you get me a matching form from their application site, or that you provide an e-mail address for each reference. This too must be done early. AADSAS may take as much as 6 - 8 weeks from the time you apply until the time the application reaches the schools you are applying to. Be aware that M.U.S.C. begins interviews in September and begins filling the class in December. If you wait until September to fill out AADSAS you will have to have very impressive statistics to get admitted after graduation - DO NOT PUT THIS OFF!! The ADEA can be reached by following the link to the ADA's web site. You may find links to AADSAS and to the supplemental application to MUSC here. Here is a site provided by ADEA which provides information on where to apply . I try to keep a copy of the ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools in my office. This book will help you determine the admissions statistics for dental schools in the United States and Canada.
Recommendations: Wofford College has a committee recommendation that you may use. Most dental schools will count this as all of the recommendations that you require. It takes some time to process these recommendations so you should begin this process early as well. Try to get the ball rolling at least two weeks before you leave for spring break of your junior year. You may download the forms required from any computer on campus (Computer Center in Olin Building is preferred). Once you have the forms you should fill out your part (including signing the waiver, your name and social security number, what schools you are applying to), get an unofficial transcript and write in the name of the professor you had for each science course next to the corresponding course number, and bring all that to Dr. Bass along with stamped envelopes which have been addressed to the schools that you are applying to. I will circulate the forms to the appropriate professors, compile the information, and submit a composite recommendation on your behalf.
Supplemental Application: If all goes well you will be invited to fill out a supplemental application. If you are applying to the Medical University of South Carolina, the supplemental application can be found on-line. You will be asked to send official transcripts (in addition to the ones you sent to AADSAS) and you should also have me send in recommendations even though they have been submitted to AADSAS. DO NOT let minor details like leaving any of these out give dental schools the impression you are only casually interested in the profession.
The Interview: If all goes well, you will be invited for an interview. There are websites that include sample questions, and you can view a video of a sample interview at MUSC here.
Where Else to Apply? Please see your pre-dental advisor. The ADEA has a book that can help. Do not apply to just one dental school. MUSC (for example) accepts 55 - 58 students in a given class. They receive in excess of 700 applications for those slots. Dental school is now the most competitive program at MUSC.
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