Dental-school admissions committees select applicants who have
demonstrated intelligence, maturity, integrity, and a dedication
to the ideal of service to society. One way for them to assess
your nonacademic qualities is to look at how you lived your life
prior to completing your dental school application.
To this end, many committees will ask you to submit a list of
your extracurricular activities. While not all admissions
committees consider extracurriculars in the application process,
those that do consider the nature and depth of the activities you
have undertaken to be a significant factor in your admissibility
to dental school.
Clinical Experience
Of all extracurricular activities, the one that is most likely to
be considered essential by a dental school admissions committee
is clinical experience.
The best way to find such an experience is to call those
organizations in your community that work with the chronically
ill or disabled. Pick an organization whose work interests you
and inquire about volunteering. Keep in mind, however, that you
may be asked to make a commitment of up to one year.
Research Experience
In general, the only time research experience is an absolute must
is if you are planning to apply to either M.D. or Ph.D. programs
or are interested in an academic or research career. If this is
the case, it is important that you have documented experience
that validates your interest and potential in the career
field.
But that doesn't mean applicants planning a pure clinical
career wouldn't benefit from a research background. As a future
dentist, your job will involve research, either as you seek to
determine your patients' medical conditions or through the
process of continuing education, in which you will study other
individuals' research efforts.
Teaching Experience
A third category of extracurricular activity common to many
successful applicants is teaching. One of the most important
roles that a dentist plays is that of a teacher who imparts
information to patients. Teaching patients enables them to play a
more active role in their own health care.
The diversity of teaching experiences of dental school
applicants during their undergraduate years is very broad. Such
experience might include teaching bible study in your place of
worship, teaching swimming or a musical instrument to children,
or becoming a teaching assistant in a lower-division class in
which you did exceptionally well. Teaching can encompass just
about anything you enjoy doing. All you need to do is share it
with others in a structured, organized manner.
Employment
Many undergraduate students need to work throughout their college
years in order to stay in school. Many admissions committees
recognize that the time you work necessarily means that you have
less time for your studies and other forms of extracurricular
activities. These committees understand that maintaining academic
performance while holding down a job is hard work. If an
applicant has been able to do both well, it is an indication that
the person will be able to maintain a certain academic
performance upon entering dental school.
