Freshman F.A.Q.s
1. What should I major in?
While the practice of dentistry is grounded in scientific
principals, there are no specific majors you must choose in
order to be admitted to a graduate program. In fact, most
admissions committees will give candidates with well-rounded
transcripts more consideration than those more narrowly focused
on science.
2. What classes are prerequisites for dental school
admissions?
Though you don't have to major in anything specific, it
is highly recommended that you obtain a solid foundation in the
natural sciences.
All dental schools require the following courses:
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Biology with lab |
|
Inorganic Chemistry with lab |
|
Organic Chemistry with lab |
|
Physics with lab
|
Almost all also require that you take a semester of
English (usually writing based).
Some also require the courses below, while others simply
suggest them as beneficial:
|
Anatomy |
|
Biochemistry |
|
Psychology |
|
Mathematics (in some fashion, generally Calculus)
|
Most dental schools also note that the following
courses can be advantageous:
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Business |
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A Foreign Language |
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Any courses in the Humanities or Social Sciences
|
3. Who can help me plan my courses?
You should contact either your general advisor or a
pre-dental/pre-health advisor to figure out when you should
take the courses mentioned above. Most undergraduates take
Biology and Inorganic Chemistry during their Freshman year,
Organic Chemistry their Sophomore year, and Physics as Juniors.
This order is the norm because Physics is not tested on the
DAT, though it is required for dental school admission. Since
the DAT is taken in the spring of junior year, it is not
necessary to have finished physics at this point, but bio,
inorganic, and organic chemistry must be completed.
Don't forget about general requirement classes. Getting them
out of the way early will allow you to take more focused
electives down the road. You don't want to be stuck in a
Freshmen writing class the last semester of your Senior year
when the rest of your pre-dental pals are boasting about their
awesome "New Trends in Endodontics" class (ok, maybe not
boasting, but they could like it a lot).
