Medical Education US

I was very interested in going into dental school. In fact, their acceptance was less competitve than medical school. I found out that in order to get into dental school, I must take certain science classes that are almost the same as premed courses. Also the DAT is required. Do you know how much do I have to study to become a dentist?

I'm not sure exactly what your question means. I haven't personally ever looked into dental school requirements before now. After briefly looking up some information, it does appear that dental school requirements are almost identical to medical school requirements. You will need a year of general chemistry, a year of biology, a year of organic chemistry, and a year of physics - all with associated labs. Calculus is recommended by some schools, but most do not require it.

Instead of the MCAT, you take the DAT. The DAT sounds very similar to the MCAT, except it seems to stress perceptual abilities more.

From the few things I read, it seems GPA's around 3.0 are usually the minimum for getting into dental school. I have been hearing for a while that there are many fewer slots in dental schools now than in the past. As a result, I'm guessing dental school is getting more competitive. I also know that dentists are now making more money than many general practitioners in medicine - while money is hopefully not the reason someone picks one field over another, it is certainly at least one factor that almost everyone considers (whether they admit it or not). While I'm assuming dental school is very rigorous, I am fairly certain that the clinical rotations are not as physically and emotionally demanding as those of medical school. And without having to do a 3 year residency with the same in-house call expectations - the training does seem much more appealing.

What if one fails chemistry while in undergraduate school and repeat and pass will this prevent one from accepted to Dental School

Lionell,

As dental programs are very competitive, I would think that would significantly hurt your chances of getting accepted. However, a lot will depend on your specifics. If you have a valid reason why you failed the course the first time and you did well the second time around, then I think you will have a better chance. I have heard of people getting into dental school having failed a class, but I would think that is the big exception rather than the norm.

1. Intro to probability and statistics.
2. Statistics for sciences.
Both are held by Maths but for the second one the pre-req is calculus-II which is not a requirement for dental school. I am confused as to which one to take. Taking the second one means have to go back and takes Maths again.

Thanks a lot.
Mike Rogers

Mike,

From what I've been able to find researching the web, it looks like very few dental schools have a math requirement. The few that do may require some calculus or some statistics.

If the school you are considering requires statistics, I would think the intro to probability and statistics would suffice. If the other course requires a year of calculus as a pre-requisite, then it sounds like overkill for dental school.

The best suggestion would be to see what the dental schools you are considering have as requirements. If they require statistics, you can probably get an answer from their admission's committee as to whether the intro course is sufficient.