Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Dental School Admission?

396545381 I'm a senior in high school and im thinking of pursuing a career in dentistry, but im getting very worried on getting into dental school. I'm starting to hear that dental schools are starting to get more and more competitive to get into, and i still have a good 5 years until I go there (if i get in). So im wondering, in college what GPA should I average or be in the range of to have a fair competition to get into dental school? Also, what should i score on the DAT to have fair competition? Also, if you have an idea, then please tell me this, what is the percentage of people that get into dental school of all the people that apply? Over the years, it looks like this profession is getting harder and harder to get into so please tell me all you know about getting into dental school after college. Please include details. Thanks!

1 comment:

  1. Elliott D - To start off this answer and help you relax, about 40% of dental school applicants get accepted each year. The average GPA last year was a 3.5, and sciGPA 3.5, DAT 19-20. The competitiveness for dental school is on the rise, as well as the cost of tuition. But it is one of those careers that will always pay itself back.

    With that said, It will most likely be a little more competitive when you come to applying (which will actually be your junior year, so it's like 4 years from now.). The average accepted GPA about 5 years ago was around a 3.2 I think. However the fact that you are already worried about this means you should be fine. Keep your GPA above a 3.5, do well in your studies and JOIN some organizations. These can be anything of your interest but make sure that you do something besides studying. Dental schools like to see "well-rounded" applicants. The DAT will be easy for you if you do good in your prerequisite classes; trust me.
    Prerequisite courses:
    2 semesters of gen chem
    2 semesters of gen bio
    2 semesters of organic chem
    2 semesters of physics
    One of the best things about being a predent, is that you can major in anything that you want as long as you take these prerequisite courses. However picking a science major is very common (a lot of biology majors are predents) and it can better prepare you for the rigor science courses in dental school.
    I have one more tip: SHADOW a dentist. Shadowing a dentist while still in high school will show dental schools your commitment to the field. It's recommended to have at least 50 hours total by the time you apply, but some schools require a hundred, some only 30. Shadowing is important to make sure that you actually like the field before you embark on this journey!
    I hope this information answers your question and will help you on your decision to become a dentist! Feel free to message me with any further predental questions.

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