(Pre-dental Advice)
When I was a little girl, my dream was to become a dentist someday. I didn’t know much about the field, and most of my understanding about the profession was through my mom who was a general dentist. I knew at the age of ten I wanted to become a dentist and I held onto that dream all the way through college, eventually leading me to dental school and finally achieving my reality as a dentist.
How exactly does someone become a dentist? Maybe the career interests you, or maybe you know that this is the career for you and want to start preparing. No matter your current standing in the journey, there are many aspects to consider and there's a level of preparedness that one has to endure to reach the goal of dental school. I am commonly asked what my journey leading up to dental school entailed. So, to possibly help pre-dentals that are wishing to pursue their future tooth degrees, here are ten general steps to consider when pursuing the dental student white coat:
1- Know what prerequisites you need to get into dental school
"I want to become a dentist, but I don't know where to start. Help!!". #1 question I am asked is exactly how to take the first step to become a dentist. No matter what age you are or what degree you are currently pursing, the absolute first thing to do is to get acquainted with the pre-requisite courses needed for dental school admissions.
To start, think of a random dental school you would maybe like to go to one day. Google and search their admissions page. Here, you will find the minimum classes the dental school requires for acceptance into their school. Research a couple other schools as well so you can compare. Required courses vary slightly between different dental schools in the US, but for the most part they require the following college level courses:
-two semesters of general biology with lab
-two semesters of general chemistry with lab
-two semesters of organic chemistry with lab
-one semester of biochemistry with lab
-2 semesters of physics with lab
Other courses that vary amongst dental schools but are highly recommended to boost your application include: two semesters of anatomy with lab, genetics, microbiology, cellular & molecular biology, two semesters of English composition, and one semester of some sort of math (usually statistics or calculus).
Most dental schools require a bachelors degree from a university to matriculate (fancy word schools like to use that means to start dental school). Students sometimes wonder if it is okay to earn their credits at a community college. In general, most dental schools favor classes taken at a university, especially the core pre-requisite science courses. To save money, sometimes students complete their general education credits or electives at a community college, and then transfer to a university to take the main pre-dental courses. There are definitely different exceptions to this, but generally if you want to feel more comfortable as a dental school applicant, really consider attending a university or at least completing the pre-requisite courses at a university.
This leads me to the second most common question, "what major do I need in college??". You can major in ANYTHING you want. Art, psychology, theater, business, etc. as long as you still also complete ALL of the pre-requisite classes listed by dental schools for admissions. With that being said, a lot of dental students do major in biology or chemistry because those majors already include most courses that are required by dental schools anyway. In my dental class, about 90% majored in either biology or chemistry. There were a few that majored in things like theater or art. So again, you can pursue any degree you want as long as you also complete the dental school pre-requisite courses.
(If you are in high school and are trying to plan out what courses you would like to take in hs to prepare for dental school, try to take some of the subjects listed above so that in college you have more exposure and preparation :). AP courses are a plus)
2- Grades
The average undergraduate GPA for accepted students into dental school is a 3.5.
Grades are obviously very important to get into any dental school. But to be more precise on what grades dental schools actually look at, they only look at your college transcripts. So the classes you take in college really do matter in the long run. Developing good study habits in high school helps pave the road for good grades in both college and dental school, and most importantly gets you into a good university/help earn scholarships. I will say this though for any student currently in high school that may be near the type of student I was in high school: your one bad grade in high school geometry or chemistry is not going to kill your dreams. Study hard and develop good study habits to help you get into a good university, but be kind to yourself along the way.
Okay but let's say you're in college and taking classes that dental schools actually look at, like organic chemistry, and you're freaking out because you got a C as a final grade, or you withdrew from a course because you were doing terribly early on... Are your chances of getting into dental school doomed?!
No. Your dreams are not doomed ONLY if you use this moment as a way to grow and improve on yourself. Bad grades suck and dental school admissions do not look fondly on them. BUT, if you failed a test or failed a class overall, by recognizing where you need to improve, by not giving up, and by retaking a class and doing better shows dental schools you are not willing to give up on your dream and can adapt to difficult situations. You still have a shot at being accepted and if this is truly your dream, one step backwards will push you one giant leap forwards to work harder at your dream.
Another thing some students like to consider after college is a master's degree to help boost their education, application, and chances into getting accepting into a dental school. A master's degree greatly enhances your application and it shows schools how serious you are about a career in dentistry because you are willing to go the extra mile in your education. Dental schools highly favor a masters degree. If you do not feel confident as an applicant after receiving a bachelor’s degree, it is very beneficial to go into a master’s program. One thing to keep in mind though, a master's degree is another year in higher level education that can get pricey. I did not personally complete a masters, but I would say about 30% of my dental class did.
3- Involvement in your community and university
Grades are important for being a strong applicant to dental schools, but so is your involvement in the community. Being a well-rounded student is imperative and this includes being a part of academic clubs and volunteering during your studies. I was a part of many clubs while I was in school, which included my school’s pre-dental society, operation smile club, and other health organizations. I also spent a year completing research at the dental school’s laboratory. Do you need to do research? Not necessarily, but if you feel your academic club and community involvement is lacking, research could help boost your application. Most importantly, try to gain a leadership role in some of the organizations you are a part of. Schools want to see students who are leaders in their community and who can potentially be leaders in their school. Try to become the treasurer or president of university clubs, or try to get published in your research to show not only were you a part of your activities, but you also took on a more responsible role.
4- Shadow (or work) at a dental office
Involving yourself in the profession in a real dental setting is crucial in showing your interest to dental schools. Shadowing at offices can also help you learn what type of practitioner you may want to be in the future. Use the opportunity to gain experience so you can potentially write about the experience in your personal statement or can be a talking point at dental school interviews. Spending your personal time learning at a local dental office shows schools that you have taken the time to learn about dentistry on your own and that spending your time around the office has solidified your interest in the field. My mom is a dentist, so I shadowed at her office numerous times. But, I also took the time to shadow at other offices like oral surgery, pediatrics, and orthodontics to expand my knowledge and to see if any specialties possibly interest me. Take the time to shadow at a general dentist’s office as well as other specialties. Maybe you’ll even discover a specialty you really enjoy!
5- Study for the Dental Admissions Test (DAT)
Along with pre-requisite courses, dental schools also require applicants to take the DAT.
The DAT is about a four hour exam that includes biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, reading comprehension, quantitative reasoning (math), and perceptual ability (abstract puzzles). The exam is about $400, but the price is increased almost every year. The DAT can sometimes make or break your application and is a pretty significant score that schools look at.
What is a good score on the DAT? The average score for students who take the exam is around an 18, but schools often disfavor some scores that are below a 17. If you want to feel good about your score and feel confident as an applicant, I always tell students to aim for anything in the 20s. If you want to feel amazing when applying for schools, a score of 23 or greater will get you many interviews.
Study tips for the DAT:
Before you start studying for the DAT, schedule an official day of when you want to take the exam so you give yourself some motivation. The amount of time you give yourself to study for the exam really depends on each individuals' studying style. The typical range of studying time is anywhere between 3-6 months. Personally, I tend to be a slow studier and it takes me longer to understand a concept, so I gave myself about four months to study for the exam.
An important thing to consider for the DAT score is also what GPA you think you'll be applying with. If you feel you GPA is lower, earning a higher DAT score can help balance your GPA and give more leeway into gaining interviews at schools.
6- Taking the DAT (+ timing of when to take the exam)
Soon enough, time will zoom by and it’ll be exam day! Timing is important here on when to take your exam. I took my DAT in May of the year I applied for school (applications open up the first week of June). I took the DAT before I applied so that if I didn't do as well as I wanted, I could give myself enough time to retake it and still submit with my dental application on time. If you want to retake the DAT, you have to wait three months before you are allowed to retake it, so giving yourself plenty of time ahead of the application cycle is key. It is also key to do well the first time around on the DAT though to save money and time.
The DAT is a LONG exam that really mentally weighs you down. The bitter sweet part about it is that as soon as you hit the submit exam button on the computer, you AUTOMATICALLY get your score sitting right in front of you. So you either leave the exam ecstatic or facing reality of a round 2 with the exam 3 months later. Nonetheless, it is important to plan for both scenarios! Some students make the mistake of not starting or submitting their dental school applications after they take the DAT. Applications for dental schools open in early summer. If you have not taken the DAT yet, you can still submit your dental school application and then go back and add your DAT score for schools. It is important to submit your application to schools even if you don't have your DAT score yet because this allows deans to start looking at your application and processing everything.
Final note about the DAT: during the exam, I thought I was failing the whole time and kept thinking to myself "I am going to have to retake this exam". When I went to hit the submit button at the end, I covered the screen because I was so nervous what my score would be. Despite my doubt, I attained a 20 average and was happy with my results!! Moral of the story, do not give up while you take the exam (it will be difficult and you may feel like you're failing, but keep an uplifted spirit :) ).
7- Apply for dental school! (Apply EARLY)
Dental school applications open up around June 1st of every year and close in December. Does this mean you should wait all the way till November to hit submit on your application button? Please, no. This is a common mistake applicants make. Interviews for schools start as early as September, and you want to make sure that you are offered an interview in a reasonable time-frame to attain a spot in the program. In order to apply early, start asking for recommendation letters before the application cycle even opens. You need three recommendation letters, so ask in the beginning of May to give those three mentors about a month or so to write a great letter.
Applying early shows schools that you are prepared and it gives deans a good time-frame to look at your application. When I applied for dental school, I gave myself about a month to fill out the application and write the personal statement. With preparation, I was able to submit my application in the first few days of July. Do not feel pressured to submit your application if you do not feel like it is your 100% all. Give yourself enough time to feel happy with what you are submitting, but I would recommend not waiting until the last moment to submit to schools.
8- Interviews!
Waiting time is very stressful as you wait to hear back from schools for an interview invitation. You go through so many emotions and essentially end up doubting yourself and feeling like you are unworthy of any schools looking at you. But soon enough, those emotions will temporarily be squashed with your first interview invitation!
Before your interview, research the school’s interests and goals. Is the school more researched based? What interview style does this school use? Most school interview experiences can be found online (on studentdoctornetwork) and researching the school before can help you feel a little bit more prepared as an interviewee. Dress professionally and get a good night’s sleep the night before your interview so you are putting your best foot forward. Finally, be yourself! You want a school to accept you for you, and most importantly you want it to be a good fit for you. Don’t try to be someone you are not, because you may end up at a school that is not a good fit. Picking a school is a four year commitment in regards to who you will surround yourself with and what education you will receive, so be you!
9- Waiting and waiting on acceptance
After your interview, you’ll either feel so confident about your time spent at the school or you’ll be replaying the dumb thing you said in your head over and over. Dental school interview was the first ever real interview I had. So of course I was extremely nervous during it and left it feeling like I did terrible. I was still later accepted, so keep a positive mindset!
Acceptances for dental school begin every December, and can go as late as April. The waiting game is long between interviews, keep your head up!
10- The decision
At the end of the application cycle , students will either be accepted, waitlisted, or rejected from schools. I'm often asked by discouraged pre-dental students what to do if they are wait-listed. Being waitlisted is not a bad thing! It means the dean liked you enough to not completely reject you, but they are just waiting to see how the rest of the applicants will pan out to make a final decision. My recommendation for applicants that are wait-listed at a dream school: wait a couple of weeks and then message the dean of admissions. Thank them for their time and emphasize how their school is a top choice for you. Stand out to the admissions committee and put your name out there so the dean can recognize you when they go back to their applications and decide on who to accept next. Don’t give up! Sometimes students are accepted even as late as April.
Deciding on which dental school to attend is really up to you following your gut. Proximity to home, education environment, or finances are all important reasons for making a final decision on a dental school.
My main tip for choosing a school is consider the price tag of attending that school. At the end of four years, you will still have a dental degree no matter what school you go to, but how much debt you will owe to student loans varies drastically between schools. The amount of debt you acquire in dental school is enormous and it really doesn’t hit you how expensive it is until you’ve already accepted a school and they finally send you a breakdown of cost of attendance. When I received the cost of attendance for my dental school in the mail, I looked at the number and my heart sank. The cost per year was about $100,000 (this number included everything like tuition, living, and instruments). As a young adult, thinking about being $400,000 in debt was terrifying. Money is not absolutely everything in this life, but mental health in regards to financial burden is important. Please always consider finances when accepting a school and be educated about your decision!
Congratulations! You’ve made it to dental school!!
After the long adventures as a pre-dental student, you are one step closer to becoming a dentist!! Once you’re in dental school as a first year, you’ll quickly learn this is when the real battle begins. Dental school is HARD, and I didn’t understand how difficult it was until I was finally a D1 :). You'll get through it!
(If you get rejected, don’t give up! It is very common for pre-dents to apply to at least two cycles before being accepted. Take the time to improve your application if you are rejected. Work at a dental office for that year to show schools you are passionate about the profession and used your time to improve your knowledge in the field. Also, retake the DAT if you feel as though your score hindered your application. Finally, completing a master's program is also extremely beneficial.)