Items Required for Admission
Prerequisite Classes
Shadowing
Dental Admission Test
Letters of Recommendation
Prerequisite Courses
A majority of people that matriculate into dental school have completed an undergraduate 4 year degree and all have satisfied the standard prerequisites science, math and english courses. Most schools highly encourage you to take prerequisite courses at an accredited four-year university or college, however I found that all schools that I applied to considered a limited number of courses that I took at a local community college. I cannot stress enough how important it is to call and speak to an admissions counselor at each school you intend to apply to BEFORE you register for classes. This may seem intimidating but the reality is everybody was extremely helpful, gave me guidance and assisted in my course selection.
Standard Required courses for most dental schools
Shadowing
Requirement
All dental schools require some form of dental shadowing which demonstrates that you have confirmed your interest in dentistry. Spots are extremely valuable and limited in dental school so each administration wants to ensure that you have spent some time in a dental office observing daily operations, patient care and procedures. Schools vary with their requirements ranging from 25-100 hours of dental shadowing.
Personal Experience
I completed approx. 110 hour of dental shadowing over a 1 year period with an even mix between general dentists, orthodontics and oral surgeons. Again, the schools want to ensure you know what you are getting yourself into, this is not a 2 year MBA with a wide range of career paths, this speciality training to become a doctor and oral healthcare provider. I shadowed 3 general dentists in my hometown over summer vacation, 1 general dentist in Tennessee that I met at a restaurant, 1 oral surgeon that I met through a friend in Tennessee, and 1 orthodontist from my hometown. Typically I would spend 4-8 hours at an office depending on the situation.
Best advice if you don’t know any dentists…PICK UP THE PHONE and call somebody, send emails, visit dental sites and see who piques your interest. I reached out to 4 random dentists and every single one of them were more than happy to have me in their office for a day or so.
Use this shadowing time to pick the dentist’s brain on the school he attended, career path, and ask if he has any other colleagues that would be willing to host an aspiring dental student. Following my Company Command I was able to log a few hours of shadowing at the local base dental office. This is a good opportunity to talk with young Dental Officers that may have utilized the HPSP/HSCP scholarships.
DAT: Dental Admissions Test
The DAT is the dental version of the MCAT. I wish I had some magic potion or advice for the DAT but after being out of school for 10 years, the answer is straight up grunt work and weeks of studying. You have taken numerous standardized tests before, this one is just a little longer and harder. After completing my prerequisites classes I scheduled the DAT for early June 2017 so I could submit my application prior to July 2017. Generally DAT Scores of accepted students vary between 17-22. for the 2020 year the DAT fee is $475 and this includes all sending an official score to all schools selected at the time of testing. You will also receive an unofficial score at the completion of your test at the testing center. After you complete the test for a fee of $45 you can send your score to additional schools. I sent my scores to my top 10 schools and paid to send additional scores to schools I chose to apply to at a later date.
Competencies Tested:
-Biology
-Organic Chemistry
-General Chemistry
-Reading Comprehension
-Perceptual Ability
-Quantitative Reasoning
I took at DAT Prep Course through Kaplan, this was a good jumpstart but did not make or break my score. Following my prerequisites and prep class I dedicated a month to deliberate studying approx. 6-8 hours/day.
Please visit the ADA DAT Website for complete instructions
Letters of Recommendation
Before you freak out about getting 3 LOR’s for the 15 schools you are applying to, one good thing about the ADEA AADSAS application portal (where you apply to all dental schools) is that these letters are uploaded and used for all school that you will apply to. There are a few variables letters for specific schools but for the most part these letters check the block for all applications. Requirements for Letters of Recommendation vary from school to school but as a general rule of thumb they generally require 3 letters of recommendation with an option to submit a committee letter form your undergrad university.
Two of the letters are generally required to be from science professors who taught at the university level and graded the student and one one letter of choice from somebody like an employer mentor, dentist or anybody that can write in support of the applicant.
Who should write you letters: This is a very important part of the application, I had limited options for science instructors at the university level so I had my General Biology Professor and my Biochemistry Professor. If you are a bio or pre-med undergrad or did a Post Bac program you will have plenty of choices. Ensure you choose a professor that you have a bond with and who you think will put the most effort into your letter. My third letter, letter of choice was written by a highly respected orthodontist who was a mentor of mine, attended a prestigious dental school, was a good writer and knew me well. Other good choices for this if you are coming out of the military is a previous Battalion or Brigade Commander (these are unique and catch the eye of admissions committees). Just ensure they know the right format and your intentions so they can tailor your letter to your specific needs.
How to make your letters better: When you go into the ADEA AADSAS portal you submit the email addresses of each person you want to write a LOR. This generates a generic email asking for them to submit their letter and provides a link. Ensure you 1) provide your professor with background on why you are applying and what your goals are 2) Set up a meeting to discuss what you may want to have highlighted in the letters 3) provide professors with your admissions essay (why you want to attend dental school) and potentially a resume.
The more information you can provide the LOR writer, the better product you will receive. ASK EARLY!!! Professors and Commanders are busy, do not expect a few day turn around.