DENTISTRY AS A CAREER
An excerpt from Admission Requirements of U.S. and Canadian Dental Schools, published by the American Dental Education Association.
Introduction to Dentistry. Dentistry is a branch of the healing arts and sciences devoted to maintaining the health of the teeth, the gums, and other hard and soft tissues of the oral cavity. The absence of tooth decay, periodontal disease, malocclusion, oral-facial anomalies, and other oral disorders contributes to proper mastication and to normal speech and facial appearance. Early detection of oral cancer and systemic conditions that manifest themselves through the mouth are necessary for the maintenance of general health. In other words, the widespread concept that a dentist is one who "fixes teeth" is descriptive of only one area of a dentist's responsibility. The dentist is, in fact, a scientist dedicated to the highest standards of health through the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of all oral diseases and conditions.
Opportunities in Dentistry. The properly motivated young person with scientific curiosity, intelligence, ambition, and social consciousness can find a highly rewarding career in dentistry. As a health professional, he or she will be a highly regarded member of the community and often called upon to provide community consultation and services. The monetary rewards of being a health professional assure financial security. However, more basic than the social and financial rewards accorded a dentist is the satisfaction the dentist experiences from his or her own daily professional accomplishments. With more efficient practice methods, better utilization of auxiliary personnel, and improved programs of prevention which will undoubtedly enable the dentist of tomorrow to extend professional services to more patients, the fact remains that a larger number of dentists will be needed in the years ahead if all segments of the population are to have access to the care they need.
REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION TO DENTAL SCHOOL
Whatever course of study pre-dental students select, they include in their program the courses required for admission to dental school. The aim is to complete all required predental courses one full year before the date of anticipated entrance, which is when applications are normally submitted. General chemistry and mathematics are usually taken in the first year. The second year is devoted to organic chemistry and physics. Biology may be postponed until the third year, unless your major program requires that it be taken earlier. You may satisfy the distribution requirements for admission to most dental schools as indicated below. Some dental schools have somewhat different requirements or recommend certain additional coursework. You can check specific requirements in the book Admission Requirements of US and Canadian Dental Schools or through the webpages of individual schools.
General Chemistry. The requirement may be met by completing the three-quarter sequence Chemistry 101, 102, 103 or the two-quarter sequence Chemistry 171, 172.
Organic Chemistry. Students should complete the full three-quarter sequence Chemistry 210-1,2,3. The sequence 212-1,2,3 also fulfills this requirement. Though some dental schools will accept the first two courses in the sequence in fulfillment of their requirements, many will not; hence, all pre-dental students are advised to take Chemistry 210-3 or 212-3.
Biology. The minimum requirement of most dental schools will be satisfied by the three-quarter sequence Biological Sciences 210-1,2,3, offered during the regular academic year, or Biological Sciences 110-1,2,3, offered in Summer Session. Students with weak high school backgrounds in biology should consider taking Biological Sciences 164-Genetics before enrolling in Biological Sciences 210.
Physics. The requirement may be met by completing the one-year sequence Physics 130-1,2,3 (algebra-based) or 135-1,2,3 (calculus-based). Most natural science majors require 135; students with other majors may take either sequence. Students in engineering do not need to take the first term of physics since this material is covered in the Engineering Analysis sequence.
Mathematics. Most dental schools do not require mathematics, but a firm background is encouraged. Math 220 and Math 224 (formerly Math 214-1 and 214-2) are strongly recommended. Students who plan to take Physics 135 must take the prerequisite courses Math 220, Math 224, and Math 230 (formerly Math 214-1,2,3).
English. Many dental schools require one year of English. This requirement may be met by taking three courses selected from the offerings of the Departments of English or Comparative Literature and/or the Freshman Seminar Program of WCAS.
QUICK TIPS
- Choose the major that interests you most. Dental schools do not prefer any particular major.
- Be prepared to request letters of recommendation from at least four faculty members.
- The University Academic Advising Center maintains a collection of guidebooks and catalogs with information on dental schools. Students are welcome to visit the center to look through these resources.
- Webpages for individual dental schools can be very helpful too.
PATTERNS OF STUDY
When students identify themselves as pre-dental, they are merely declaring their plans to prepare for the study of dentistry by fulfilling the requirements for admission to dental school. In fact, the courses required for admission to dental schools will constitutes but a fraction of your undergraduate program. You should take advantage of he modest dental school admissions requirements by obtaining a broad academic background, including a substantial amount of work in the humanities and social sciences in addition to that in natural science and mathematics.
Pre-dental students are free to register in any of the undergraduate schools at Northwestern. They are also free to elect any major program offered by the undergraduate school in which they choose to register. Dental schools do not require that applicants have majored in biology, chemistry, or any other natural science, nor do they give preference to natural science majors. Therefore, pre-dental students ought not to feel uneasy about pursuing majors in the social sciences or the humanities within Weinberg College – or majors in any of Northwestern’s other undergraduate schools.
APPLYING TO DENTAL SCHOOL
Dental Admission Test. All students seeking admission to dental school must take the Dental Admission Test (DAT), a standardized examination offered by the American Dental Association (ADA). The DAT is administered on computer and can be taken almost any day of the year. You receive your scores on the day you take the test. The ADA recommends that you take this test no later than one year prior to the date when you hope to enter dental school.
The day-long DAT includes for sections: (1) a survey of the natural sciences, designed to test your knowledge of biology and of inorganic and organic chemistry; (2) a reading comprehension test; (3) a quantitative reasoning test; and (4) a test of your perceptual ability (two- and three-dimensional problem-solving).
Before you take the DAT, you should systematically review the academic subject areas on which you will be tested: biology, inorganic and organic chemistry. Among the resources you can use to do this are your own basic textbooks in these subject areas.
The ADA offers a diskette-based tutorial for the DAT. The tutorial does not review DAT content, but is designed to familiarize you with the mechanics of the computerized testing.
Registration packets for the DAT are available at the University Academic Advising Center, 1940 Sheridan Road. For additional information on the DAT, contact Northwestern's pre-health professions adviser at the University Academic Advising Center, (847) 467-3900. Or, you can contact the American Dental Association's Dental Admission Testing Program in Chicago at 312-440-2689.
AADSAS. Most dental schools participate in the American Association of Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS), a central clearing house for dental school applications. AADSAS aids both applicants and participating schools by standardizing the application process and by reporting to admissions offices uniform information about all applicants. An applicant fills out a single, comprehensive application form. AADSAS then distributes this application to the participating schools at which the applicant wishes to be considered for admission. (If you want to apply to a dental school that does not participate in AADSAS, you must apply to that school directly.)
When a designated school receives your application materials from AADSAS, you are notified. Normally, you will then be asked to submit additional items directly to that school: an application fee, supplemental application material, and letters of recommendation.
You can pick up an AADSAS application form at the University Academic Advising Center.
Transcripts. Students applying for admission to dental school must submit up-to-date transcripts of all college-level course work which they have attempted. If you have attended more than one institution, you must request official transcripts from the registrar at each institution -- even if these credits are also listed on your Northwestern transcript. If you are applying to AADSAS-participating schools, you only need to submit one set of official transcripts to AADSAS. If you are applying to a dental school not participating in AADSAS, you must have a set of official transcripts sent directly to that school.
Official transcripts of work taken at Northwestern University may be obtained at the Office of the Registrar, Rebecca Crown Center.
Recommendations. Recommendations from faculty members constitute an important part of your application to dental school. You should bear this in mind during their undergraduate career. Take advantage of opportunities to come to know personally instructors who you might later ask to write on your behalf.
The University Academic Advising Center, 1940 Sheridan Road, provides a dental school recommendation service for Northwestern students. Students planning to apply to dental schools following junior year should set up their recommendation files no later than the preceding winter quarter. Each student using the service will be asked to furnish the following:
- The names of at least four faculty members who have indicated their willingness to write recommendations for you. At least one of these should be from the humanities or social sciences. At least one should be from the natural sciences. Faculty members will send all recommendations to the University Academic Advising Center. They should not be asked to write directly to any dental school.
- Certain biographical data. This will include a personal statement about your interest in dentistry. Your personal statement and a copy of your transcript will be sent to the faculty members you specify to assist them in writing your recommendations.
- The names of dental schools to which the recommendations should be sent. You may add to this list later.
When all requested letters have been received, the packet will be sent to those dental schools you specify.
Recommendations will be kept on file and will be sent to any dental school you request. Recommendations prepared to support applications to medical and dental schools may not be submitted to support applications to other graduate or professional schools.
APPLICATION STRATEGY
Before you apply to dental school, you should carefully read Chapter 2, "Planning for a Dental Education," in the current edition of the Admission Requirements of US and Canadian Dental Schools, an annual publication of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA). This handbook, as well as other resources, may be consulted at the University Academic Advising Center, 1940 Sheridan Road. If you prefer, you can order your own copy of the handbook through the webpage of the ADEA, >http://www.adea.org/.
A good way to begin the dental school selection process is by identifying the publicly-supported schools in your home state at which you will be given preference as an in-state resident. These schools may be identified by referring to the ADEA handbook. Since your best chances of gaining admission--from a statistical point of view--lie within your own state schools, you should enter applications at these schools. You may make additional selections from independent dental schools which admit a substantial proportion of out-of-state residents.
PREDENTAL ADVISING AT NORTHWESTERN
The main pre-dental adviser for Northwestern students is at the University Academic Advising Center, 1940 Sheridan Road, at email address premed-prehealth@northwestern.edu and phone number (847) 467-3900. All pre-dental students should meet an adviser by the middle of their sophomore year to begin to discuss their undergraduate choices and career goals.
