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GETTING INTO DENTAL SCHOOL
Disclaimer
I have not yet been accepted No school has started acceptances at this
point in time I have been interviewed at 6 schools
Dentistry as a Profession
Help others Relieve pain Increase self-esteem Prevent pain
Educate Long term care/relationship with patients Work with hands Run your own business Generally work 4 days a week Financially rewarding
Important Qualities for Dentistry
Work with people Communicate to employees and public Work with hands (manual dexterity) Leader/Manager Educator Hard worker Critical thinker Well organized Compassionate
Getting into Dental School
1. Fulfill the prerequisites 2. Get involved
Organizations Research Service
3. Observation 4. DAT 5. Application 6. Interview 7. GET ACCEPTED
Undergraduate Studies
No pre-dental major Only prerequisites Biology Major fulfills almost all requirements
Degree is not required BUT recommended Choose a major that interest you Give full attention to your studies
Competitive GPA is around a 3.7 Have to get a C or better in required courses Dental school will look to see if you used freshman
forgiveness Form a close relationship with academic
advisor
Ohio State Dental School Prerequisites
Getting Involved
Quality is better than Quantity Leadership Service Research Work experience
Pre-dental or pre-med group ASDA (American Student Dental
Association)
Leadership
Officer of a club/organization Captain of sports team Manager Etc.
Service
Get involved with community service Dentistry is a service to the community You can’t say that you want/like to help others
and not get involved in community service Hospital, Food Banks, Nursing Homes,
Biology Club, etc. Need to be able to work with public
Research
Build a strong resume Critical thinking Organization Time Management Team work
Talk to Dr. Jackie or Dr. Reagon for opportunities in Biology
Work experience
Not required BUT it shows time management
Try to get a job in a dental office even if it’s just during summer Hygiene assistant does not require any
certification Sterilize equipment Scan X-rays Receptionist Prepare trays and rooms
Observation
It is required by most schools OSU requires 40 hours with at least 2 dentist
I recommend shadowing all specialties as well General Dentist Oral Surgeon Endodontist Orthodontist Periodontist Pediatric Dentist
Keep a journal of what you experienced Watch YouTube videos of the procedure
afterward
DAT
Dental Admissions Test 4 Sections
Natural Sciences Biology General Chemistry Organic Chemistry
Quantitative Reasoning (Math) Reading Perceptual Ability
Scale 0-30 17 average 21 is a competitive score
Perceptual Ability
Perceptual Ability
Apply Early
Applications open beginning of June Rolling acceptance
Most apply summer between junior and senior year If prerequisites are done try to apply you might get
in Apply through ADEA AADSAS standard app
Takes time to fill out Write personal statement ahead of time Get Letters of Recommendation arranged ahead of time Gather all other info ahead of time
Even though you can’t fill out the app early you can get on the website and see what information is required
Secondary Application
Most schools will require a secondary application after they receive the primary application Generally consist of personal information and
a few short essays Why dentistry Why this school Observation experiences
Along with the secondary app they will require a fee ~$50-100
The Application Process
Most applicants apply to 5-8 schools Plan for ~$5,000 in application fees
This includes cost of: Application DAT Supplemental fees Traveling expenses for interviews
Hotels, gas, plane tickets Suit for interviews
Interview
Every school requires an interview before acceptance
Getting the interview is the hardest part OSU 886 application 216 interviews
At this point you will have a 50% of being accepted OSU interviews 216 people for 110 seats
Allows the admissions committee to get to know you
Send a thank you letter afterward
10 Standard Interview Questions
Tell me about yourself Why Dentistry Strengths Weaknesses Why this school Why should we pick you (what makes you unique) How do you manage time How will you handle the work load of dental
school Where else have you applied Scenario/Ethics question
Get accepted
According to ADEA policies no applicant will be accepted before Dec 1st
Interviews and acceptances may or may not continue after this date
Helpful Resources
studentdoctor.net (SDN) ADEA virtual dental fair
http://adea.expos2events.com ASDA predentals.com
