| Pre-Dental |
General InformationUNC Charlotte offers pre-dental preparation for undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate students interested in pursuing a career in dentistry. Opportunities and services available to students include:
Planning the Program of Study“Pre-Dentistry” is not a degree, nor is it a major or a minor. It is a plan of action that is designed to prepare you to meet the requirements for admission into dental school, in addition to completing a 4-year Bachelor’s degree. The predental course requirements must be completed before entering dental school, but not necessarily before applying to dental school. There are 3-4 different sets of requirements that a student must meet while pursuing their pre-dental course of study at UNC Charlotte: 1. UNCC General Education Program requirements: required of all UNCC undergraduates without previous degrees. (See the current UNCC Undergraduate Catalog for specific course requirements and listings). 2. Departmental degree requirements for the specific major (and minor) concentrations 3. Pre-dental course requirements: must be completed before entering dental school, but not necessarily before applying to dental school. 4. University Honors/Departmental Honors Programs: there are additional requirements for students enrolled in Honors programs When planning the program of study, it is very important to complete the majority of the subject matter that will be tested by the DAT (Dental Admissions Test) before actually taking the test. This material includes 2 semesters each of biology, general (inorganic) chemistry, and organic chemistry. It is typical to take the DAT in the spring or summer following the junior year. To meet this timeline, the student should attempt to finish these science courses by the end of the junior year. Selection of a MajorThe majority of students accepted into dental school receive a BS degree in a science field (especially biology and chemistry). However, there are a large number of students that pursue the BA or other BS degrees; a science major is not a prerequisite for dental school. Dental school admissions committees have no preference for any particular undergraduate major; what they are concerned with is how well you perform in your major and that you show good aptitude in the required basic science courses. Choose a major that you truly enjoy. If you are not successful in getting accepted to dental school, you will want a degree in a subject that you enjoy and that opens other career options for you after graduation. Pre-Dental Course RequirementsThe requirements for admission to dental schools are determined by each individual dental school. For specific school-by-school requirements, the primary reference is the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Official Guide to Dental Schools. This is an invaluable resource for pre-dental students, and is updated annually. You may purchase a copy of the Official Guide directly at http://www.adea.org/ ; a copy is also available in the Pre-Health Advising office. Be sure to visit individual dental schools’ websites for a listing of their current admissions requirements. The minimum course requirements for most of the U.S. dental schools are:
*All science classes should be at the science-majors level (ie, no survey courses)*
In addition to the above courses:
Other courses that are sometimes required for admissions, or often recommended to help prepare for admissions tests and/or dental school, include:
Many dental schools also recommend courses in:
RECOMMENDED UNCC PRE-DENTAL CORE CLASSES (Science & Math)The following classes are recommended for completion of the basic pre-dental core at UNCC. The classes are recommended to cover the minimum basic requirements at the majority of dental schools. Biochemistry is required by the majority of dental schools. Microbiology requirements are variable among the dental schools, but it is strongly recommended.
Remember that each dental school establishes their specific prerequisites, and you should always double-check the websites of the schools that you want to attend. Courses in math, cell biology, psychology, anatomy, etc, are required by some dental schools. *Advanced Placement Credit: Most dental schools have policies regarding advanced placement (AP) credits. One of the problems with AP credit is that there is no grade available to evaluate the student’s performance in the class, and no grade available to compute into the GPA. For these reasons, many dental schools will not accept AP credit to fulfill the requirements for science and math, and often for English. Likewise, CLEP credit is seldom accepted. Basically, if a dental school requires a certain number of hours of subject X, they want you in a college classroom for that number of hours. Some dental schools have a more lenient policy on AP than others. If you have any questions about AP credit, contact the admissions office of the dental schools to which you want to apply, or contact the Pre-Health Advisor’s office. *Withdrawals: Course withdrawals should be taken very seriously. “W”s on a transcript are red flags to admissions committees. One or two “W”s may not necessarily have an adverse impact, if they are accompanied by justifiable, reasonable explanations for withdrawing (personal illness, family crisis, etc). However, do not assume that an admissions committee will automatically overlook multiple “W”s purely on the basis of your explanation. Students should consider the withdrawal option from any course with caution. Admissions ProcessThere are 3 basic steps to the admissions process: Step 1: Primary ApplicationUsually done through a centralized, web-based application service. The applicant fills out one online application and tells the service which dental schools to distribute the application to. The application must be completely filled out before it can be submitted, and includes demographic information, a listing of extracurricular activities, work experience, and the Personal Statement (aka the Essay). In addition, you must list every institution of upper education that you have attended, every college course taken, and the credit hours and grade for every course. The application service verifies official transcripts and calculates the applicant’s “official” GPAs. If a dental school participates in an application service, you must apply through that service. There are two web-based application services for US dental schools:
Application forms are available on-line beginning in May each year; this marks the beginning of the official application season (or ‘cycle’). Dental school applications are filed a year in advance (ie, apply in 2008 for entry into dental school in fall 2009). Most students begin the application process at the end of the junior year for entry into dental school in the fall of the following year. The end of the junior year is also when most students take the DAT; DAT scores are a required part of the formal application. Many dental schools use a “rolling admissions” approach. In other words, applications are processed and acted upon as they are received. Many schools begin interviewing in the fall, and make decisions about accepting students soon after their interview. If you wait until the last minute to meet a school’s deadline (usually sometime in November or December), you will likely be competing for fewer openings than were available earlier in the year, effectively decreasing your chances for acceptance. APPLY EARLY!!! Step 2: Secondary ApplicationOnce the primary online application has been distributed to the dental schools designated by the applicant, the application service has completed its role, and the applicant deals directly with the dental schools for the remainder of the process. The next step is the secondary application, in which the dental school invites the applicant to submit additional information and short essays. Letters of recommendation are requested at this stage. Step 3: InterviewUpon invitation from the dental school. This is the final step. After the interview, the dental school admissions committee makes the final decision to accept the applicant, place the applicant on a waiting list, or reject the applicant. Factors in Applicant Selection by Dental SchoolsThere are several standard factors that all dental schools consider when selecting each year’s entering class. Schools may vary, however, in how much weight that they give to each factor: 1. Academic RecordThe academic record will be judged primarily by grades (GPA), difficulty of the courses, and the ‘strength’ of the schedule. The GPA will be assessed in 2 basic ways: 1) the overall GPA (grade average for all undergraduate coursework) and 2) the science GPA ( both with and without math). These GPAs are also referred to as the ‘BCPM’ GPA (biology/chemistry/physics/math) and 'BCP' GPA (biology/chemistry/physics). The science GPA is one of the most significant factors for admission to dental school; it is seen as a predictor of aptitude and success in dental school coursework. 2. Admissions Test (DAT)The Dental Admission Test (DAT) carries the same weight as grades when an applicant is evaluated for dental school admission. In fact, many schools use only GPA and DAT scores for their preliminary applicant screening. The DAT is computer-based and is administered year-round at Prometric Test Centers. It consists of almost 4 1/2 hours of testing. The test is divided into 4 major sections, and each section is scored and reported individually:
There is information on the DAT at www.ada.org/prof/ed/testing/dat, which is the official DAT website. Scores on the individual test sections are reported on a scale from 1 (lowest) to 30 (highest). In addition, there are 2 composite scores (Total Science and Academic Average). A score of 17 is the approximate national average for each section of the DAT. Sections scores above 20 are highly competitive. Students are encouraged to take the DAT prior to submitting their applications to dental schools, usually in the spring of the junior year or summer between junior and senior years. Late-in-the-year testing delays processing of your application by dental schools. Time should also be allowed for repeating the test if the first test score is not competitive; 90 days are required to lapse before applying for a retest. Required coursework in biology, inorganic (general) chemistry, and organic chemistry should ideally be completed before taking the DAT. There are several ways to prepare for the test, including books on the DAT, test-prep software, and commercial review courses. Taking practice DAT tests is essential, and is considered perhaps the most valuable and important method of preparing for the test. 3. RecommendationsTake some time to get to know your professors during your undergraduate career. You want your recommenders to speak about your motivation, integrity, communication skills, and other character items not found in a transcript or test score. A letter that says only “Cathy came to class regularly and made good grades” is a very weak reference. Dental schools will ask for recommendations as part of the application for admission. The school will specify how they want to receive recommendations; this will usually be in one of 2 formats:
UNCC has a Pre-Professional Faculty Evaluation Committee that generates evaluation letters for students. Students must apply for this service and submit supporting documentation, and they are responsible for contacting individual faculty members for reference letters to be sent to the committee. Applications are handled through the Pre-Health Advisor’s office. Please contact the Pre-Health Advisor for more information. 4. Extracurricular Activities / Dental-Related ExperienceExtracurricular activities are highly desirable and make a favorable impression on admissions committees. The student who maintains a strong GPA in a demanding curriculum and also has time for outside interests is obviously motivated and energetic. However, extracurricular activities and dental-related experience cannot outweigh or substitute for a poor academic record or DAT scores. 5. InterviewFollowing review of secondaries, a select group of top applicants will then be invited for personal interviews. This is the final step of the admissions process. The interview is extremely important. It is the first chance for the committee to see you “off paper”, and your chance to stand out and leave a good impression of character, maturity, and motivation. The format of the interview varies from school to school. It may be one-on-one, or a personal interview in front of a panel, or a group interview where several candidates are interviewed at the same time.
What makes a “Competitive” Applicant?Predicting which students will get accepted and which will be rejected from dental school is not a simple task, because so many factors are involved. However, one can look at average GPAs and DAT scores for accepted students as a good indicator of initial competitive status. Average GPAs and DAT scores can be found in the Official Guide to Dental Schools book for each individual school of dentistry. Many schools publish this information on their websites. It is important to note, however, that admissions committees look beyond just GPAs and DATs. This explains why some students with very high GPAs and DATs don’t get in, and conversely why some students with lower than average grades or test scores do. This is where recommendations, clinical dental-related experience, community service, well-roundedness, communication skills, etc, come in. Realizing that some individual dental schools will vary from the “norm”, the following are numbers and national averages that you should be aware of: Total # of applicants for the 2006 entering class (US dental schools): 10,731 Total # accepted and enrolled: 4,558
**UNC-Chapel Hill School of Dentistry 2006 Entering Class: Overall GPA = 3.60 Science GPA = 3.53 DAT (Acad Avg) = 19.7 To compute the number of credit hours necessary to raise or lower your current GPA, use the GPA Calculator at www.sis.umd.edu/gpacalc/. ExtracurricularsExtracurricular activities include activities that the student enjoys: sports, music, drama, etc. Participation in clubs and organizations is positive only if the student actually becomes involved in the group’s activities. Leadership roles in organizations also reflect well on character. While important to continue pursuing your personal interests, there are other types of ‘extracurriculars’ that are critical to your chances of acceptance into dental school. ClinicalIt is essential to obtain dental-related clinical/field experience, especially experience where there is exposure to the dentist-patient relationship. You need to demonstrate, through actions, your motivation for a career in dentistry. It has been suggested that a student should observe at least 3 general dentist practitioners and one dental specialist, and accrue at least 50-100 hours (total) of such experience. Many settings are available: private dentist’s offices, hospitals, county or community health clinics, etc, may have opportunities for volunteer work, shadowing, mentoring, or even paid positions. Admissions committees are particularly concerned that applicants have a realistic view of the dental profession and what’s involved in a dental career. There is no minimum number of hours of clinical experience that is required by the dental schools. You must determine how much dedication and effort to put forth. It is not possible to get too much clinical experience, unless it interferes with grades and other responsibilities. Summers and holidays may be better times for some of these pursuits. Importantly, don’t put off these activities until your senior year, or you will miss the opportunity to include them on your dental school application (if applying as a junior). ResearchResearch experience is not a requirement for dental school, but it can be a plus. Research experience allows time to build relationships with faculty, who can be valuable sources for letters of recommendation. Research is very important for students contemplating a career in dental science research (DDS/PhD or DMD/PhD dual degree). Many faculty on campus have active research laboratories and employ undergraduates to work in them. There are also summer research programs available at other universities. Community ServiceVolunteer community service is highly recommended. It is not necessary that the community service be dental or health-oriented. There are countless ways to participate in either group or individual community service projects. Community service offers a chance to demonstrate concern for other human beings and a willingness to “give back” and get involved in the world around you.
Summer Programs Summer Enrichment ProgramsThere are several summer enrichment programs available at dental schools and universities. These programs are designed to strengthen academic credentials and exposure to clinical dentistry. Most of these programs target under-represented minority and economically-disadvantaged students. One of the better-known programs, the Summer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP), offers free 6-week summer programs at medical/dental schools around the country. Other programs offer research or internship opportunities. Students may find the following websites helpful for information on minority issues and to locate summer programs:
The publication Opportunities for Minority Students in US Dental Schools, available from ADEA, gives information on recruitment, admissions, enrichment programs, financial aid, and data on racial and ethnic applicants, matriculants, and graduates of dental schools. It may be ordered directly from the ADEA at http://www.adea.org/. A copy is also available in the Pre-Health Advising Office.
Medical/Dental Mission TripsThere are many organizations that offer mission trips to underserved countries and regions of the world, and to underserved areas of the US. Some of these organizations have religious affiliations, but most do not. Opportunities for ‘hands-on’ work are often enhanced in such settings.
Summer Internships & Research ProgramsStudent ClubsPre-Dental Club (USNDA)UNC Charlotte has an active chapter of the USNDA (Undergraduate Student National Dental Association), a club for pre-dental students. The club offers opportunities to learn more about being a successful pre-dental student, presentations from dental school representatives, group community service activities, and more. Information can be found on the club’s website: www.bioweb.uncc.edu/GENINFO/Predental/USNDA.htm. Resources & Links
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