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Pre-Dentistry

Pre-Dentistry

As you become a dentist, you'll examine patients and diagnose, treat, and prevent oral diseases and conditions. You'll become a healthcare professional licensed to provide the highest standards of health, as dentistry can have an impact on the health of the entire body.



Why Consider Dentistry?

Like other health care professionals, dentists work to prevent disease, so you'll make an impact as you encourage your patients to pursue healthy diets and good oral hygiene.

According to the , employment of dentists is projected to grow 3 percent from 2019 to 2029, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

 

Explore: Dentistry Pathways 

Become a student at USM and obtain the necessary science or non-science requirements to apply to a dentistry program, with the guidance of our pathways expert! 

Undergraduate Credit Required Bachelor’s degree recommended
Exam Prep Dental 51 Test (DAT)
Professional Schooling Required 4 years; D.D.S. (Doctor of Dental Surgery) or D.M.D, (Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry)  
Professional Organization Websites

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Have you ever noticed the two different post-nominal letters on dentists name tags? There is no difference between the two degrees, D.D.S. and D.M.D. are essentially the same degrees.

Here are some of the local or surrounding area professional schools:

  • (D.D.S.) (New Orleans, LA)
  • (D.M.D.) (Jackson, MS) (MS Residents Only )
  •   (D.M.D.) (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)
  • (D.D.S.) (Memphis, TN)
  • (D.D.S.) (Nashville, TN)

 

Navigating the Application Process

Beginning early with the application process allows students to structure an academic plan of study. Dental schools have relatively similar minimum requirements for admission that we can help prepare you for, including competitive scores from the nationally administered Dental Admission Test (DAT), shadowing hours, active participation in community service, possible dexterity tests, and more!

We encourage you to contact our pathways expert to support you in your professional development endeavors.

Some students already have a B.A., B.S., or above and decide to pursue becoming a dentist. It is recommended that such students visit the pre-professional office for additional advisement. It is common for these students to take their missing prerequisite science or non-science courses for dental school here at USM as post-baccalaureate students, work on the other non-course requirements while taking courses, prepare for and take the DAT, and then apply to dental school(s). 

Some students may choose to pursue a second major, while others enroll in prerequisite courses as a non-degree-seeking student. In either case, students must go through the  office to be either admitted (new students) or re-admitted (former students) prior to enrollment.

Dental schools have relatively similar minimum requirements for admission, typically:

  • Completion of a series of specified courses in the natural sciences and humanities
  • Completion of a baccalaureate degree is generally required, though special exceptions will occasionally be made for students with greater than 90 hours of credit
  • competitive GPA, both overall and in the BCPM (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics) areas
  • Multiple positive traits, such as honesty, integrity, ethics, leadership ability, and motivation
  • Competitive scores from the nationally administered Dental Admission Test (DAT)
  • Ability to handle full-time study
  • Observations of dentists in practice, generally with a minimum requirement of 100 shadowing hours
  • Active participation in community service 
  • Manual dexterity, often shown by skills or hobbies that involve fine movements (i.e. playing an instrument, crocheting/knitting, painting/sculpting)

The following list of Required Courses* meets only the minimum requirements for admission to the  in Jackson. Students must consult the specific admission requirements and application deadlines for the school(s) to which they plan to apply, including UMMC.

  • Two semesters of General Chemistry (CHE 106/L & 107/L)
  • Two semesters of Organic Chemistry (CHE 255/L & 256/L)
  • Two semesters of General Biology (BIO 110/L & 111/L)
  • Two semesters of General Physics (PHY 111/L & 112/L OR 201/L & 202/L)
  • Two semesters of English Composition (ENG 101 & 102)
  • Microbiology (BSC 282/L)
  • Biochemistry (CHE 420 or 421) 
  • Two mathematics courses
  • One statistics course (PSY 360 recommended)

*Courses not accepted include courses taken by correspondence or online, physical and military science courses, dogmatic religion courses, and courses in the BCPM areas for non-majors. Advanced (300+) science courses must be taken at a four-year institution.

Students are strongly encouraged to take an online practice DAT before taking the DAT they will use on their application. There are a number of websites, including the , that have practice questions or practice tests. The DAT contains the following sections:

  • Survey of Natural Sciences (biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry content)
  • Quantitative Reasoning (mathematics problems involving algebraic equations, statistical analysis, and data interpretation)  
  • Perceptual Ability (six subtests – apertures, view recognition, angle discrimination, paper folding, cube counting, and 3D form development)
  • Reading Comprehension (three passages of scientific information – testing ability to read, comprehend, and analyze basic scientific information)

The DAT has a partial fee waiver program to lessen the cost of the exam. Applications for the 2018 fee waiver program began on January 1, and funds are typically depleted within three months. The  has published a  with information about the scope and scoring of the test, exam fees and fee waivers, retesting, and re

Applications for most dental schools are centralized through . Under this system, students fill out one application with all pertinent information, upload their transcripts and letters of evaluation, and designate which schools they would like their application to be sent to. Not every dental school has an application process that goes through AADSAS. 

It is important to note that dental schools set their own deadlines, separate from the application system deadlines. Students should check with their desired schools for specific deadline information, as well as information about possible secondary applications.

 

What Should I Major In?

The “pre-dental curriculum” is just a list of courses that are required for admission to dental schoolIt is NOT an academic major, a minor, or an emphasis area. Prerequisite courses can vary between dental schools, so it is important to check with individual schools about their requirements and deadlines.

 

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