Typical Undergraduate Course Requirements for dental school admission for OHSU, other dental schools are similar but may differ somewhat.
- Biology with laboratories – One academic year of general biology to include one genetics course.
- Chemistry with laboratories – One academic year of general chemistry, at least two quarters of organic chemistry and at least one quarter of biochemistry.
- Physics with laboratories – One academic year of general physics.
- Human Anatomy and Physiology with laboratories – One year of advanced anatomy and physiology as part of a year-long sequence, for example BIO 331/332/333.
- English Composition – One academic year of courses in English composition (or equivalent writing emphasis) or the minimum needed to meet your institution’s bachelor degree requirements.
- Additional suggested preparation – Additional science courses such as microbiology, molecular biology, genetics, and neuroscience are highly recommended. Study of social and behavioral sciences and humanities as well as fine arts such as sculpture and 3-D drawing are encouraged. It is recommended that a student attend no more than one year at a community college.
- Dental Observation – It is recommended to have observation in a dental setting. OSHU Dental School has a 50 hour minimum.
- Most schools require a Bachelor's degree prior to starting dental school.
Important Sources of Information:
- American Dental Education Association (ADEA)
- information on dental careers and application services to dental schools
- American Dental Association
- information on to help manage your practice and provide patient care
- American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS)
- Information about the 55 dental schools that participate in the application service. Application is simplified by having one application for all schools so you don’t have to complete multiple applications. AADSAS is offered by the American Dental Education Association. There are 58 dental schools in the United States and a new one will open near Chicago in 2011.
- Kaplan DAT test prep
- lots of information on the DAT and applying to dental school
Entrance Examinations
All dental schools in the United States require that applicants take the Dental Admission Test (DAT). The test is given on a computer at specific testing centers and lasts 4 hours and 30 minutes.
- See additional information at the American Dental Association.
- Please be sure to read the DAT Guide located at this web site.
- DAT (Dental Admission Test) fee $205+; Format:
- Survey of natural sciences 90 minutes
- Perceptual ability test 60 minutes
- Reading comprehension test 60 minutes
- Quantitative reasoning test 45 minutes
Admission Information
The American Dental Schools Applications Service (AADSAS) simplifies the application process. There is the initial application fee and an additional cost to each school you apply. Students typically apply to 5-10 schools. You can start submitting your application in mid-May. Sometimes the start is June 1st. Start early and contact potential people for letters of recommendation. Some dental schools have a rolling admission. This means that they accept qualified applicants as they arrive. The early bird catches the worm. Please check the deadline for each school, they differ, and be aware that applications that arrive after the deadline will not be accepted.
Regional Dental Schools
Arizona
- A.T. Still University (Mesa)
- Midwestern University (Glendale, near Phoenix)
California
- Loma Linda University (near Los Angeles)
- UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles)
- UCSF (University of California, San Francisco)
- University of Southern California (Los Angeles)
- University of the Pacific (San Francisco)
- Western University of Health Sciences (Pomona)
Colorado: University of Colorado (Denver)
Oregon: Oregon Health and Science University (Portland)
Nevada: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Washington: University of Washington