Dental School Requirements

by on Saturday, January 7th, 2012 | No Comments

Dental school requirements

There is no scarcity of aspiring dental students across the Unites States. So, what exactly are the dental school requirements? Who do they consider prospects for ideal candidature? What makes an applicant worthy enough to be a pupil of a high-ranking dental school in our country? The answer lies in a well-rounded evaluation of dental school requirements specified by the prominent institutions.

The primary requirement is that the aspirant must have undergone 8 years of schooling. A dental student is expected to have deep and thorough knowledge of the subject of Biology. Therefore, the Grade Point Average (GPA) score for Biology is a fundamental to fetch a seat in any of the leading dental schools. A dental student is also expected to have seamless proficiency in subjects such as Chemistry and Physics. Hence, the GPA scores for these subjects also count significantly and are crucial while evaluating dental school requirements. All these scores culminate into an overall GPA which is expected to lie above a certain cut-off set by the institutions. The cut-off levels vary from college to college depending upon their selection criteria and the volume of student intake.

Dental school requirements for Harvard Dental School

The Dental Admission Test (DAT), conducted by the American Dental Association, forms an essential aspect of the dental school requirements charted out by the institutions. The test assesses the students aptitude in subjects apart from Biology, Chemistry and Physics, namely. Survey of Natural Sciences, Perceptual Ability Test, Top/Front/End Visualization, Keyhole, Cube Counting, Pattern Folding, Reading Comprehension Test, Quantitative Reasoning Test and even Mathematics. The admission criterion is dependent on the mean academic average score of the student as well as the cut-off scores set by institutions.

Another hurdle to clear en route to bagging admission is a personal interview. During the personal interview, the selection committee gauges the students motivation to pursue a career in dentistry, which is again a central aspect amongst dental school requirements. Effective communication skills are added assets which boost the chances of being an ideal candidate.

Communication plays a key role in the medical profession, since it is more conversational than many others. Students who have better skills in comprehending and deciphering what is being spoken or written by others always hold an edge over their counterparts. Also pivotal is the flair to clearly articulate and convey to others what one is trying to express. Applicants who do not have English as their native language are supposed to submit their TOEFL iBT scores. Students with a minimum score of 100 and a score of above 26 in speaking section are always preferred and have an upper hand.

Extra-curricular activities and areas of interest of the candidates are also evaluated so as to obtain an overview regarding his/her drive to touch the zenith as a professional. The maturity level of the candidate too will be measured holistically. Another important factor to be checked is the candidates eye for business. As a dentist, the student will be expected to set up a clinic of his own, manage the business himself/herself, which includes staffing and managing employees as well. Hence, it is of utmost importance to appraise the candidates business management and organizational skills as a facet of dental school requirements.