|
|
 |
Overview
of the Pre-Admissions Process:
DENTISTRY?
If you are here at our site then you must have some
interest in pursuing a career in dentistry. However, what is
dentistry all about anyway? Why would you be good at it? Is this
something you would enjoy, hopefully, for many years to come?
These are best answered by self exploration. I can tell you all
about dentistry, but it will all be up to YOU.
Find out what dentistry really is. By that I
mean go spend some time with a dentist.  Ask a lot of
questions. See what goes on in an office. Find out about the
different treatments offered by the dentist. It won't take long to
realize that dentists do a lot more than just drill, fill and
bill. Explore the different specialties, ask if they are glad they
opted for the path in dentistry they have chosen and why. After
some time, you may discover this is something you would enjoy. It
will be clear after observing a dentist that your abilities with manual
dexterity and eye to hand coordination are some of the most important
elements you can bring with you to the practice of dentistry.
STARTING OFF RIGHT:
Of course, the easiest way to obtain a position at
the dental school of your choosing is to do very well in your first four
years of undergraduate work. Getting off to a "bad
start" may be corrected if action is taken early during your
Freshman or Sophomore years. A low GPA may be raised, somewhat,
through selected repeated courses. A necessary skill, such as
mathematics or English composition, may be developed and improved.
The longer you wait to upgrade skills, the harder it becomes to reach
desired goals. For example, it is very difficult to raise
your GPA during your junior or senior years because so many credits have
been accumulated.
Your school will most likely have a pre-professional
advising department that will be able to guide you through this whole
process. It is very important that you meet with an adviser early
into your first year of college. You must have certain information
on file in the pre-health professions office early or you may be late in
meeting various deadlines and/or admissions procedures. Your
Junior and Senior years are particularly critical, especially if you
have a goal to complete your program within a definite time frame.
In addition, advisers usually have the best grasp on the courses you
will need to take. Plus, they can often give some insiders
information on which professors to take classes with, because this a
very important issue- ask around!
Each year of school has its critical tasks to be
accomplished. Courses must be taken in the proper sequence, after
having met the essential prerequisites. Enrollment and timing for
a particular level or a sequence of courses, particularly mathematics,
English, and the biology core courses does influence performance in
other required courses, as well as eventual preparation for the DAT.
ADMISSIONS TEST AND GENERAL
INFORMATION:
Most health professional schools -medical, dental,
osteopathic, etc. - require the results of at least one standardized
admissions examination. For dental school the admission test is
the Dental Admissions Test (DAT). This test
should be taken no later than one year before one expects to apply to
dental school. Test scores are generally applicable for two to
three years and you really should not take it more than three times (and
expect to get accepted). Please click your mouse on the DAT
for further information on this matter.
The American Association of
Dental Schools Applications Service (AADSAS) is a national uniform
application-preparation service requested by the majority of dental
schools. Information and/or forms needed for this application
service are usually  available in the pre-health professions office of
your college. The AADSAS serves as your initial application to
most dental schools. DENTAL SCHOOLS MAY INVITE STUDENTS FOR
INTERVIEWS BASED ON AADSAS INFORMATION ALONE-EVEN PRIOR TO THE RECEIPT
OF THE DAT SCORES!! Click here for more information on the AADSAS.
In addition to the AADSAS packet and your DAT scores,
dental schools will need some letters of recommendation from professors
and/or dentists. We have placed an overview on this on our Letters
of Recommendation page.
THE ESSAY AND INTERVIEW:
Both the AADSAS and the schools will require
essays. These will represent YOU and are very important. I
personally know of someone who had great scores on the admissions tests
and a high GPA, but his essays were poor. He did not get in
anywhere. When it is time to write essays, typically when applying to
AADSAS and when you receive secondary applications from the schools that
liked your initial application, visit the page dedicated to writing
essays.
During the interview, often it will be necessary for
you to reveal just how "well-rounded" you are. The term cultural
literacy has been coined for this reason. Check it out.
Then if you're lucky, keep your fingers crossed,
you'll get all kinds of interviews. I think we can all appreciate
how important this is. The great part is if you get this far then
typically your grade requirements have been met and now they just want
to get to know you and how you act, or react, under pressure.
Preparation is a must here! You don't want to blow it just because
you didn't prepare yourself....I suggest you take some advise, click
here for some good information on the interview
process.
[Students]
[Organizations] [Applicants]
[Finances]
[Photos] [City
of Buffalo] [Links]
[Credits]
Images © 1999 www.arttoday.com
Copyright © 1999 University at Buffalo
School of Dental Medicine
Last modified: August 09, 1999
|