à£à£Ö±²¥Ðãing to Dental School
Dental programs require various prerequisites for admission and consider a variety of clinical and non-clinical experiences.
This typically includes:
- A bachelor's degree
- Specific prerequisite coursework
- Standardized test scores
- Clinical and non-clinical experiences
- Research (not always)
Become a Dentist:
Check the directory of accredited programs to search for information about admissions requirements for the school(s) to which you plan to apply: .
In addition to becoming a DDS, students often choose to continue schooling in a , such as:
- Endodontics
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- Orthodontics
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Periodontics
- Prosthodontics
Common pathways @ ODU
What major should you choose? You can major in anything and apply to dental school. Admissions requirements vary from school to school, so you should do your research to make sure you have a plan to meet all of the requirements needed for your schools of interest. The Health Pathways page provides information about health-related programs at ODU. This is a good place to start exploring options to make sure you've chosen your best fit major.
How to Build a Competitive Application
You'll apply through a Centralized Application Service, or CAS. The link below explains how GPAs are calculated:
| Associated American Dental Schools Application Service |
DAT Prep:
- Shadow:
- Become a dental assistant:
- Volunteer at the Chesapeake Care Clinic:
- The Virginia Volunteer Health System (VVHS) - Medical Reserve Corps:
- Western Tidewater Free Clinic:
Research
Research experience, either as an undergraduate or during a gap year can be a great way to hone your analytical skills and can help to strengthen your dental school application:
As a R1 research institution, there are many opportunities on campus to gain research experience as an undergraduate. Look up faculty in the College of Sciences, Ellmer College of Health Sciences, Ellmer School of Nursing, and Joint School of Public Health and reach out to professor(s) whose research matches your interests.
Leadership
Join a club or organization and volunteer for a leadership position
Unique Life Experiences
- Multilingual
- Study Abroad or travel outside of the US
- Peace Corps
- Military Experience
- Work full time
Common Prerequisites
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Common Prerequisite Courses |
Course Numbers |
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General Biology I & II w/ labs |
BIOL 121N/122N |
BIOL 123N/124N |
|
General/Inorganic Chemistry I & II w/ labs |
CHEM 121N/122N |
CHEM 123N/124N |
|
Organic Chemistry I & II w/labs |
CHEM 211/212 |
CHEM 213/214 |
|
Biochemistry |
CHEM 441 |
|
|
College or University Physics I & II w labs |
PHYS 111N or PHYS 231N |
PHYS 112N or PHYS 232N |
|
Statistics |
STAT 130M |
|
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Behavioral Science courses |
PSYC 201S SOC 201S |
|
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Courses or activities that help develop psychomotor skills/manual dexterity |
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