Pre-Dentistry

DDS, DOCTOR OF DENTAL SURGERY AND DMD, DOCTOR OF DENTAL MEDICINE

General Guidelines

You can prepare for a career in dentistry at Lewis-Clark State College. Dentists first earn a bachelor’s degree, generally in a major that provides a strong foundation in biological and physical sciences, and they then complete dental school. 

Getting into dental school is a challenging and highly competitive process, but like other LCSC graduates who have been admitted to dental school, you can meet the challenge by working with your advisor, taking required and recommended courses, earning good grades, doing well on the Dental Admissions Test (DAT), completing a certain number of job shadowing hours, and participating in certain service activities.

Prerequisites for Admission to Dental School

Pre-requisites are what you need to complete as an undergraduate to apply for admission to dental school.

Recommended Major: BA/BS in one of the following:

The majors above provide a strong foundation in the sciences, but students who major in a liberal arts degree such as English, communication arts, or a social science are also successful in getting admitted to dental school, provided they incorporate the required and recommended coursework below into their degree plans. 

Required Coursework:
In order to be admitted to most dental schools, you will need to complete a bachelor’s degree, including the following courses:

  • One year of introductory biology
  • One year of general chemistry
  • One year of organic chemistry
  • One year of physics
  • One year of English

Recommended Coursework:

  • Anatomy
  • Physiology
  • Biochemistry
  • Microbiology
  • Histology
  • Cell Biology
  • Immunology
  • Genetics
  • Statistics         

Other requirements for applying to Medical School:

  • Completion of the Dental Admissions Test (DAT)
  • Strong GPA
  • 40-50 documented hours of job shadowing
  • Personal statement
  • Essay
  • Letters of recommendation

Recommended Extra-Curricular Activities:
Join Clubs or Organizations that allow you to develop and document leadership experience.

Get Started

To begin your path toward a career in dentistry, contact a pre-dental advisor today: