Dentists are responsible for preventing, treating, and maintaining the oral health of their patients. The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) describes a successful dentist as someone who is artistic, easy to talk to, a leader, and likes to work with their hands. It is a lucrative and flexible career.
Academic Sample Plan
Plan ahead by viewing the UCSD 4-Year Dental School Timeline.Explore
Discover whether a dental career matches your interests, skills and abilities and meets your lifestyle expectations:
- Explore the "Resources" section of the American Dental Association (ADA) website
- Investigate Careers in Dentistry (ADA)
- Read about Becoming a Dentist on the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) website
- Learn about other opportunities in dentistry
- Read ADEA's information for Future Dentists
Timeline to Dental School
Prepare
Take the Academic Prerequisites
Review the ADEA prerequisite courses website.
- One year of biology
- One year of general chemistry
- One year of organic chemistry (FAQ)
- One year of physics with lab
Additional Recommendations
Some schools may require:
- Biochemistry
- Microbiology
- Anatomy
- Physiology
Manual Dexterity/Fine Motor Skills
Some programs may want to see evidence of fine motor skills or manual dexterity. Students who do not have any extracurriculars in this may want to take art courses (such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, music instruments) either as general education or elective coursework, or consider outside of the classroom experiences. The UC San Diego Craft Center and UC San Diego Extension provide additional ways of getting access to these types of courses.
Gain Experience
- Subscribe to the ADEA GoDental Newsletter
- California Dental Association (CDA)
- American Dental Association (ADA)
- Keep records of your experience (dates, hours, contact persons) for future applications
- Pre-Med/Pre-Health Experiential Opportunities Guidebook
- From the ADEA:
- Academic Enrichment: Programs sponsored by colleges, universities or other nonprofit organizations (e.g., Summer Medical and Dental Education Program/Summer Health Professions Education Program).
- Dental Shadowing: Time spent officially following and observing a health care professional at work, preferably a dentist. When listing a dental shadowing experience, please specify the type of dentist you shadowed in the description box (e.g., general dentist, orthodontist, etc.). Consider UCSD's student-run Free Dental Clinic Project.
- Employment: Paid work done outside of the dental care field; for example, a non-dental healthcare experience, retail, or restaurant job.
- Extracurricular Activities: Any sports teams and other activities through a college or university.
- Research: Research projects done in addition to classroom work; research should NOT appear as credit on a school transcript.
- Volunteer: Volunteer work done outside of the health care field; for example, working for Habitat for Humanity, tutoring students, participating in or working for a fundraiser walk or blood drive, etc.
Get Involved in Student Organizations
Students are encouraged to explore any student organization of interest, not necessarily limited to dental-related groups. A comprehensive list for UCSD students can be found at the Center for Student Involvement.
Apply
You typically apply to dental school about one year before you want to start the program. You will need to identify programs that match your interests and complete an application. Some steps take time so plan ahead!
Take the DAT
Write Your Personal Statement
- Explain a defining moment that compelled you to pursue dentistry
- Tell YOUR story
- 4500 characters maximum
- Explore additional tips when developing your personal statement
Collect Letters of Evaluation
Use Interfolio to store letters
Select Schools & Programs
- Check out the ADEA Dental School Explorer (compare dental schools, review metrics)
- Find Dental Schools: consider curriculum, clinical training options, location and cost
- Learn about Choosing a Dental School
- Compare your stats to average GPA and DAT scores in the ADEA Official Guide
Apply for Financial Aid
Submit Your Application
- AADSAS: the application service that compiles your transcripts, letters, essay, and activities
- Managing your application
- AADSAS Application Instructions
Dental School Interview
- Interview Tips from the American Student Dental Association (ASDA)
- Dental School Interviews: Dos and Dont's
Additional Application Information
- Get more info on your personal essay, interview tips, letters of evaluation, and taking a gap year.
Gaining Experience
For any successful pre-health path, you will need to demonstrate you have experience. This includes service/volunteering, leadership, research, and/or other experiential learning opportunities.