Academics at MBC
Dentistry
Entry into a dental school requires that you take the courses shown in the table below.
| DENTAL SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS |
MBC EQUIVALENTS |
|---|---|
| English (6 hrs.) | ENG 102 and ENG XXX |
| Biology with labs (8 hrs.) | BIOL 111-112 |
| General chemistry with labs (8 hrs.) | CHEM 111-212, 214L |
| Organic chemistry (lab not required) (8 hrs.) | CHEM 112-211, 213L |
| General physics (no lab required) (6 hrs.) | PHY 201-202 |
Students are encouraged to take as many courses as possible to reflect a liberal, but targeted education.
By the end of the spring of your junior year you should take the Dental Admissions Test (DAT), then over the summer complete the AADSAS application. By the end of the summer before your senior year you should be ready to submit the application, letters of reference (even if not required until the supplemental application), and official transcripts to the service. You may receive a supplemental application from individual schools later in the fall and then be invited for an interview.
The Dental Admission Test (DAT) consists of 6 sections: Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Survey of the Natural Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry), and Perceptual Ability. Each section is worth 30 points. Many top dental schools require an 18 in each science category. Anything less than a 15 is considered to be an unacceptable score for competitive programs. You should plan your junior year to have fewer credit hours so that you can dedicate as much time as possible to review for the DAT. There are many review books available at area bookstores. Test applications can be obtained online (http://www.ada.org/prof/ed/testing/dat/index.asp) or by contacting:
Dental Admissions Testing Program
211 East Chicago Avenue
Suite 600
Chicago, IL 60611
