Dentistry

There are many professional opportunities for dentists from family practice to specialty fields such as orthodontics and oral and maxillofacial surgery. Some dentists choose to do research and teach in dental schools. The dental profession has many exciting career paths to explore.

Similar to medical school applicants, most Bryn Mawr dental school applicants apply after graduating from college, which enables them to focus on their studies while taking advantage of the many opportunities afforded by a liberal arts college education. In fact, at many dental schools the average age in the entering dental student class is 24, which signifies a national trend of students applying to dental school after graduation.

The Importance of State Residency in the Admissions Process

Many dental schools reserve the majority of their seats for in-state residents. You should plan your predental course work around the requirements of your state dental school.

Shadowing Dentists

An excellent way to gain exposure to the profession is by shadowing a family dentist. In fact, many dental schools require applicants to have 50-100 hours of observation at a dental practice by the time that the student applies to dental school. Contact your family dentist to see if you would be able to spend time shadowing at her/his office during your breaks from college.

Community Service and Volunteer Experience

Because it is often difficult for predental students to find volunteer positions in dental clinics, visit Volunteer and Internship Opportunities to help you gain experience that demonstrates your commitment to service.

Demonstrating Manual Dexterity

The dental school application has questions about hobbies involving "manual dexterity." Consider joining a club or learning an instrument that will demonstrate your manual dexterity.

Dental Admission Test (DAT)

Although individual dental schools place different levels of emphasis on DAT scores, they are especially important because they are the only common metric among all applicants.