Pre-Professional Programs at UT Tyler

Overview

A dentist has earned a degree as either a doctor of dental surgery (D.D.S.) or a doctor of dental medicine (D.D.M.). Dentists examine and treat diseases, injuries and malformation of teeth, gums and mouth. They can enhance the appearance of their patients through dental techniques such as braces, dentures or dental surgery.

Ninety percent of dentists are general practitioners and are usually self-employed. Dentists supervise the work of the dental health care team and have final responsibility for all dental services being provided.

Admission to dental schools requires a minimum of 90 semester hours of credit from an accredited college. Ninety-five percent of applicants have a bachelor’s degree in a scientific field. Graduation from an accredited school of dentistry usually takes about four years. Specialization requires additional years of training.

Dentists in the state of Texas must hold a degree from a dental school accredited by the American Dental Association (ADA) and must pass a national board examination, a clinical examination and a specialty examination. They must also be licensed by the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners.

Texas Dental Schools

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Dentistry

UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry

The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston

Texas Tech Health Science Center Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine

In order for your application to be strong, you must:

• Keep your GPA as high as possible.
• Score above average scores in ALL areas of the DAT.
• Have the upper-division biological science courses that are similar to those taken by the first-year dental students.
• Apply early and pay attention to detail when completing the application.
• Your personal statement should allow the Admissions Committee to know you better. Include your academic and personal achievements, any hardships that you have overcome or other factors that have affected personal or academic progress.
• You must have some observation or shadowing experiences in a general practice dental office. This is required!
• Letter of recommendation from a dentist.
• Participate in opportunities for community service to show the admissions committee that you are serious about helping people.
• Articulate your skills, abilities, attitudes and manual dexterity to show the Admissions Committee that you are motivated and committed for a career in dentistry.

Dental Admissions Test (DAT)

Applicants should take the DAT in the spring or summer prior to applying. The DAT is offered at Prometic Testing Centers with locations throughout the country. The DAT is administered on computer almost every day of the week. An applicant with below-average scores on the test may wish to retake the test in order to become more competitive. A 90-day waiting period is required before re-testing.

• ADEA Dental Admission Test (DAT)
• Study Tips for the DAT

Application Procedures

All Texas dental schools participate in the Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS). This central processing service allows the applicant to apply to any or all of the three dental schools in the state of Texas. The TMDSAS accepts and processes all materials of the primary application for admission to the Doctor of Dental Surgery program only. Texas Residents MUST apply through the TMDSAS.

Students applying to out-of-state dental schools do so through the Amercian Association of Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS). 

What does the Admissions Committee look at when they do a "whole-file review'' of an application?

A comprehensive (whole-file review) of the application is performed to reveal characteristics critical to the practice of dentistry, factors that indicate success in the dental curriculum that are not evident from academic history or standardized test performance, and potential for future contributions to the dental profession. They include:

• Motivation to pursue a career in dentistry.
• Involvement in community service.
• Observation or involvement in a dental office or clinic.
• Involvement in a summer pre-dental preparatory program.
• Letters of evaluation.
• Communication capabilities including writing (as evidenced in personal statement) and conversational English proficiency.
• Region in Texas, in which applicant resides.
• Residence in a Texas county designated as underserved by dental health professionals.
• Employment while attending college.
• Preparation to attend and succeed in post-secondary education.
• Parents' educational background.
• Applicant is first college attendee in his/her immediate family.
• History of extreme hardship.
• Leadership positions held in societies or organizations.
• Multilingual capabilities.

How can a re-applicant become more competitive?

• All re-applicants must be enrolled in course work to be considered as a competitive candidate. We recommend taking post-bac course work in the biological sciences to further prepare for the dental school curriculum, keep current with study skills and prove to the Admissions Committee the applicant's motivation and preparedness. (For example: anatomy, physiology, biochemistry II, microbiology, histology, neuroscience, cell & molecular biology, immunology.)
• Re-applicants need to critically review their applications for areas that may need further work: biological science course work, DAT scores, GPA, community service and volunteer work, general dental office shadowing experience.
• Re-applicants should continue to participate in shadowing and on-going volunteer activities during the application cycle.
• Re-applicants who follow this advice to improve their academic background and general application will be more competitive than those with little change from year to year.
• Working in a dental office alone will not improve the applicant's competitiveness.

Contact

For more information or questions about courses at UT Tyler that will fulfill dental school prerequisites, please contact:

Dr. Rachel Mason
Chief Health Professions Advisor & JAMP Faculty Director
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
The University of Texas at Tyler
3900 University Blvd
Tyler, Texas 75799
Office: RBS 3002
Phone: 903.565.5641

Marti Halbrook, MS
Assistant Director, of Academy of Future Health Professionals
The University of Texas at Tyler
3900 University Blvd
Tyler, Texas 75799
Office: CAS 132
Phone: 903.566.7193