The pre-dentistry program at Marian University is an undergraduate track that prepares you to be a competitive candidate for admission to dental school after completing your bachelor's degree.
Dentists are oral health specialists who are highly qualified and licensed to diagnose and treat conditions and diseases that impact the teeth and gums of their patients. They provide health services that range from the routine to extremely complex.
Dental schools generally offer two types of advanced degrees that require additional education beyond the bachelor's degree:
While every school is different, there is typically very little difference between the types of training you'll receive in either a DMD or DDS program. Often the curriculum is identical, no matter which degree and school you choose.
Becoming a dentist is academically rigorous and generally requires an additional four years of training after completing a bachelor's degree program. But the benefits of your work include:
According to the American Student Dental Association (ASDA), there are 66 dental schools in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. One of them is located in Indianapolis at the Indiana University School of Dentistry.
The application and admission process for students who want to become dentists is competitive, with the ASDA finding just 50 percent of all applicants are accepted each year.
Marian's pre-dentistry program takes the guesswork out of preparing for admission to the dental program of your choosing. You'll get expert academic advising, one-on-one mentoring, customized plans of study, and personal attention that can be hard to find at larger universities.
Some universities weigh their admission decisions on certain areas of your application and your academic preparation more heavily than others. These strengths, listed in decreasing order of importance, are among those typically ranked more highly than others.
1. Completion of prerequisite coursework
2. Dental Admissions Test (DAT)
3. Grade point average (GPA)
4. Research and clinical experience
5. Letters of recommendation
Pre-Dentistry Four-Year Plan (pdf) Pre-Dentistry Checklist (pdf)
Many of our pre-dental students gain clinical experience through internships with local dentists, dental practices and groups, and shadowing dentists (both locally and through study-abroad opportunities). For more information, talk with one of our faculty advisors and staff at The Exchange.
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Marian University does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin, age or disabilities in the selection
of administrative personnel, faculty and staff, and students.
*Placement rates are gathered from data collected from graduates within six months of graduation.
Students may make a complaint to the Indiana Commission of Higher Education.
Marian University is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, Indiana.
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