Students should consult frequently with Dr. Pomeroy-Black in addition to their primary advisors for their majors. The pre-dental student should select a major as early as possible and work toward the B.S. degree.

The pre-dental student should be familiar with the specific requirements set by the dental schools to which he or she plans to apply, especially as it applies to upper-level Biology courses. There is some variation in the requirements of the various schools, but the minimum requirements set by most schools of dentistry are:

• a minimum GPA of 2.8, with a “C” or better in all courses.The average GPA is 3.5-3.6.
• a minimum score of 15 on the Dental Admissions Test (DAT) no later than September 30 preceding the year of entry.  The average score is 20/21.
• the following courses:
  • Principles of Biology, with lab (8 semester hours)
  • General Chemistry, with lab (8 semester hours)
  • Organic Chemistry, with lab (8 semester hours)
  • Biochemistry, with lab (4 semester hours)
  • Physics, with lab (4-8 semester hours)
  • English (6 semester hours)
• 100-300 shadowing hours

Students should keep records of dates, duration, and types of experience when participating in shadowing, volunteer, or paid work in a dental setting.

Recommended courses include Immunology, Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology, Embryology, Genetics, Cell Physiology, and Neurobiology.  Other recommended courses not within science include Psychology, Management, and Sculpture.