Dentistry is a growing, diverse field of study and practice. Students who are interested in this path should plan on significant shadowing experiences. Sewanee has several dental internships available during the school year and summer, and students are encouraged to participate in dental outreach trips. Dental school admissions requirements can vary by school (so please visit dental school web pages and call their Admissions office), but in general include coursework in biology, chemistry (including required organic chemistry and highly recommended biochemistry), physics, math (a few schools), and English (art with sculpture is also frequently recommended). 

 

Students are required to take the DAT entrance exam. However, as this exam does not contain physics content, it is encouraged that students consider taking the exam shortly after completion of their mathematics, chemistry, and biology prerequisite coursework and after appropriate DAT preparation. Students will apply via a common application through ADEA.

Plan of Study

There are various pathways through the Sewanee curriculum to meet the academic requirements to apply to dental school. It is strongly recommended to complete CHEM 120 in your freshmen year. Additionally, it is recommended to complete BIOL 233 by the end of your sophomore year. These recommendations will allow you the most options to timely take upper level science courses required for dental school. Physics is usually, but not always, taken in the junior or senior year (and is not required for preparation for the DAT entrance exam). 

Tutoring

The pre-health curriculum consists of a diverse array of coursework, much in the STEM fields. These courses are often extremely rigorous in order to provide students with the background skills and knowledge they need to succeed in health care fields. The Office of Medical and Health Programs (OMHP), partnering with the Sewanee Health Professions Society (SHPS), provides both leadership development opportunities for students interested in tutoring and one-on-one peer tutoring for students seeking tutoring. All peer tutors have not only succeeded in the courses in which they tutor, but they have also been shown to be good teachers and mentors.