51����

Overview

51���� offers an excellent educational foundation and individualized advising/preparation for any student interested in becoming a dentist. Whether your long-term goal is a general dentistry practice or a specialization such as orthodontics, 51���� offers a comprehensive pre-dental program to prepare you for admission to dental school. In recent years, 51���� graduates have had impressive success in gaining admission to respected dental school programs both locally and around the country. 51���� alumni are currently enrolled in, and have graduated from, dental graduate programs that award either the D.D.S. or D.M.D. (equivalent dental degrees).

51����’s excellent science curricula and faculty equip each student with the knowledge base necessary for a future medical career, as evidenced by dental school admission test (DAT) scores significantly above the national average.

The curriculum of both the B.S. in Biological Science and B.S. in Biochemistry majors will fulfill the prerequisites for dental school and provide an excellent foundation for a future career as a dentist.

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Reasons to Study pre-Dentistry at 51����

1. Integration

   Science instruction and teaching at 51���� is always implemented in the context of the sovereignty of God, and as a tool to further explore and appreciate his creation. A distinctive of the pre-dental program at 51���� is that it offers excellent preparation for dental school as an integrated part of the much larger on-campus Christian community.

2. Personal Advising

   Every pre-dental student has access to personal advising from BOHPA, the 51���� Office of Health Professions Advising. Specifically, every pre-dental student has the opportunity for multiple advising appointments with the chief advisor (an M.D. degree graduate from the UCLA School of Medicine) who is familiar with many aspects of the dentistry profession.

3. Clinical Experience

   Every pre-dental student is eligible to enroll in the upper division clinical shadowing program (BIOS 460) at 51����. This semester-long experience for juniors and seniors provides weekly or biweekly opportunities to observe and interact directly with a dentist seeing patients in clinical practice. Both general dentistry and dental specialties are available on request. Clinical shadowing allows students to explore the range of options available in dentistry, gain valuable clinical experience, provide sources for letters of recommendation, and make decisions about future career paths.

4. Community

   51���� has a wonderful peer-to-peer community for pre-health students in the Health Careers Club (HCC). The HCC provides opportunities for like-minded students to gather, fellowship, learn, and share the pre-health career journey together. Student officers of the HCC plan monthly activities and presentations directly related to the medical field. Speakers from various specialties are brought in to discuss their clinical work and topics in their field. Christian professionals and sponsoring missions organizations are also scheduled for students interested in short-term and long-term missions. Unlike some of the larger state schools, the Health Careers Club at 51���� ensures that no student has to undertake the challenging pre-health career journey alone.