Dentist

Dentists are medical professionals who specialize in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases of the teeth, mouth and oral cavity. Dentists also provide a range of oral-health services.

Clemson University prepares students for application to a four-year doctor of dental surgery or doctor of dental medicine degree program. See www.adea.org for additional information. Pre-dentistry is not a major. Therefore, you must choose a degree-granting major (and minor, if appropriate). Dental schools do not discriminate among the different disciplines from which you may choose, meaning that you can and should choose the curriculum that interests you most and excel. Be sure to accommodate prerequisite courses for your dental schools of interest.

What is Competitive?

Admissions criteria vary by institution and should be verified individually. According to American Dental Education Association data, a competitive applicant for admission to DMD programs has an average grade point average of 3.54 and an average Dental Admission Test score of 19.9, as compared to the overall applicant pool, which had an average GPA of 3.36 and DAT score of 18.8.

Core Preparation Courses

Requirements vary by institution and should be verified. Students planning to pursue a degree in dentistry should expect to take the following courses:

• Introductory Biology: BIOL 1030 and BIOL 1050, and BIOL 1040 and BIOL 1060 or BIOL 1100 BIOL 1110.
• Introductory Chemistry: CH 1010 and CH 1020.
• Organic Chemistry: CH 2230 and CH 2270, and CH 2240 and CH 2280.
• Physics: PHYS 1220 and PHYS 1240 and PHYS 2210 and PHYS 2230; or PHYS 2070 and PHYS 2090 and PHYS 2080 and PHYS 2100.
• Mathematics: MATH 1010, MATH 1020 or MATH 1060.
• Composition: ENGL 1030.
• Literature: ENGL 2120, ENGL 2130, ENGL 2140, ENGL or 2150.

Additional recommended courses include:

• Anatomy and Physiology: BIOL 2220 BIOL 2230, or BIOL 3150 and BIOL 3160.
• Biochemistry: BCHM 3010 or BCHM 3050.
• Genetics: GEN 3000 or GEN 3020.
• Microbiology: MICR 3050.