Getting In

Getting In: The Process

Getting into dental school is a process not an event. The areas of immediate attention are listed below. Above, you will find links which allow for strategic planning for progression as a predental student.

Predental Advisor: Contact your schools predental (or prehealth science) advisor. Why? They should be able to help you immensely, and might avoid common errors. It is NEVER to early to open communication channels with them.

Observe: Find a dentist you can observe on a regular basis.

You will have more success if you visit the dentist to ask about shadowing. It is easy to reject people over the phone. With telemarketing the way it is, people have gotten good at it. The best time to go talk to them is either before lunch or at the end of the day. You can call the office to find out their hours. --If you show up 15 minutes before either of those times, your chances of catching the dentist with a free moment is high.

Make sure you dress well when you go talk to them. Tell him or her that you are considering dentistry as a career. Ask if you can come in and observe. Find out what he or she wants you to wear. Some offices are shirt-and-tie type offices. Some are golf shirt type offices. Ask how far in advance you need to contact them about days you want to visit.

Once you have an office you can visit often, learn to read their schedule. This will allow you to look for future procedures that you have not seen and/or interest you.

Why observe? There is nothing that can give you a feel for dentistry like being in the office staring down at people's mouths and seeing what you will really do.

Ask: Ask your dentist what it's like to be a dentist and to go to dental school. Why? You will gain a broader perspective of the career and the joys and stress which come with it. For some, this will provide further motivation. You'll have a clearer goal and be more informed when your interviewer asks you "Why do you want to be a dentist?" For others, this could help you to avoid heading down the wrong path only to realize that you ended up where you might not want to be.

Purchase: Ultimate Dental School Admission Guide. Why? Because Dr. Kanani and his staff collectively publish information on every US and Canadian dental school in one book so it would be right at your finger tips. Find out more by going to the publications section of this web site. In summary, get it soon.

Visit dental schools: Talk to the students and ask them how they feel about their schools. Ask them about the pros and cons of their university (an honest, objective appraisal will include both). Take a tour and look at the facilities. Note how much effort the school has put forth in keeping them current. Do they keep the facilities clean (look at a lab)? Have they provided a place for you to kick back? Do they have a cafeteria (or do they expect you to be nourished by vending machines)? By visiting schools when you are near them, you might save a lot of money in applications and plane tickets to schools you realized weren't for you.

"Dentistry requires a mental and physical work ethic which will show up in your academic progress, personal persist, and general preparation for dental school."

Getting In: The Process