Timeline

Here you will find a typical schedule followed by WashU pre-dental students. It includes both important required classes and helpful tips.

Remember this is a GUIDE! You can take classes at your own pace during fall, spring, and even summer semesters. Still, be sure to complete your introductory science prerequisites (except physics) before taking the DAT.

Freshman Fall:

  1. Familiarize yourself with your school’s graduation requirements and your curriculum (e.g. Discovery or IQ for Arts and Sciences students). Your four year advisor can help you with this.
  2. Take General Chemistry 111A OR 105, and General Chemistry Lab 151.
  3. Take Writing 1 (College Writing) either this semester or next.
  4. Enjoy the immense amount of programming that WashU offers freshmen! College is about more than just learning in the classroom. Have fun and find some extra curricular activities that you enjoy.
  5. Don’t forget about resources available at Cornerstone, the Career Center, and the Writing Center. See the Resources tab for more information.
  6. Join the Pre-Dental Society! Simply e-mail us.
  7. Join the pre-health mailing list to receive emails about pre-health related topics. How? Email Ms. Liz Drury (prehealth@artsci.wustl.edu) and request to be added to the list serv mailing list. Be sure to include your anticipated year of entry into dental school, WUSTL email address, and first and last name.

Freshman Spring:

  1. Take General Chemistry 112A OR 106 and General Chemistry Lab 152
  2. Take Biology 2960 (Check out Anki http://ankisrs.net/ an intelligent flashcard maker to help you memorize topics in biology)
  3. Take Writing 1 (College Writing) if you did not take it last semester
  4. Start thinking about what you will major in! (Remember: you do NOT have to be a biology major to go to dental school. Major in what you will enjoy most. Just do not forget to complete all necessary prerequisites.)

Freshman Summer

  1. Volunteer at a dental clinic, shadow, or get some research experience!
  2. Relax! You worked hard this past school year so don’t forget to take some time to unwind and get prepared for the next year.

Sophomore Fall:

  1. Take Biology 2970.
  2. Take Organic Chemistry 261.
  3. Continue thinking about what you will major in. You have to declare by next semester.
  4. Try to develop relationships with your professors. Attend office hours and/or ask questions after class. Not only will this help you better understand the material, but it will also help when you obtain letters of recommendation for dental school applications. You will (generally) need two science letters of recommendation and you want the professors who write them to know you well. Note: some schools have varying requirements for letters of recommendation. Be sure to check the websites of schools you are interested in for more details.

Sophomore Spring:

  1. Take Organic Chemistry 262.
  2. If you plan to take the Dental Admissions Test (DAT) this summer, then a good course to take is Physiological Control Systems 3058, which covers the human systems (respiratory, circulatory, and nervous) that appear on the test. For more information on the DAT, see our page: Preparing for the DAT.
  3. Declare your major!
  4. Begin thinking about what schools you will apply to since some schools require biochemistry, microbiology, anatomy, and physiology! Each school’s website will specifically state what they require and recommend you complete before entering their dental school.

Sophomore Summer

  1. Now may be a good time to take the DAT! Since physics is not on the DAT you have already completed all of the courses that show up on the test. Also organic chemistry will still be fresh in your mind as well as physiological control systems if you opted to take that class.
  2. Volunteer at a dental clinic, shadow, or get some research experience!
  3. Begin working on your Personal Information Review materials (you should receive a link near the end of the summer)
  4. Begin brainstorming/writing your Personal Statement. According to our advisors, people go through as many as 14 complete drafts before arriving at their final, finished statement. This takes a lot of time. The earlier you begin, the less stressful the process will be for you. Attending a personal statement workshop will help you start brainstorming and even allow you to meet one-on-one with an advisor.

Junior Fall

  1. Take Physics 191 (lecture) and Physics 191L (lab).
  2. Continue building relationships with professors.
  3. Finish filling out your PIR materials and request a pre-health advisor.
  4. Write your personal statement and be sure to enlist the help of multiple reviewers. Having multiple individuals review your personal statement will be tremendously helpful. Possible reviewers include your advisors (pre-health, major, and four-year), professors, peers, and those at the Writing Center and Career Center. You want your personal statement to really represent who you are, because it is one of the most important components of your application in determining whether you receive an interview (after GPA and DAT scores).

Junior Spring

  1. Take Physics 192 (lecture) and Physics 192L (lab).
  2. Request letters of recommendation. Do this early so that you provide your professors with ample time to write a good letter. Remember, you are not the only one requesting a letter of recommendation.
  3. Research dental schools to decide which ones you will apply to. Pick up a copy of the ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools and/or visit websites.
  4. Write your personal statement! If you haven’t already, attend a personal statement workshop so that you can meet with a personal statement advisor one-on-one.

Junior Summer

  1. The time is finally here! Apply to dental school! Because dental school applications operate by rolling admissions, submitting your application as early as possible can give you a great advantage. Thus, have all of your application materials ready for when the AADSAS application opens on the first business day in June. If you are a Texas resident, apply through the TMDSAS system, which opens at the beginning of May. Please note, those who are not residents of Texas may also use this to apply to Texas dental schools.
  2. Request your transcripts on WebSTAC and send in your transcript matching form as soon as you access your application on AADSAS. It can take over a week for AADSAS to receive your transcript. If you wait to request your transcript until after you submit the application, it delays the verification of your application when you finally do submit. REMEMBER: Applications can take up to 6 weeks to be verified! If you submit early it will probably only take one week. Applications generally are mailed to designated schools once a week beginning the last week of June.

Senior Fall

  1. Interview!
  2. Take any prerequisites required by the schools you wish to apply.
  3. File your “Intent to Graduate”.
  4. Receive acceptances beginning December 15.

Senior Spring

  1. Celebrate!
  2. If you were not accepted to any schools, find out what was lacking in your application and work to strengthen it when you apply again next cycle. WashU advisors – and even the schools to which you applied – are great resources that will help you determine what areas need improvement. Some suggestions may include: (a) gaining more experience in or knowledge of the profession; (b) strengthening your interpersonal skills (like leadership, communication, etc.); (c) retaking the DAT; (d) taking additional courses, especially upper level science courses (to better prepare yourself for dental school curriculum and to help improve your GPA).