Dentistry
The dental profession has many exciting career paths to explore.
Explore
There are many professional opportunities for dentists from family practice to specialty fields such as orthodontics and oral and maxillofacial surgery. Some dentists choose to do research and teach in dental schools.
Similar to medical school applicants, most Bryn Mawr dental school applicants apply after graduating from college, which enables them to focus on their studies while taking advantage of the many opportunities afforded by a liberal arts college education. In fact, at many dental schools the average age in the entering dental student class is 24, which signifies a national trend of students applying to dental school after graduation.
Many dental schools reserve the majority of their seats for in-state residents. You should plan your predental course work around the requirements of your state dental school.
An excellent way to gain exposure to the profession is by shadowing a family dentist. Many dental schools require applicants to have 50-100 hours of observation at a dental practice by the time the student applies to dental school. Contact your family dentist to see if you would be able to spend time shadowing at her/his office during your breaks from college.
Because it is often difficult for predental students to find volunteer positions in dental clinics, visit Volunteer and Internship Opportunities to help you gain experience that demonstrates your commitment to service.
The dental school application has questions about hobbies involving "manual dexterity." Consider joining a club or learning an instrument that will demonstrate your manual dexterity.
Although individual dental schools place different levels of emphasis on DAT scores, they are especially important because they are the only common metric among all applicants.
Make an appointment with Assistant Dean Gail G. Glicksman to discuss the application process, gglicksman@brynmawr.edu, 610-526-7350.
Contact Us
Health Professions Advising Office
Park Science Building
Room 349
610-526-7350
hpao@brynmawr.edu
Open year-round
Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.