Requirements for Admission to the Doctor of Dental Surgery Program
The University of Maryland School of Dentistry seeks to enroll the highest caliber of students who will become exemplary health care professionals. To achieve this strategic objective, the dental school has established admissions criteria that permits flexibility in choosing an undergraduate program while remaining discriminative with regard to scholastic achievement. Students who are majoring in either science or non-science disciplines, as well as individuals interested in career changes, are encouraged to apply. In addition, those individuals who are interested in changing their careers will receive careful consideration for admission. The admissions process strives to identify applicants who possess the ability to think critically and who have demonstrated independence and self-direction. In all respects, applicants must give every promise of becoming successful students and practitioners of the highest ethical standards.
Applicants should be able to demonstrate not only that they have participated in a challenging program in their respective disciplines, but also that it was supplemented by a broad selection of courses in the social sciences, humanities, and arts. Applicants should also be able to demonstrate at least 100 hours of activities undertaken to investigate the dental profession. Additionally, experiences that develop manual dexterity are strongly recommended. An important distinction is demonstrating an ability to manipulate very small objects (such as beads, needle work or small simulation models) as opposed to the eye-hand coordination of most sports.
Although the completion of a bachelor’s degree before dental school matriculation is strongly encouraged by the Committee on Dental Recruitment and Admissions, applicants who have successfully completed at least three academic years (90 credit hours) in an accredited university will be considered for admission.
No more than 60 of the minimum required credits will be accepted from a community college or junior college; these credits must have been validated by an accredited college of arts and sciences. All admission requirements must be completed by June 30th of the desired year of admission. Applicants must also present favorable recommendations from their respective pre-professional committee or, if no such committee is available, from one faculty member each in the departments of biology and chemistry. Applicants will not be admitted with unresolved conditions or unresolved failures.
Requirements for admission are subject to change without prior notice, as the Committee on Dental Recruitment and Admissions reserves the right to modify the prerequisites when additional courses are necessary to improve an applicant’s preparation for dental school. At the minimum, the undergraduate curriculum must include the following:
- 8 Semester Hours of General Biology (including laboratories)
- 8 Semester Hours of Inorganic Chemistry (including laboratories)
- 8 Semester Hours of Organic Chemistry (including laboratories)
- 8 Semester Hours of Physics (including laboratories)
- 3 Semester Hours of Biochemistry
- 6 Semester Hours of English Composition
Moreover, applicants are expected to achieve superior grades in these prerequisite courses, because these are predictors of dental student performance in the first two years of the dental curriculum.
A strong record of academic achievement is essential, and all applicants should present science and cumulative grade point averages (GPA) and Dental Admission Test (DAT) scores that exceed the national averages. All applicants are encouraged to take the Dental Admission Test (DAT) no later than December of the year before admission. The final admission decision will be based on DAT scores, performance in previous academic programs, the quality of those programs, and personal factors as evidenced by letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, and a personal interview.
Before applying to the dental school, potential applicants should note the University of Maryland’s Policy Concerning Prevention and Management of Student and Employee Infection with Bloodborne Pathogens, and the School of Dentistry’s Technical Standards for Admission and Matriculation. In addition, individuals who may have a prior or subsequent conviction or nolo contendere plea for a felony may encounter denial or removal of licensure.