Dentistry
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Career Exploration
Most dentists are general practitioners and handle a variety of dental needs. Other dentists practice in a specialty area that require postdoctoral training, such as dental anesthesiologists, dental public health specialists, Endodontists, oral and maxillofacial radiologists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, oral pathologists, orthodontists, pediatric dentists or periodontists. In addition to owning or co-owning their own practice, Dentists can be associated with hospitals, corporate health clinics, conducting research or teaching, including supervising students in dental school clinics. Students interested in the field are heavily encouraged to job shadow/observe a general dentist; many programs have this as a requirement to apply.
Apply to Dentistry
The application timelines for dental schools vary, but application is typically made in May through December of the junior year and decisions are made in the late fall or early spring semesters of the senior year. Many schools use the centralized application service, ADEA Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS) and others do not.
Applicants to dental schools usually take the Dental Admission Test (DAT). Dental schools use this test along with other factors, such as grade point average, interviews, and recommendations, to admit students into their programs.
Entrance Exam
Suggested test preparation resources: UofL’s REACH center has partnered with The Princeton Review® to offer UofL students FREE DAT practice tests and test prep seminars as well as exclusive discounts on test prep materials and courses through The Princeton Review®.
Find more information at REACH.
Getting Involved
UofL Student Involvement Recognized Student Organizations (RSO’s):
- Alpha Epsilon Delta
- Pre-Dental Society (PDS)
- Multicultural Association of Pre-Health Students (MAPS)
- Spanish Alliance of Louisville: Unifying Diversity (Pre-Heatlh)
You can find all active student organizations by visiting engage.
