Dental School - Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have access to the course codes? They are in the instruction book published by the American Dental Education Assocation (ADEA). When it comes to choosing codes, use common sense to make a judgment call, which will be good practice for when you are treating patients! For example, possible codes for your IDS 110 health issues class may be: 1820 Medicine, Other or 1830 Health Sciences, Other. There are no right or wrong answers. Use your best judgment. You will be contacted by schools only if there is a glaring discrepancy.

No you do not need to take an added general chemistry course. We suggest that for 1A you use the General Chemistry code; for 3A use Other Chemistry; 3B: Organic Chemistry, and for MCB 102 use the Biochemistry code. The reasons behind our suggestions will be made clear in the "chemistry letter, " which can be picked up at the Career Center. You do not need to send the letter to AADSAS or to individual schools unless they raise a question about your chemistry sequence.

A grade of any kind (like a d, c, f) with credit hours is figured into your AADSAS gpa. A W (withdrawal) grade is seen by everyone who reviews your file, but will not be figured into the AADSAS gpa, but you will still have to retake the class. If you decide that you would prefer a withdrawal, check this W part out with the good and busy people at L&S Advising or maybe counselors in your major, if you have one. Depending on your reasons for taking this class, you might consider taking 16B next time, instead of 1b. The good people at the Student Learning Center are great at helping you consider your skills/knowledge level as you consider your next math class enrollment. Also, once you get in a class , be sure to connect with them right away.

The Cal Pre-Dental Society is a student group here at Berkeley. This is one place to find other Pre-Dental students and exchange ideas on internships, volunteering experiences and attend presentations by dentists and admissions officers from dental schools. Also check out Cal Corps and the Tang Center for opportunities to work in health care settings. Stiles Hall, located on Bancroft Way between the Career Center and the Tang Center helps connect Cal students with community service opportunities.

Cal does not have a pre-professional health committee, so you should indicate that the Letter Service in the Career Center will send your letters. The schools should be aware of our system. The cover sheet of the letter packet sent states that we do not rank applicants or have a committee process.

There is no need to contact AADSAS for the change in interest you stated below. This will not reduce your chances into getting into a dental school. However, I do recommend you volunteer with, or shadow, an optometrist. You will need to explain your interest in optometry based on your experience with an optometrist, just like you needed to relate your experience with a dentist in the AADSAS.

The answer to your question may in part be answered by how much space is allotted for this information. If there is not a lot of space, you cannot be very detailed. Having stated the obvious, when you list work experience, try to focus on more recent (and hopefully more relevant experience). You probably do not need to go back to high school. Also, you do not need to describe tasks such as answering phones and sending faxes. Rather, you want to focus descriptions on things that will make you attractive to dental schools (such as communications skills, lab work, research, working with spatial relationships, etc.). This part of the application will not "make or break" your admissions chances; don't worry too much about it.

You only have a fixed amount of space for your essay on the on-line application. Their instructions are specific. Not adhering to the 1000 words will reflect negatively on you. Like, "Can't she read/ follow instructions, or write a concise essay?" So edit it to 1000 words. Everyone had to do that.

As with most things, there are differences of opinion here. I would not say all medical schools or dental schools require the grid. The grid can make it easier for the readers of the letter to obtain a fast overall notion of the candidate. So, it may be helpful. Some writers do not choose to use a grid for a variety of reasons. If you can get your writers to use the grid, I would do so. If not, ask them to make comments as to how they view you in reference to others they have written letters for in the past. In short, comparisons are helpful. "He or she was one of the best in this large and talented class," means something. Or, "Of all those I have written letters for in the last X years, he/she is in the top X%." The schools want to obtain letters from people who know you well and who can be specific in describing you. Help them do so by providing information that will allow a good letter. Do not rely on their memories but give copies of papers, exams, in the class and ask a TA to add comments for the letter writer's use. Be active in helping generate a good letter.

This is a question for individual dental schools. Probably the best way to contact dental schools with these types of questions is through the email addresses offered on their websites. We find that most dental schools are responsive to questions submitted in this way. Also for more information on the Test of English as a Foreign Language, go to the TOEFL website.