Health Professions: Pre-Dental
http://www.career.vt.edu/OHPA
Dr. Judith A. Wubah
Smith Career Center (0128)
231-6241 jawubah@vt.edu
Office of Health Professions
Advising
(OHPA)
Dr. Jack Evans 2089 Derring Hall (jaevans1@vt.edu)
Pre-Dental Coordinator
Be sure to meet with your departmental Academic Advisor on a regular basis in addition to the above listed individuals.
MAJORS INFORMATION
Any major is acceptable as long as certain specific admission requirements are met. Dental schools like to see students
majoring in a life-science subject.
Common Majors: Biochemistry (BCHM), Biology (BIOL), Engineering (ENGE), and Human, Nutrition, Food and
Exercise (HNFE).
SPECIFIC COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Course Number
Title
CHEM 1035, 1045 (lab)
CHEM 1036, 1046 (lab)
BIOL 1005, 1015
BIOL 1006, 1016
OR
BIOL 1105, 1115
BIOL 1106, 1116
MATH 1015, 1016
General Chemistry, General Chemistry Lab
8
General Biology, General Biology Lab
OR
8
Principles of Biology, Principles of Biology
Lab
Elementary Calculus with Trigonometry
6
CHEM 2535, 2545
CHEM 2536, 2546
PHYS 2205, 2215
PHYS 2206, 2216
Organic Chemistry
6
General Physics, General Physics Lab
OR
PHYS 2305, 2306 Foundations of Physics
Freshman English
8
Biochemistry for Biotechnology and the
Life Sciences
OR
Concepts of Biochemistry
3
ENGL 1105, 1106
BCHM 3114 or 2024
Credits
Prerequisites
Must be taken in
sequence.
CHEM 1036,
CHEM 1046
MATH 1016
MATH 1205
6
Organic Chemistry
(varies according to
course)
COMMUNITY COLLEGE / SUMMER COURSES INFORMATION
It is generally NOT recommended to take these prerequisite courses over the summer. Health professional schools
prefer the courses to be taken at your home institution with a normal academic load. Schools also often frown on
taking science classes at a community college. Community college credits should be kept at a minimum!
ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) or INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB) INFORMATION
Unfortunately, there is no simple way to answer this question. Individual professional schools vary in specific
guidelines regarding applicants with “credit-only” for a pre-requisite course(s). Students with AP or IB credit,
especially in the required sciences, should strongly consider whether or not to accept the credits or take the courses at
Virginia Tech. If students accept AP credit, they should consider demonstrating their abilities by taking additional
courses at the upper levels. If students opt to decline the “credit-only” status for a course, they can elect to complete the
pre-requisite course for a grade with the perspective that prior experience and exposure to the subject area may enhance
their potential for a academic excellence as a first year student.
Health Professions: Pre-Dental
August 2010
rev: JAW
GET INVOLVED!! VT Student Organizations, Courses, and Opportunities
Course: UH 2004: Careers in Medicine 1 credit, sophomore or higher (Fall only)
Office of Health Professions Advising www.career.vt.edu/OHPA
PreDental Club – http://www.predent.org.vt.edu/
INFORMATION SESSIONS
Health Professions Group Information Sessions: Twice per week in the Smith Career Center
Online registration required, there will be specific sessions for Freshmen/Sophomores and Juniors/Seniors.
Check the OHPA website frequently for dates and times.
Dental School Visits: Dean of Admissions from the VCU/MCV Dental School visits VT once each semester.
Schedule a visit with the Dean through Career Services to review your progress and preparation for the application
process.
APPLICATION & ADMISSION INFORMATION

Admission Test - Dental Admission Test (DAT). The test is computer-based and consists of four sections (survey
of natural sciences, perceptual ability, reading comprehension, and quantitative reasoning). It is recommended that
students take the DAT in the spring or summer of junior year, a year before planning to enter dental school.

GPA: ~3.5 to be a competitive candidate. The GPA is calculated several ways; overall, in-major, and science.
Students should check on-line for the mean and range of GPA for their dental schools of choice.

Experience: It is highly recommended that students participate in volunteer service and/or apply for a semester
preceptorship in local hospitals and clinics. The Office for Pre-Health Advising will work collaboratively with
students to assist them gain the necessary practical experience. Certifications (EMT, paramedic, nursing assistant,
etc.) can help with getting experience.

Application: Apply through AADSAS - Associated American Dental Schools Application Service
(http://www.adea.org/dental_education_pathways/aadsas/Pages/default.aspx), an online application process. Filling
out of the dental school application through this service is very time consuming thus students should plan
accordingly. The application process takes approximately one year before a student matriculates into a dental
school.

Campus Interviews: Conducted by the Health Professions Evaluation Committee in the spring of academic year
(March-May)

Dental School Interview: Yes, generally in the fall of the senior year.
OTHER RESOURCES



www.ExploreHEALTHCareers.org, an exceptional resource for students
National Institutes of Health Career Finder, http://scienceeducation.nih.gov/LifeWorks.nsf/feature/index.htm
American Medical Association Health Care Careers Directory, www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/educationcareers/careers-health-care/directory.shtml
 The American Dental Education Association (ADEA), Official Guide to Dental Schools,
www.adea.org
 American Dental Association (ADA) – www.ada.org
 VCU School of Dentistry – www.dentistry.vcu.edu/
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The Office of Health Professions Advising at Virginia Tech assists students and alumni pursuing a health care career
in medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, chiropractic, occupational therapy, nursing, physician's assistant,
veterinary medicine, or other graduate health professions.
Any student or alumnus/alumna of Virginia Tech, regardless of major, can use the services of OHPA. Although the
majority of health professions students major in a science field, it is not required.
Students should meet with their departmental Academic Advisor on a regular basis to ensure requirements are being met
for graduation. The Office of Health Professions Advising is an important complement to academic advising.
Health Professions: Pre-Dental
August 2010
rev: JAW