Pre-Dental

Please contact Matt Rohlf (matthew-rohlf@uiowa.edu) the Pre-Dental Club Advisor or Rachael Kowbel (rachael-kowbel@uiowa.edu) in the Office of Admissions for the current meeting schedule and how to join! Join the club's Facebook Group

Members of the Pre-Dental Club have access to exclusive hands-on activities in the simulation clinic, as well as contact with current students who can answer questions and give tips.

The Pre-Dental Club meets on the first Tuesday of the month from 6-8pm in the Dental Science Building. Check out their info here

The IASDA Summer Academy is a 3 day summer program designed to allow undergraduate students the opportunity to try dentistry. Hands-on activities include taking impressions, drilling & filling plastic teeth, pouring casts, and making mouthguards. See Photos

First, head over to the ADA website to apply for a DentPIN so you can register for the DAT. It is administered at Prometric Testing Centers throughout the country. Your DAT score is good for 3 years, so feel free to take it as soon as you've finished the classes that are relevant to DAT material (biology, math, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry). It is recommended that you take the DAT no later than in the spring the year you wish to apply, so that there is time for you to retake it if you are unhappy with your score.

This varies - some students study for a short time each day over several months, while others study for a long time each day over a few weeks. You will never feel 100% ready for the test, but that doesn't mean you won't do well!

Whichever one you want to study! Just make sure you have completed all prerequisites for the schools you are applying to. Here are some tips from the Academic Advising Center

AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE! You should apply to dental school in June of the year before the year you want to start. EX: If you wish to start in the fall of 2019, you would need to apply in the 2018 AADSAS application cycle. The AADSAS application cycle opens June 1, and the earlier your application is submitted the better. It takes time for your grades to be verified and your DAT scores to be recieved. Just because you submit your application later in the cycle doen't mean you won't get in, but submitting early gives you the best chance for schools who have rolling admissions beginning after December 1.

Things you are passionate about. It can be anything. Don't do tons of extracurriculars, just to have a bunch of things on your resume, choose a few things you care about and invest time in those. Shadow different dentists over time to see all that dentistry entails.