The most commonly asked question about pre-dentistry (or pre-dental) programs in the U.S. is whether or not these are an actual major or just a program. The answer to that question for almost every major college in the U.S. is that pre-dentistry programs are NOT majors. Rather, a pre-dentistry program is a collection of courses (typically math and science-based) that are combined with your current major and are used to prepare you for dental school.
That said, the importance of a structured pre-dentistry program is to provide you with the prerequisite courses you will need to enter dental school. Far too often, a student pursues their degree - all the while thinking focusing on entering dental school at some point in the future - only to find out they are missing one or more prerequisite courses.
This comes as a shock to many students and sets them back on their career plans. However, colleges have now created specific pre-dentistry programs to make life easier on dental school prospects. By creating a defined program, with a set of required courses, the colleges can now better assist students and also prepare them for their dental school life.
What's more, by having a defined pre-dentistry program, the school can also better evaluate prospective candidates for its own dental school. Are pre-dentistry programs a "must have" for dental school. Not all dental school applicants have completed specific pre-dental programs, however, they have surely completed the required courses to enter dental school. And not all schools offer pre-dentistry programs. Recall, these are not degree-based programs but rather a set of courses you will take combined with your major.
When choosing a college to attend, we would not suggest that you merely look for a school offering a pre-dentistry program. Instead, you should very early on in your student life begin to consider those dental schools you wish to attend. Then, from there start to research their entrance requirements and begin to build your course schedule around the required courses - and good grades won't hurt either.
One way to look at it is that not all medical schools require a pre-medical background but will require you to be prepared for medical school with a certain core of courses and success in those courses. AS such, most dental schools will also not require you to have completed a pre-dentistry program. The advantage of taking a pre-dentistry program may actually come from the valuable experience you will gain. If you are not completely sure you want to enter dental school, the coursework you complete in a pre-dental program will surely assist you in making a smart decision as you approach your senior year. What if your school does not offer a pre-dentistry program? Some students are not quite certain they want to enter dental school. It's a large investment of both time and money. Unfortunately, your current college does not offer a pre-dental program and you have no way of knowing whether or not dental school is truly the path you want to follow. For this, we suggest you take the advice of Ohio State University, which suggests you volunteer in a dental office during your undergraduate years. What a great way of learning more about a career as a dental practitioner!
Now that you have a brief idea about what a pre-dentistry program is all about, we suggest you continue to read through our site to learn more about schools offering pre-dental programs and the benefits of completing these courses in a structured manner.