Pre-Dentistry
Oral medicine is a cornerstone of human health. As a dentist, you provide direct care to patients, preventing diseases, disorders and other conditions of the mouth—vastly improving their quality of life. The pre-dentistry academic track offers coursework in biology, chemistry, physics, English and more, all of which are needed to enter dental school. As part of Wheaton’s distinctive liberal arts program, you’ll have access to faculty mentors, resources for valuable internship experiences and state-of-the art facilities to position you for success.
Courses required by the majority of dental schools
Consult the Pre-Health Faculty Adviser for the right sequence of courses for you.
All of the courses below are required before applying to dental schools. Keep in mind that these courses represent the basic requirements for most dental schools. Additional courses are common. Check with specific dental school programs for extra requirements.
All dental schools recommend or require a specific number of hours job shadowing a dentist. Consult with specific schools.
There are 66 dental schools in the US and 10 in Canada.
Three Biology courses
Bio 114: Introduction to the Biological Sciences
Bio 221: Microbiology
Bio 305: Biochemistry*
*Course pre-requisites for Bio 305: Biochemistry that must be completed before taking the course – Chem 253, Chem 254, and BIO 221.
Note: Consult with specific dental schools for additional courses required.
For example: Eleven dental schools require Bio 106: Human Anatomy; Nine require Bio 244: Introductory Physiology; Seven require one or two semesters of mathematics. For those which do, Math 101: Calculus I is the required course;F our require Psy 101: Introductory Psychology
Four Chemistry courses
Chem 153: Chemical Principles
Chem 253: Organic Chemistry I
Chem 254: Organic Chemistry II
Chem 232: Aqueous Equilibria
Two Physics courses
Phys 170: Introductory Physics I
Phys 171: Introductory Physics II
Two English courses
Eng 101: Writing
One English class: 200-level or above
Dental School Curricular Path (pdf)
Pre-Health Faculty Advising
Working with a dedicated Pre-Health Faculty Advisor, students interested in pre-health can expect individualized curricular sequencing guidance, career advice and coaching, and pre-application support for graduate and medical schools. Pre-health career students can also access a wide array of internship and shadowing opportunities that are regularly shared by the Pre-Health Faculty Advisor.
Students applying to pre-health graduate programs receive graduate school selection guidance and support, personal statement guidance, interview preparation, feedback on application materials, and testing guidance and testing preparation for GRE/MCAT/DAT/PCAT.
Medical school applicants are supported at Wheaton College through the Pre-Health Advisor and the work of an interdisciplinary committee of staff and faculty. Wheaton College’s Pre-Health Advisor is Hilary Gaudet, Ph.D.