Pre-Dental Masters and Post-Bacc Programs

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aDentite

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I'm starting this thread as a place where people can recommend Masters and Post-Bacc programs that are specifically designed for Pre-Dental students. I know there are already a few threads discussing this topic but they have become muddled with extraneous dialog. Please provide any relevant information on programs you know of that are catered towards people applying to dental school. As of now, the programs I know of are:

1) Midwestern - Master of Arts in Biomedical Science

2) Nova Southeastern - Master of Biomedical Sciences Program

3) University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry Pre-Dental Post-baccalaureate Program

4) Creighton University School of Dentistry Post-baccalaureate Program

5) Baylor College of Dentistry Pre-Dental Post-baccalaureate Program

6) Portland State University Pre-Dental Post-baccalaureate Program

7) Towson University Pre-Dental Post-baccalaureate Program

8) Tufts University School of Dental Medicine Post-baccalaureate Program

9) Southern Illinois University School of Medicine: MEDPREP- medical/dental education preparatory program

10) Barry University Masters in Biomedical Science

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I'm starting this thread as a place where people can recommend Masters and Post-Bacc programs that are specifically designed for Pre-Dental students. I know there are already a few threads discussing this topic but they have become muddled with extraneous dialog. Please provide any relevant information on programs you know of that are catered towards people applying to dental school. As of now, the programs I know of are:

1) Midwestern - Master of Arts in Biomedical Science

This is an excellent program that will prepare you well for professional studies. You will be taking core classes such as biochemistry, histology, microbiology/virology/immunology, pharmacology, physiology, anatomy, medical ethics, learning styles and assessment and completing a capstone project by the end of the program. You will also have the option to take electives such as medical terminology, nutritional biochemistry, neuroanatomy, pathophysiology, medicinal chemistry, biophysics and more! However, the program is geared more towards AZCOM than AZCOD. There are many pre-dents that have gotten in somewhere this year (if you already have decent stats from undergrad. If not, expect to complete the program before anyone would give you a serious look).

http://www.midwestern.edu/Programs_and_Admission/AZ_Master_of_Arts_in_Biomedical_Science.html
 
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Baylor's program is geared towards economically and academically disadvantaged students. Almost all the students in the program (according to the program director) come from areas where there is a shortage of dentists.
 
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UMDNJ - Masters in Biomedical Science MS (thesis) or MBS (non-thesis)
You can take some dental classes with the dental students if you attend the Newark campus. If you get a B+ or above you don't have to retake them if you enter UMDNJ, that said these courses are hard to gain admissions to as they only take 7-15 students per semester. The Newark program however, admits around 120 students per year about 50% pre-med 50% pre-dental.
 
There are also a couple more in CA

1) UCLA

2) USC

3) Loma Linda

These are all under a group called the Souther California Regional Post Bacc program
 
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UMDNJ - Masters in Biomedical Science MS (thesis) or MBS (non-thesis)
You can take some dental classes with the dental students if you attend the Newark campus. If you get a B+ or above you don't have to retake them if you enter UMDNJ, that said these courses are hard to gain admissions to as they only take 7-15 students per semester. The Newark program however, admits around 120 students per year about 50% pre-med 50% pre-dental.


definitely not 50/50 dental to med.

there are about 30 dental 70 med
submit your application anyway.
 
Hey guys, I was wondering what my chances would be for this years cycle. When is it considered late to apply for a masters program and what are the chances for a canadian applicant trying to gain admission into this program
 
Towson is no longer accepting new applications for the Post Baccalaureate program.
 
Mississippi College Masters in Medical Science [too lazy to find link] but there's some good info here:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=424310

I'm currently at MC completing this program, and I have to say, it's great. Its relatively inexpensive compared to other programs, and the workload is intense, similar to dental school. It's for both pre-med and pre-dent students, and they have started offering the option for students to take SHELF exams (neuroanatomy/histology/medical physiology/gross anatomy/pharm 1&2), which are board exams given to students in medical school. If you're interested at all, feel free to check out the website or PM me.

http://www.mc.edu/campus/academics/BIO/degreesgraduatemedsci%20version%201.htm
 
How many students are in that program (premed and predent) and are previous predental student having sucess getting into dental school?
 
How many students are in that program (premed and predent) and are previous predental student having sucess getting into dental school?

If you're referring to the MA at Midwestern (which I am currently enrolled in), it's about half premed and half predental. However, you would most likely have to apply after finishing the program; this means you would have to wait a year before matriculating. The program is fairly new (only about 2-3 years old) so there are no reliable success rates yet.

My own personal rankings for masters programs are as follows (I can't really speak for post-bac programs b/c I didn't do much research on those when I was applying). The criteria is mostly based on what program will get you into dental school the fastest.

1.) Boston University (take actual dental school courses!, research opportunities, 2 yrs long)
2.) UMDNJ (take actual dental school courses! - one year long; said to be in a very urban, dangerous area)
3.) Nova (gets the nod over Tufts due to cheaper tuition and smaller class size)
4.) Tufts
5.) Barry (gets the nod over MWU b/c of its well-known linkages w/Nova)
6.) Midwestern (fairly new program, not established w/other schools, doesn't have any preference for its own students like other programs do, etc.)
 
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If you're referring to the MA at Midwestern (which I am currently enrolled in), it's about half premed and half predental. However, you would most likely have to apply after finishing the program; this means you would have to wait a year before matriculating. The program is fairly new (only about 2-3 years old) so there are no reliable success rates yet.

My own personal rankings for masters programs are as follows (I can't really speak for post-bac programs b/c I didn't do much research on those when I was applying). The criteria is mostly based on what program will get you into dental school the fastest.

1.) Boston University (take actual dental school courses!, research opportunities, 2 yrs long)
2.) UMDNJ (take actual dental school courses! - one year long; said to be in a very urban, dangerous area)
3.) Nova (gets the nod over Tufts due to cheaper tuition and smaller class size)
4.) Tufts
5.) Barry (gets the nod over MWU b/c of its well-known linkages w/Nova)
6.) Midwestern (fairly new program, not established w/other schools, doesn't have any preference for its own students like other programs do, etc.)

I was talking to the person who posted about Mississippi College but I appreciate your post.

For the Boston U program I assume you are not talking about the Oral Health Sciences Track because I believe that is only one year. When people take 2 year programs does that mean they apply in the spring/summer of the first year, and then therefore have no off year, or do students typically have to finish to apply?

I have been doing a lot of research on these programs and so far the list I have put together is:

1. Tufts- seems like the classes are very challenging (all are but I have heard this more so than others) and ~90% of students are getting in to med/dental school.
2. Tulane- Cell/Molelcular Biology
3. Boston- Oral Health Sciences
4. Nova
5. UMDNJ
6. Barry- 1 year program
7. Midwestern
8. Rosalind Franklin
9. Mississippi (i cant find too much info on it)
 
I was talking to the person who posted about Mississippi College but I appreciate your post.

For the Boston U program I assume you are not talking about the Oral Health Sciences Track because I believe that is only one year. When people take 2 year programs does that mean they apply in the spring/summer of the first year, and then therefore have no off year, or do students typically have to finish to apply?

I have been doing a lot of research on these programs and so far the list I have put together is:

1. Tufts- seems like the classes are very challenging (all are but I have heard this more so than others) and ~90% of students are getting in to med/dental school.
2. Tulane- Cell/Molelcular Biology
3. Boston- Oral Health Sciences
4. Nova
5. UMDNJ
6. Barry- 1 year program
7. Midwestern
8. Rosalind Franklin
9. Mississippi (i cant find too much info on it)

Yeah, sorry. I meant to talk about the Oral Health track. It's only one year. For two year programs, people can do either or. If your stats are good enough after one year, go ahead and apply.

But if your stats are lacking, and you want schools to base their decisions off two years of work and an extra degree then you should apply after the second year and have a gap year.
 
How many students are in that program (premed and predent) and are previous predental student having success getting into dental school?

I'm not sure exactly how many total are in our program at the moment, I would estimate around 50-100 since they accept new students for both the fall and spring semesters. The majority of the students here are pre-med, but the program does place emphasis on both professions. From what I have seen, most of the pre-dent students are getting interviews based upon their participation and completion of this program. I was hesitant to start it at first, but, with its intensity level, I think it ranks right up there with other well known programs such as boston, midwestern, etc. It can be completed in a year, most students go for that option, with a few choosing to stay one extra semester in order to space out their workload. The website provides some information, but it would be best to contact Dr. Baldwin via email or phone, he is great to talk to and will be able to provide you with more information on acceptance requirements, and advice on your personal situation. Hope that helps.
 
The webpage for Nova's Masters of Biomedical Science program says it is a 2 year program but I feel like I have read on SDN that it can be done in 1 year. Can anyone confirm the length of this program?
 
I'm not sure exactly how many total are in our program at the moment, I would estimate around 50-100 since they accept new students for both the fall and spring semesters. The majority of the students here are pre-med, but the program does place emphasis on both professions. From what I have seen, most of the pre-dent students are getting interviews based upon their participation and completion of this program. I was hesitant to start it at first, but, with its intensity level, I think it ranks right up there with other well known programs such as boston, midwestern, etc. It can be completed in a year, most students go for that option, with a few choosing to stay one extra semester in order to space out their workload. The website provides some information, but it would be best to contact Dr. Baldwin via email or phone, he is great to talk to and will be able to provide you with more information on acceptance requirements, and advice on your personal situation. Hope that helps.

dds86,
What's the city like there? I saw that the nearest airport is 2 hours away?!
 
dds86,
What's the city like there? I saw that the nearest airport is 2 hours away?!

It's in Clinton, MS. The Jackson airport is 20 minutes away....
 
I have a few questions and would really appreciate the help.

1. If I were to apply now, would I be considered a late applicant?
2. As a canadian, does it affect my chances of acceptance. I figure that since i want to get into an american school, a postbac in an american school would increase the chances.
3. how important is the application essay. did you guys go all out in questions such as for example.. 1. why barry university 2. your future goals.
 
definitely not 50/50 dental to med.

there are about 30 dental 70 med
submit your application anyway.

I think it depends on class year because I'm in the program now and my class definitely feels like there's more dental students than med students.

And as for the dental courses you can take, there's Dental Physiology, Oral Microbiology and Dental Histology that are offered in the fall semester and Dental Biochemistry and Oral Immunology that are offered in the spring semester. Physio takes 10 students, Histo takes 15 and Biochem takes 10. I'm not 100% on Histo though. You need permission to take those courses. The criteria for getting into these classes is primarily based on your GPA and DAT scores. I was unable to take either Histo or Physio in the fall but I did take a fairly heavy courseload and managed to do well and got into Dental Biochem this semester.

Microbio and Oral Immuno are open to all the students as they don't have a student limit. And getting B+/A in those courses exempts you from the courses if you get into UMDNJ dental. All you need to do is to have the professor teaching the course sign off on it.

If you guys have any other questions about the program, feel free to ask
 
I have a few questions and would really appreciate the help.

1. If I were to apply now, would I be considered a late applicant?
2. As a canadian, does it affect my chances of acceptance. I figure that since i want to get into an american school, a postbac in an american school would increase the chances.
3. how important is the application essay. did you guys go all out in questions such as for example.. 1. why barry university 2. your future goals.

1.) No, most of my classmates weren't accepted until Mid June-Early July.

2.) I have a classmate who is Canadian so it's definitely possible.

3.) I'm sure it's variable but personally, I didn't invest too much time (2 drafts compared to the 15 drafts I did for my dental app) on the essay portion when I applied.
 
The webpage for Nova's Masters of Biomedical Science program says it is a 2 year program but I feel like I have read on SDN that it can be done in 1 year. Can anyone confirm the length of this program?

The Nova program that I applied to two years ago only took about 10 students and if you passed the program (which was just the dental school program minus lab work) you gained admittance to the next year class. It was nice because any classes you received an A in you gained credit for the next year. They were very picky in who got in, treating it basically as an alternative for their program.

Now they may have a completely different program so your mileage may vary.
 
I went to Tulane for their 1 year Cell and Molec MS program and was really impressed. The classes were all applicable to what I am now taking in dental school, and part of the curriculum was community involvement with a local dentist. Dr. Grisbaum who runs the program is always there to answer any questions you have and to keep you focused. The program was 31 students so we received a lot of personal attention and guidance.
 
Guys,

I was so happy to find BU's program, but then it said "US Citizen or Permanent Resident" :'(

OK, I see coupld of you mention TUFTS Post Bac.... I have gone to the website, trying to find the information, and can't find it.... Does anyone know whether it's actually under Tufts SDM or other Tufts Grad School? I will appreciate the help!!!
 
I was Looking into the UCONN post bacc program. It looks like they only veer toward Med students and not Dental. Has anyone apply to this program for the purpose of getting into dental school?
 
I'm starting this thread as a place where people can recommend Masters and Post-Bacc programs that are specifically designed for Pre-Dental students. I know there are already a few threads discussing this topic but they have become muddled with extraneous dialog. Please provide any relevant information on programs you know of that are catered towards people applying to dental school. As of now, the programs I know of are:

1) Midwestern - Master of Arts in Biomedical Science

2) Nova Southeastern - Master of Biomedical Sciences Program

3) University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry Pre-Dental Post-baccalaureate Program

4) Creighton University School of Dentistry Post-baccalaureate Program

5) Baylor College of Dentistry Pre-Dental Post-baccalaureate Program

6) Portland State University Pre-Dental Post-baccalaureate Program

7) Towson University Pre-Dental Post-baccalaureate Program

8) Tufts University School of Dental Medicine Post-baccalaureate Program

9) Southern Illinois University School of Medicine: MEDPREP- medical/dental education preparatory program

10) Barry University Masters in Biomedical Science


After reading through most of these posts and not seeing anything about Barry University's Biomedical Science 1 year masters program, I figured I would try tell you a little bit about it.

I went to Barry last year and was in the 1 year Biomedical Science masters program. I applied to several schools last year while I was in the program and was accepted to SIU School of Dental Medicine on December 1st (the first day the ADA allows schools to send out acceptances) and received 5 other interviews. I did not attend the other interviews because my fiance (now wife) lived in St. Louis and SIU was the best choice for me. My stats were okay (3.55 in undergrad with an 18 aa, 18 ts, and 22 perceptual). Being in the Barry masters program showed the schools that I really was dedicated to my studies and would do anything and everything it takes to get in. The program has made my life in dental school so much easier than almost every one of my dental colleagues because of the core curriculum that I took at Barry. Having taken Gross Anatomy (Full Body and a separate Head and Neck Anatomy Course), Histology, Biochemistry (I and II), Neuroanatomy, Physiology, and several other core classes that you WILL have to take in either dental or medical school, I was more prepared for dental school than almost everyone in my class. I now have my masters degree (that I got in 9.5 months and did not have to write a thesis) and am excelling in all of my dental school classes. As to your question about whether or not they allow non-US residents to enroll in the program.... I had a guy from France and a girl from Vietnam in my class. They were both on student visas so I am sure you could attend Barry if you can attain a student visa.

When I was applying, I did not send in my application until mid April and got into the 1-year program about a week later by phone call. The application is very simple and can be found at http://www.barry.edu/bms/Default.asp.

I went back to Miami about 3 weeks ago and saw a lot of the people I went to school with. As of now, there are only 2 of my 15 closest friends that have NOT been accepted into a school yet. Not bad if you ask me.

I hope all of this has helped. I would recommend Barry to anyone who asks where they can go to better their chances at acceptance to a health professional school. Oh yea... and did I mention that Barry is 15 minutes from South Beach in Miami, FL? That was the deciding factor for me!
 
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Hey, I just got into Barry yesterday and I was wondering if you could elaborate on how hard classes are and how you can prepare?
 
One program that I didn't see listed is at Hunter College in NYC (part of CUNY). The advantage of this program compared to Columbia and NYU is that you can work full time and take all of your classes. Plus, it's less expensive.
 
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Anyone know how much the Oral Science at Boston U costs?
 
Dont go on these forums very much but thought I should mention a few things about TUFTS MBS ( Master in Biomedical Sciences part of tufts medical school graduate degree programs). I was part of there 2nd class 2008-2010, just finishing up my thesis work now. It was a very hard program but well worth it. I was the first in the program to go onto dental school and will be attending TSDM this fall. I highly recommended this program to all very motivated pre dents out there...just be prepared to work!
 
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Does anyone know if NYU or Columbia has any pos bac/ 1 yr masters programs?
 
I'm pretty sure NYU does offer some type of masters program. Though exactly what type it is I'm not sure of
 
I got accepted into the OHST . Do you have any info about the matriculation rate and do you get exempt from taking the classes in dental school if one does well.
Thanks
 
So about the Midwestern program, what are the chances of getting into dental school? Like many that I have heard from, does it still only help with getting into MWSOD or has it gain some reputation among other dental schools?
 
Will UMDNJ give you credit and exempt you from taking dental courses if you do a masters program at another university like BU.
Thanks



And as for the dental courses you can take, there's Dental Physiology, Oral Microbiology and Dental Histology that are offered in the fall semester and Dental Biochemistry and Oral Immunology that are offered in the spring semester. Physio takes 10 students, Histo takes 15 and Biochem takes 10. I'm not 100% on Histo though. You need permission to take those courses. The criteria for getting into these classes is primarily based on your GPA and DAT scores. I was unable to take either Histo or Physio in the fall but I did take a fairly heavy courseload and managed to do well and got into Dental Biochem this semester.

Microbio and Oral Immuno are open to all the students as they don't have a student limit. And getting B+/A in those courses exempts you from the courses if you get into UMDNJ dental. All you need to do is to have the professor teaching the course sign off on it.

If you guys have any other questions about the program, feel free to ask[/QUOTE]
 
What is the advantage of doing a master's program over retaking courses?

does a master's program give you a new GPA? or does it get averaged with your undergraduate GPA?
 
The webpage for Nova's Masters of Biomedical Science program says it is a 2 year program but I feel like I have read on SDN that it can be done in 1 year. Can anyone confirm the length of this program?


I was told that if you get 90s and above in the classes, you get to skip them in Dental School, so would that mean you get accepted right away? right?
Also, if you get 80s and above, you get to skip the second year of the Masters and automatically enter the 1st of Dental School.

This is what I was told on another link, I cannot say this is 100% true

so if someone has a more reliable info, id greatly appreciated:)
 
This is an excellent program that will prepare you well for professional studies. You will be taking core classes such as biochemistry, histology, microbiology/virology/immunology, pharmacology, physiology, anatomy, medical ethics, learning styles and assessment and completing a capstone project by the end of the program. You will also have the option to take electives such as medical terminology, nutritional biochemistry, neuroanatomy, pathophysiology, medicinal chemistry, biophysics and more! However, the program is geared more towards AZCOM than AZCOD. There are many pre-dents that have gotten in somewhere this year (if you already have decent stats from undergrad. If not, expect to complete the program before anyone would give you a serious look).

http://www.midwestern.edu/Programs_and_Admission/AZ_Master_of_Arts_in_Biomedical_Science.html
I have to agree here....I completed the masters program at midwestern and learned a great deal. It was well worth it. It does suck that MWU dental doesnt have a preference for its alumni. AZCOMM does though.
 
What is the advantage of doing a master's program over retaking courses?

does a master's program give you a new GPA? or does it get averaged with your undergraduate GPA?
Getting a masters is regarded as showing dedication to the medical professions. It also allows you to strengthen your scientific background and prepares you for professional school. In the near future, obtaining a masters is going to be the norm if you want to be a competitive applicant. Most dental schools believe this philosophy: anyone can retake a class and do well the second time. They do not look upon it favorably.
 
Getting a masters is regarded as showing dedication to the medical professions. It also allows you to strengthen your scientific background and prepares you for professional school. In the near future, obtaining a masters is going to be the norm if you want to be a competitive applicant. Most dental schools believe this philosophy: anyone can retake a class and do well the second time. They do not look upon it favorably.
it doesnt give you a new GPA but i have heard that dental schools look preferentially at the masters GPA. Not 100% sure about the GPAs though.....been wondering about this myself.
 
hey all.. i'm pretty new to sdn//really could use some help... PLEASE

i recently graduated from The College of NJ this past may and have been heavily debating on which type of school I should apply to next. Dentistry is my absolute dream and at this point, i'm pretty much willing to do anything to get there. during my undergrad i went thru a few personal issues, but no sob story... in sum, my undergrad record is not in my favor: overall gpa 3.1/science 2.6 ... DAT: 21pat 19ts 20aa ... i have considerable experience interning/shadowing dentists, helped form TCNJpre-dental.. and am looking into volunteer dental missions in south/central america.

I am well aware that my main issue here is gpa, and am ready to work hard to raise my sci gpa to (at the very least) 3.2... yet am ridiculously confused as to where to begin :/ i currently am taking Biochem at TCNJ and anatomy/phys I and Micro at community college. I'm thinking about taking 4 science classes in the spring at TCNJ. should i keep taking courses at my undergrad school and at cc (i'm aware that my 'post-bac' work should definitely not solely come from cc). or should i attend a formal post bacc program to raise my undergrad gpa.. or find a masters biomedical to show adcoms that i can handle graduate level work. OR... i've also been researching hygiene programs wherein i can simultaneously take undergrad bio courses to add to my BCPgpa while the hygiene courses (from what i understand) would add to my 'other science' gpa.

ANY INPUT AT ALL - criticisms.. guidance - would be great :D thanks in advance
 
Just thought I'd bump for the people applying to SMPs this cycle.

I myself have not heard back from about ten schools so I decided to apply to the UMDNJ Master of Biomedical Sciences program, Boston Master of Arts in Biomedical Sciences program, and the Barry University Master of Arts in Biomedical Sciences program.

Since I had already applied to the Midwestern University Downers Grove Dental School (and was denied admission), they sent me a "transfer of application" request for their own masters program in biomedical science. I also applied to that and received an acceptance.

Anyone else applying to these programs? I chose these because I could finish them in one year and hopefully continue on to dental school the following year.
 
I'm starting this thread as a place where people can recommend Masters and Post-Bacc programs that are specifically designed for Pre-Dental students.


Boston University-Masters of Arts in Medical Science, Oral Health Curriculum
 
Yeah, sorry. I meant to talk about the Oral Health track. It's only one year. For two year programs, people can do either or. If your stats are good enough after one year, go ahead and apply.

But if your stats are lacking, and you want schools to base their decisions off two years of work and an extra degree then you should apply after the second year and have a gap year.

For the BU MAMS-OH. Its a one or 2 year track. you have to decide what you want to do quickly. If you want to do it in one year you have to apply ASAP and start working on your thesis in late march.(Starting mine). you have to fork out an extra 5k for summer credits, even though you won't be taking classes and just doing research in the library. your thesis has to be turned in by late june early july in order for you to matriculate.

If you decide to do it in two years it give you an opportunity to work in a lab or wherever you want to get data for your thesis. there is also a weird requirement for you to do consecutive semesters so you can skip one summer session and do summer session 2 and fall, or skip summer all together and do fall and spring.

all in all a great program and I have made a lot of great contacts along the way. Classes are great, faculty are great. a lot of fun. From what we are told it is a very prestigious program recognized by most other dental schools.
 
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