bio requirement

[joefosho315]

Hey I've got a question for you guys. I've emailed several dental schools about this, but I keep on getting weird answers so I was hoping you guys would know. Most of the dental schools I see only require a year in biology with a corresponding lab. But do many schools actually require that the biology with lab must specifically be general biology? I know USC does this, but I cannot think of any other dental schools. I ask this because at my school, we have the option of taking the first semester of gen bio with or without lab. I'd like to take it without lab just to get an easier transition into bio since I've never had any bio background whatsoever. So I plan on taking the first semester of gen bio without lab (it will not count towards any dental pre-req) but then I will take the second semester of gen bio with lab and then take an upper level bio course with lab, such as microbiology or physiology to fulfill the one year bio requirement for dental schools. Does this sound valid guys for most dental schools? Please inform me if schools other than USC require specifically that the biology requirement MUST be in general biology. Thanks!

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[Sprgrover]

The premise is that, yes, the lab is offered with the course and this is what most dental schools seek.

 

[joefosho315]

The premise is that, yes, the lab is offered with the course and this is what most dental schools seek.

Sorry, can you elaborate, I am a little confused with your statement. Do any other dental schools other than USC require that the biology requirement be specifically in general biology? Thanks for the response!

 

[joefosho315]

Sorry, can you elaborate, I am a little confused with your statement. Do any other dental schools other than USC require that the biology requirement be specifically in general biology? Thanks for the response!

anyone?

 

[eric275]

One year of general biology with lab is just what it means. The requirement for all of the dental schools I applied to is one year of general biology (which consists of the general biology year long sequence) with lab, not half a year of general biology + half a year of another biology, e.g. micro, with lab.

If you look in most any dental school catalog it states this information very clearly, and is probably the reason you keep getting weird answers from the admissions offices. Also most schools that I applied to list biology classes such as micro, physio, cell, etc as "additional recommended" courses. That is additional recommended courses to your basic pre-req's of general bio with lab. But hey, maybe some schools will let you meet your requirements with your proposed plan. But honestly I have never heard of anyone doing it that way. Best of luck.

 

[pink-rose57]

Relax dearest, the first year Bio + lab is not that hard. Just a bit of memorization. If you need a true transition to Biology, try not to take too many "hard" classes with it.
Yes, you need general biology + lab for dental schools. That means the first available biology classes. Not anatomy, cell, bacteriology, or zoology. General biology.

 

[mc1459]

At my undergrad, the bio departments are kind of weird. But our advisors tell students who aren't science majors that a physio lab counts towards the general biology lab and I know pre-med students who have gotten into med school based on this.

I personally wouldn't get too worried about this- i'm a molecular bio major and so I couldn't take the freshman year bio labs.

 

[joefosho315]

At my undergrad, the bio departments are kind of weird. But our advisors tell students who aren't science majors that a physio lab counts towards the general biology lab and I know pre-med students who have gotten into med school based on this.

I personally wouldn't get too worried about this- i'm a molecular bio major and so I couldn't take the freshman year bio labs.

Our bio department at Tufts also mentioned that a lot of pre-meds will take the non-lab first semester of general bio and then proceed to take the second half of gen bio with lab and then finish the rest of the bio requirement through upper level courses such as micro, physio, etc. Anybody have the truth on this? I've already tried the dental schools, but I keep getting such weird replies from them, which I am afraid is referring to the fact that I do indeed need to take the gen bio year sequence both with lab.

 

[mc1459]

I think as long as you take 2 biology labs you are fine.

 

[Sprgrover]

Our bio department at Tufts also mentioned that a lot of pre-meds will take the non-lab first semester of general bio and then proceed to take the second half of gen bio with lab and then finish the rest of the bio requirement through upper level courses such as micro, physio, etc. Anybody have the truth on this? I've already tried the dental schools, but I keep getting such weird replies from them, which I am afraid is referring to the fact that I do indeed need to take the gen bio year sequence both with lab.

That might be fine for pre-med students, but dental school requirements are a different thing. What I meant by the lecture/lab thing is that when you sign up for say a general biology course you have a lecture component and a lab component to the course. You need to take both. Most dental schools would frown on you taking a general biology lecture and then taking a micro lab to fulfill the general biology lab requirement. It's not hard at all and the courses that do this are designed so that the lab and lectures are doable and compliment one another. Furthermore, if you are worried about the load with one lab just wait until dental school when the real fun begins....

 

[joefosho315]

That might be fine for pre-med students, but dental school requirements are a different thing. What I meant by the lecture/lab thing is that when you sign up for say a general biology course you have a lecture component and a lab component to the course. You need to take both. Most dental schools would frown on you taking a general biology lecture and then taking a micro lab to fulfill the general biology lab requirement. It's not hard at all and the courses that do this are designed so that the lab and lectures are doable and compliment one another. Furthermore, if you are worried about the load with one lab just wait until dental school when the real fun begins....

I think you might've misunderstood me. If there is a GENERAL biology lab requirement, then surely I must take it. There would be no option of fulfilling it with a microbiology lab or such. But I'm asking, a lot of dental websites state just one year of biology w/lab, not specifying whether it be general, physio, micro, etc. If it is the case that dental schools do not specifically require the biology requirement to be specifically in general, then I was planning to fulfill the biology requirement through upper level courses. Not just taking gen bio, then taking ONLY micro lab to fulfill it. I would take the micro class and lab. See what I'm getting at guys? All I want to really know is if dental schools require the bio requirement to be specifically in general, or if it can be in anything else. I know it might seem obvious....I should just call the dental schools. I have, and they've all given me weird replies like oh....yeah I don't see why that wouldn't work. Or some schools saying that yeah you should take it specifically in general. In the meantime my advisor is swearing that dental schools don't require it specifically in general so she's going to call them up themselves and find out. So yeah, sorry to beat the dead horse, but everything is so controversial right now!

 

[Sprgrover]

.... But I'm asking, a lot of dental websites state just one year of biology w/lab, not specifying whether it be general, physio, micro, etc...

They want general biology.

 

[joefosho315]

They want general biology.

Oh man, I feel really bad guys. I know you guys are trying to help me and stuff, and I'm starting to sound like a broken record. But I called the dental schools again today, this time stating my question more concisely and clearly so that there would be no potential for misunderstanding. Is the biology requirement specifically in general biology, or can it be fulfilled by upper level bio courses such as micro, physio, etc. The answer? Every single school I called today simply stated that the reqiurement is a year of biology in any biology as long it had a lab. This includes micro, physio, anatomty, etc. So that's what I got from today. Where are you guys getting your information from again? I'm just curious. Let's figure this out!

 

[pink-rose57]

Ok, go the a dental school's WEBSITE. And see...I don't know..."prospective students" page or something. On that page should be a list of requirements. Which (as I have already stated) is GENERAL biology.

 

[TimR]

I have only taken 1 semester of "general biology" that's all my school offered. There was no option for a whole year of it. In addition to that I have 2 semesters of anatomy (plus a lab with each), 1 semester of physiology (with a lab), 1 semester of exercise physiology (with lab) and one semester of assisting in the physiology lab. Not one dental school has an issue with my science background except for Ohio state, which now requires microbiology.

In other words, if you're a science major I doubt anyone is gonna make a fuss about which realm of biology you have multiple classes of.

 

[Dental Mom]

All the schools that I want to apply to require Biology I and II with the labs. They are not easy classes, but they are not the hardest ones either. Most people panic with Organic chem I and II + the labs....until then, enjoy the ride and good luck!

 

[orthogrl]

Hey Joe! I completely understand where you are coming from. I took Bio I as an undergrad, but they did not offer a lab component. Now I am going back to school to finish my pre-reqs. I took Micro w/lab and aced it, so it just seems so silly to "backtrack" and go through the general sequence again. I am much more interested in possibly an Anatomy w/lab sequence or Biochem. I just feel that those courses will be so much more helpful and applicable in dental school. I just hate the idea of wasting my time, as I feel the clock is ticking against me- it is very frustrating!

 

[henleychristoph]

I would BET MY LIFE. You HAVE to take Biology I with lab. Then Biology II with lab.

I am a Integrative Bio major at UF. Classes like: Microbio with lab, Phsyology with lab, anatomy with lab, ect, ect. are ALL either required courses or highly reccomended.

You really just have to do it. And take it from me, you WANT that bio lab... All of these classes get harder and harder. Why, for instance, would you want to take a physiology lab (which, by the way, made bio I lab seem easier than a preachers daughter) vs. bio I.

Get out there and make it happen

 

[raychacha22]

I would BET MY LIFE. You HAVE to take Biology I with lab. Then Biology II with lab.

I am a Integrative Bio major at UF. Classes like: Microbio with lab, Phsyology with lab, anatomy with lab, ect, ect. are ALL either required courses or highly reccomended.

You really just have to do it. And take it from me, you WANT that bio lab... All of these classes get harder and harder. Why, for instance, would you want to take a physiology lab (which, by the way, made bio I lab seem easier than a preachers daughter) vs. bio I.

Get out there and make it happen

Ok guys. This is the deal. SOME dental schools require BIO I and BIO II and SOME require a year in ANY bio course with a corresponding lab. I would say that MOST of the dental schools I have called now (Harvard, Upenn, Columbia, Temple) have double confirmed that they will take any biology with a lab. The few exceptions to this are UCLA and USC that I have called. So I guess that's that. Some do want it, some don't. By the way, of course I have checked the dental websites! Almost all of them just say a year in biology with lab, they don't specifically state that it has to be in general, this is what all the confusion was about.