Should i be worried that I didn't take biochem in undergrad? I know that dental schools would like to see you take some additional upper level science classes, but if you have a decent GPA/DAT scores, does it really matter that much if you have/have not taken biochem? I only took one additional upper level science course in addition to the prerecs: Cell Biology. Will this hurt me?
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Biochem
- Thread starter faulknce
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Most schools give admission requirements and you should check
each school's admission requirement before applying.
each school's admission requirement before applying.
yes but some courses are listed as "recommended"....do you think that they "recommend" these courses solely to better prepare me for dental school, or do you think that not taking the "recommended" courses influences the admissions process in a way that is independent from your GPA/DAT?
My personal opinion is that it will help prepare for dental school but may not necessarily give you an advantage. I could be wrong. There are some schools that require a semester of biochem, such as UNLV. Just check out the schools you want to apply to and go from there.
from my experience, i honestly think that if you have the time to take the recommended courses then by all means. this will give you a better understanding of the material or type of material that will be required of you in dental school.
in regards to whether or not it will affect how you will be reviewed by the admissions commitee, i don't think it matters as much as long as you have your pre-reqs in order. i was an engineering major and only had time to complete the bare minimum for the pre-req sciences. with only these bare minimum courses i still have gotten interviews. in that respect, i'm sure it will not affect your chances of getting interviews.
however upon matriculation, if the school does require biochem, you better make sure you've taken it or it'll probably cause problems for you!
in regards to whether or not it will affect how you will be reviewed by the admissions commitee, i don't think it matters as much as long as you have your pre-reqs in order. i was an engineering major and only had time to complete the bare minimum for the pre-req sciences. with only these bare minimum courses i still have gotten interviews. in that respect, i'm sure it will not affect your chances of getting interviews.
however upon matriculation, if the school does require biochem, you better make sure you've taken it or it'll probably cause problems for you!
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"recommended" works both ways.
for admissions, a student that shows a high level of preparation (i.e. biochem) will definitely interest adcoms. that doesnt mean it's necessary. doing poorly in biochem would likely hurt an application. i've heard of students whose acceptance was dependant on getting an A or B in a "recommended" biochem course. Why? they had great dats, poor science grades. the adcom liked the student, and wanted to see how they perform in biochem.
as for the student, i would say it's incredibly important. at my school, it's generally the most difficult course of the first semester. the students that are having the most trouble are, surprise, the students that had no undergrad background in it. to quote a classmate, "i feel like theyre speaking japanese up there ."
take biochem. do well. you'll appreciate it in the end.
however, i will admit that biochem courses vary a great deal. my undergraduate course required a ton of memorization. and it was designed for biochemists, not dentists. tough call.
for admissions, a student that shows a high level of preparation (i.e. biochem) will definitely interest adcoms. that doesnt mean it's necessary. doing poorly in biochem would likely hurt an application. i've heard of students whose acceptance was dependant on getting an A or B in a "recommended" biochem course. Why? they had great dats, poor science grades. the adcom liked the student, and wanted to see how they perform in biochem.
as for the student, i would say it's incredibly important. at my school, it's generally the most difficult course of the first semester. the students that are having the most trouble are, surprise, the students that had no undergrad background in it. to quote a classmate, "i feel like theyre speaking japanese up there ."
take biochem. do well. you'll appreciate it in the end.
however, i will admit that biochem courses vary a great deal. my undergraduate course required a ton of memorization. and it was designed for biochemists, not dentists. tough call.
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I couldn't be more grateful I didn't listen to everyone telling me not to worry about retaining undergrad information because "it'll be useless in dental school anyway." HELL no. I'm absolutely sailing through, thanks almost completely to retention from the material in undergrad. It's roughly the same breadth and depth of material, just presented much more rapidly. Hearing the class lectures works like a refresher, bringing everything back up to the surface.
Bottom line: Take as many undergrad bio courses as you can, pay attention while you're in them, and remember as much as you can after you finish them. You'll thank yourself later.
