Biology prerequisites

[Pre Dental Rev]

Hello, I already graduated and have been working for the past year while taking a few post-bacc classes. I did not take Biology 1 and 2 courses because I had AP credit. That’s why I took an accelerated intro biology course that was only 1 semester long. My school also only offered 1 intro biology lab course which I did take. Do dental schools accept upper level biology classes and labs as prerequisites?

Idk why I never thought of this as I thought the biology prerequisite included all kinds of biology classes and not only intro biology classes. I was planning on taking the intro biology classes but my advisor at that time told me I wouldn’t get credit for them since I already had ap credit.

I already sent emails to a few dental schools asking them this but wanted to check and see what you guys have to say.

I also plan on applying this year and will be joining a masters program this fall so don’t know if I’ll have time to take biology 1 and 2 intro courses with labs.

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[futuredr101]

Most master's programs tend to focus on biology and often fulfill the biology requirement. However, I would recommend verifying this with each school you're applying to, as their requirements may vary.

 

[Ryxndek]

Heads up, schools will most likely wait to see your first semester of graduate grads before extending an interview. Which will put you 4-5 months behind others. I’d consider doing the masters and then applying rather than applying while doing the masters. You’d be more likely to get interviews earlier on rather than having to wait.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Hello, I already graduated and have been working for the past year while taking a few post-bacc classes. I did not take Biology 1 and 2 courses because I had AP credit. That’s why I took an accelerated intro biology course that was only 1 semester long. My school also only offered 1 intro biology lab course which I did take. Do dental schools accept upper level biology classes and labs as prerequisites?

Idk why I never thought of this as I thought the biology prerequisite included all kinds of biology classes and not only intro biology classes. I was planning on taking the intro biology classes but my advisor at that time told me I wouldn’t get credit for them since I already had ap credit.

I already sent emails to a few dental schools asking them this but wanted to check and see what you guys have to say.

I also plan on applying this year and will be joining a masters program this fall so don’t know if I’ll have time to take biology 1 and 2 intro courses with labs.

With sufficient documentation, many admissions committees will be fine with upper-level biology coursework with labs (I'm thinking microbiology which usually has a lab associated with it). Your explanation of receiving bio AP credit is not unusual, so as long as the admissions team is familiar with these details with AP, IB, or unusual course sequences (like your accelerated intro bio class), we can work with it.

True, some schools don't take AP credit, so you need to ask them directly. Others do, but you need to make a reasonable list for where you will apply to dental school first.

That said, given your WAMC profile, you should apply after you have successfully completed at least 30 hours of your masters (given the low BCP right now). You would also have a much stronger faculty letter from the SMP, provided you excel... thus rendering your original query moot. In short, whatever concerns they may have with you not having a "proper" intro bio sequence will be proven with your SMP record.

 

[Pre Dental Rev]

Thanks for the advice guys, I'll see what each school's admissions has to say. I think I might still apply though to give it a shot. Doesn't hurt to give it a try.

 

[Ryxndek]

To be fair, reapplicants are held to higher standards than first time applicants. Schools will expect to see what you did differently the second go around. It's best to do it once and be done rather than just giving it a try to see what happens. It could be the difference between getting into a state school at 350-425k in debt or burying yourself at a private school in 600k+. Which in monthly payments is something like 4-5k a month for 10 years or 6-7k a month for 15-20years at the current interest rate.

Do what you feel is best, but do know what you're up against. If you feel like you're ready then go for it, but waiting an extra year to refine and build your application could help mitigate your debt load, especially after spending money in a master's program.