Last edited:
Do u need Upper division bio courses and would a minor help???
- Thread starter nhitb
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2009
- Messages
- 571
- Reaction score
- 1
Dental schools require upper level science course. On each dental school's website, under requirements section, they have a list of courses that are required.
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2008
- Messages
- 200
- Reaction score
- 0
Just so you know, upper division biology courses will not help you on the DAT. It is just general bio. As TBS said, check with each school you're interested in to see which classes they require (some don't require upper division bios). Also, 👍 for acing general biology and chemistry. Just do what you did for those classes with the upper classes and you will do fine. Plus it's very likely that Physics and Orgo will plummet your GPA so don't worry too much about that, just do the best you can.
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2008
- Messages
- 278
- Reaction score
- 7
"Upper Level" science courses? None of the schools to which I applied require anything upper level. I'm assuming by upper level, you mean 300-level and higher. Organic is 200...even micro and biochem is 200 at some schools. I talked to Michigan, and they said they'd accept an Intro to Microbiology (which only requires the 100-level bio as a pre-req) as the micro pre-req. I think most upper level science courses are simply "recommended" as classes one should take outside of the pre-reqs...
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2008
- Messages
- 292
- Reaction score
- 28
Outside of the pre-reqs I'd say any extra science classes you can fit in, and get good grades in, the better.
I say that for two reasons. One reason is because you'll be taking some of those classes once you get into dental school (histology, microbiology, etc.) so it will give you a good basic understanding of those subjects and secondly it can strengthen your (science) GPA.
I say that for two reasons. One reason is because you'll be taking some of those classes once you get into dental school (histology, microbiology, etc.) so it will give you a good basic understanding of those subjects and secondly it can strengthen your (science) GPA.
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2009
- Messages
- 10
- Reaction score
- 0
You should definitely take upper level bio classes. Here are my long, drawn out reasons why...
- It will indirectly help you on the DAT, on the questions that you don't know and especially in the reading comprehension. you'll probably get something that you've heard of in your upper level classes.
- You'll be taking 20+ credits per semester your first year in dental school. If it's the first time you've seen the material, you're less likely to do well. This came straight from the mouth of two different deans of admissions. (I majored in architecture and have been taking science classes since graduation...applied this year). I could have done the same thing with just the pre-reqs, but instead waited another year and added 30 or so credits.
- It will indirectly help you on the DAT, on the questions that you don't know and especially in the reading comprehension. you'll probably get something that you've heard of in your upper level classes.
- You'll be taking 20+ credits per semester your first year in dental school. If it's the first time you've seen the material, you're less likely to do well. This came straight from the mouth of two different deans of admissions. (I majored in architecture and have been taking science classes since graduation...applied this year). I could have done the same thing with just the pre-reqs, but instead waited another year and added 30 or so credits.
