specializing in pre-dentistry or pre-medicine? Thank you for the answers!
Is there a website or book that lists the best universities for biology majors
- Thread starter Buppy99
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Biology is such a broad degree, I wouldn't expect there to be a "top 10" list of universities or anything. That said, there are universities that are more science based and less science based. More science based universities will be research-based, and have tons of labs and various opportunities for you to work in a lab or be published in research. From what I've gathered from my pre-health adviser, this is more important for a pre-med student.
However, as long as it is an accredited four-year university, you should be just fine for dental school. Dental admissions at least (I have no knowledge of medical admissions) don't base their decision on where you went for undergrad. More important is your GPA, DAT scores, experience in the field, ect.
If you are trying to decide where to go to college, it would be better to base your decision off of costs and what college would make you happier because while these things seem trivial, they have a profound effect on how well you do! It's more difficult to study if your working all the time to pay for excessive amounts of tuition or are unhappy. Perhaps you might think of going to a university that has both a dental and medical school that might give you the resources to help you focus your direction. Or it might be better for you to look for a school in your state for cost and proximity to your family.
Though it is a common major to be accepted into medical or dental school, you don't necessarily have to be a biology major to get in. As long as you have taken the prerequisites listed on dental and medical school websites, you can major in anything (biology, art, psychology, medieval literature, basket weaving) and still be a great candidate.
And just a side note, the word 'specializing' implies becoming an orthodontist or dermatologist or something, and isn't typically applied to the terms 'pre-med' or 'pre-dental.' Pre-med and pre-dental is more of a directional adjective, as in, 'I'm taking all of these pre-requisites, volunteering, researching, shadowing, working, and studying more than all of my other friends not because it is part of an established curriculum, but rather because maybe someday someone may see it on my application and accept me into their dental or medical program.'
Good luck!
However, as long as it is an accredited four-year university, you should be just fine for dental school. Dental admissions at least (I have no knowledge of medical admissions) don't base their decision on where you went for undergrad. More important is your GPA, DAT scores, experience in the field, ect.
If you are trying to decide where to go to college, it would be better to base your decision off of costs and what college would make you happier because while these things seem trivial, they have a profound effect on how well you do! It's more difficult to study if your working all the time to pay for excessive amounts of tuition or are unhappy. Perhaps you might think of going to a university that has both a dental and medical school that might give you the resources to help you focus your direction. Or it might be better for you to look for a school in your state for cost and proximity to your family.
Though it is a common major to be accepted into medical or dental school, you don't necessarily have to be a biology major to get in. As long as you have taken the prerequisites listed on dental and medical school websites, you can major in anything (biology, art, psychology, medieval literature, basket weaving) and still be a great candidate.
And just a side note, the word 'specializing' implies becoming an orthodontist or dermatologist or something, and isn't typically applied to the terms 'pre-med' or 'pre-dental.' Pre-med and pre-dental is more of a directional adjective, as in, 'I'm taking all of these pre-requisites, volunteering, researching, shadowing, working, and studying more than all of my other friends not because it is part of an established curriculum, but rather because maybe someday someone may see it on my application and accept me into their dental or medical program.'
Good luck!
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Just make sure the school you chose has sufficient sized biology and chemistry departments so that you won't find yourself waitlisted for critical classes. The thing I love most about my current school is the vast amounts of classes there are to register for. It is easy to make a schedule that fits around all my other activities and I know most all classes will be offered both semesters and very likely in the summer too.
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You should also factor into your decision what kind of learning environment you'd find yourself thriving in the most. Are you OK with huge classes (hundreds of students) in lower division science classes, with lots of competitive classmates? This was my experience at UC. Maybe you'd prefer a smaller environment? Private schools and smaller state schools would be better for this.
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