RDH to DDS Please help!

[shaele]

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I am looking for information on what would be required of me to go on to dental school. I am currently a RDH, I graduated in 1999 with an A.S. from a Community College in Wyoming. I currently have about 134 credit hours, and some of my prerequisites for hygiene school included Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, Microbiology, General Chemistry, and Intro to Calculus. I was on the Dean's List every semester in Hygiene school, but my Cumm. GPA is 3.11 due to non related dental courses that I just took for the heck of it. I live in Arizona and there will soon be a Dental School opening up. I am interested in going on to dental school only if I can stay here in AZ to do so, (I love this place, I'm not leaving 🙂 ) I just can't seem to find any information about or from other hygienists that have also followed this route. My biggest concern is how many more courses would I have to take just to get in/apply to Dental School. Any information would greatly be appreciated! Thanks in Advance!

Michaelle

 

[Thebeyonder]

Hi,
Can you tell me which school in Arizona
is opening a dental school?
I went to the UofA in Tucson and loved it!
I am applying to dental school this year
and did not realize there was a dental
school opening up there.
Please post back or email me.
Thank you very much.
Tim.

 

[shaele]

Arizona School of Health Sciences

Here's the web page with the info. The school was approved to be built by the board just about 1 week or so ago. I am still waiting on a reply on when exactly they expect to have it open, and when they expect to start accepting applicants. Right now they are looking for a Dean.
http://www.ashs.edu/pr_dentalschool2.htm

 

[Dr. Pedo]

shaele,

Arizona-----You are spoiled---try the midwest for a winter! 🙂

As for dental school:

You still have several classes to complete. (might I add----some of the most challenging too!!)Here they are:

1 year of chemistry
1 year of organic chemistry
1 year of physics

They are required for admission anywhere-- as is 1 year of biology. I think your anatomy, physio., micro for RDH will suffice for that---but I'm not positive. It really depends on the specific dental school whether they deem the classes you took thorough/intensive enough for them. Many school don't like to see all pre-req's completed at a community college. Several will make you repeat the courses at a 4 year institution. I'm sure you've completed most if not all of your G.E. courses----so then all that is left is the DAT. I definitely wouldn't take the DAT until you have completed all of the chemistry because that is tested thoroughly on it. Physics isn't on the DAT.

With your 3.1 gpa and some extremely challenging courses ahead---it is imperative that you buckle-down and study like never before. Many individuals use their non-science courses to help the overall gpa, because the organic's, physic's tend to bring it down. So you may want to take some extra courses to help the old gpa! Especially since you have at least a year left or more plus the DAT.

Good luck,
R.R.B