Students who join BYU–Hawaii’s Pre-dental Club can receive assistance navigating the steps of getting into dental school, said the club’s former vice president. From preparing for the Dental Admissions Test, or DAT, to shadowing a dentist, and from science-related extracurricular activities to knowing what classes to take, the club’s president said his vision is for more people to join so they can learn together and support each other.
Jon Thompson, a junior from Canada majoring in biomedical science, said he was one of the lucky ones who had the Pre-dental Club as a resource. “When I first came here, I was clueless, and I had no idea what classes to take. I don’t know how I would have gotten through it if I hadn’t met [the founders of the club],” he said. “They were able to [guide] me.”
Thompson said he has seen students drop out of pre-dental classes, so as club president, he wants to provide a place where students can be supported.
Sam Johnson, an alumnus from Washington who majored in marine biology and was the club’s vice president, said he wished there were more resources to help with course planning on campus during his time at BYUH. “For me, it was a lot of trial and error and a lot of personal research.”
Most students are currently teaching themselves about the dental school requirements through Google searches, Thompson added. One of his goals, he shared, is to ensure the academic advisors are aware of the current pre-dental requirements so they can better assist students.
Thompson explained Johnson was accepted to dental school, discovered he had not met all of the requirements and had to stay at BYUH to finish the additional required courses.
“There’s not a lot of resources we have provided by the school, so the club is a way to get kids with similar goals together,” said former Club President and founder, Nathan Heiden. “We fed off each other and provided resources that wouldn’t really be provided otherwise.”
Heiden, who is a senior from Utah studying biology, shared, “It’s not just dental school. It’s also dental hygiene or dental research or whatever you want to do in the dental field. We want to be able to get you to your destination.”
DAT and GPA considerations
Dental schools are looking for a high DAT score, good cumulative GPA and science-related extracurricular activities, Thompson explained.
He explained how the DAT is scored out of 30 and focuses on chemistry, organic chemistry and biology. “A score above 19 is exceptional.… Anything over 20 is what most dentists are trying to go for.”
Heiden said, “It’s getting increasingly competitive to get into dental school. The average GPA, DAT score and number of applicants is increasing every year.”
Applicants want their GPA to be as high as possible, but most dental schools only include science-related classes when calculating the cumulative GPA, explained Thompson. “Even if you do badly in your ping pong class or your [other] classes, it won’t affect you too much in the end.”
According to study.com, dental schools may require both a minimum overall GPA and a separate science GPA “to confirm students show mastery of their science coursework and overall performance.”
Science-related extracurriculars
Thompson said being a member of a science-related club and participating in any science-related extracurricular activities is important because it shows commitment to the subject. Experience in the Pre-dental Club, especially as an officer, will definitely boost a dental school application because that shows an even greater commitment to science, he added.
Besides extracurricular experience, research improves student’s chances. “Research can really come in handy when you’re applying,” said Thompson. “At our school, we have a lot of opportunities to do research with different professors.”
Johnson has been researching for about a year with Associate Professor Brad Smith of the Faculty of Sciences, shared Thompson. During his admissions interviews, Thompson said Johnson was able to tell dental schools his research about “COVID wastewater” and “marine bio research” and “describe it perfectly because he’s been doing it for so long.”
Thompson stated applicants also need about 100 shadowing hours, or time spent observing a dentist’s workday. “It’s important to know a dentist to get these shadowing hours,” he said. “A lot of students here don’t have those connections, but being a part of the dental club is helpful because a lot of those club members do have connections.”
According to Johnson, the dentist whom the applicant chooses to shadow will write a letter of recommendation, highlighting how observant, consistent and inquisitive the applicant is. Thus, he said it’s important for applicants to show their interest in the field.
Another dental school application requirement is a personal statement, said Heiden, which is a one-and-a-half-page document where the applicant explains why they want to be a dentist.
“You want to be able to grasp the attention of the admissions committee,” he shared. “And you want to outline your three strongest reasons why you think being a dentist is the right career for you.”
Thompson said the rule of thumb with dental school is to apply to 10 different schools and hope acceptance is granted to one or two of them.
The club’s invitation
Johnson invited all pre-dental students, and those considering becoming a dentist or hygienist, to join the club. “You’ll learn a lot about what it is to be a dentist and what you need to do to become a dentist,” he explained.
“For those of you who are committed, it will help streamline your process of getting into dental school and make those hoops you have to jump through a lot easier.”
Having a dental club is very beneficial for all the students who want to be dentists, said Thompson, because the club “has people who’ve already got into dental school and already know what it’s about.”
Heiden said he hopes people will join and engage in the club because the larger the group, the more people will contribute and the more they will all learn together.•
THE CLUB'S INVITATION
All pre-dental students, and those considering becoming a dentist or hygienist, should join the club because they will learn:
- What it takes to become a dentist
- How to get into dental school
- What dental school is really like