Competition for university places is usually about as competitive as medical school applications. This is coupled with the cost associated with building a dental school (phantom heads dental labs and dental chairs) as well as very small classes. So dental schools will be very selective as they want to make sure whoever makes a successful application is indeed going to be a successful university graduate one day.
When applying for dental school, whether it’s to a university or directly to the dental school within a university, there are number of key attributes that that university admissions officers are looking for:
This one kind of goes without saying. You need to know your science, Chemistry usually always a must and then Physics or Maths perhaps a close second.
A dentist is often required to lead a team of other healthcare professionals who need guidance and direction. At the same time, they are also a part of a team and might also be led by others. Can you think of an example where this happens elsewhere? Sports?
If you are going to lead a team and also be a team player and then also focus on the needs of a patient who will need to keep your eye on the ball (or tooth in this case!) How can you demonstrate that you can focus for extended periods of time? No, ability to watch TV or playing computer games does not really count).
One thing you will need to be great at is using your hands for minor detail. What examples can you give that demonstrate this? Pottery? Needlework? No, going to the gym or playing computer games is not a great answer.
