Prerequisites

Although no specific undergraduate program of study is required by most dental schools in the US and Canada, but you do need to complete a number of prerequisite courses to qualify for dental school. The following is the list of courses that, we believe will cover all the prerequisite courses for most US and Canadian Dental schools. Since, not all schools require the same number of prerequisites or same specific courses, here at Didaktix Education, our team of experts have compiled a list that meets the requirements for as many dental schools as possible. As a result, you might notice, we “overshoot”- so to speak for a number of schools. But we believe in the conventional wisdom of “it is always a good idea to have more to spare than falling short”.

Biology with lab-6 credits (2 semesters) or equivalents
General Chemistry (inorganic) with lab- 6 credits (2 semesters)
Organic chemistry with lab- 6 credits (2 semesters)
Physics with lab- 6 credits (2 semesters)
English- Writing intensive- 6 credits (2 semesters)

Some schools, especially in Canada, might also require 2 semesters of Biochemistry with lab. Others might require 2 semesters of Physiology, in addition to 2 Biology courses aforementioned.

FAQ

Are there specific courses I need to take as prerequisites?

Required prerequisites may differ by school, but generally the following are required:

Biology, (with lab) 1 full or 2 half courses
General Chemistry, (with lab) 1 full or 2 half courses
Organic Chemistry, (with lab) 1 full or 2 half courses
Physics, 1 full or 2 half courses
English, 1 full or 2 half courses

Some schools may also require Biochemistry, Human Physiology, Microbiology, and Statistics.

Would I need to be taking a full course load every year?

Schools such as the Schulich Dentistry consider the applicant’s top two years GPA and expect the applicant to be taking a full course load of five courses per semester or a total of 10 courses in a full year (Sept to April). Courses taken during the application cycle will not be counted towards your academic average.

Are there course level restrictions for the top two years?

Yes, six of the 10 courses taken must be at or above the year of study. For example, your third year must include at least six courses at a third year or above.

Will coursework consideration be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic?

Yes, depending on the school. Some schools like McGill will only accept Winter 2020 courses towards the degree completion and not towards the GPA. Some dental schools will accept online and Pass/Fail courses if they were the only option at your school.

Do I need to have shadowing experience as a prerequisite for dental school?

While schools understand the difficulty of shadowing during the pandemic, it is highly expected for applicants to have some exposure to dental work. Several schools also expect applicants to have completed a certain hours of shadowing. Regardless of the requirement, applicants should have some shadowing experience in order to familiarize themselves with the dental field.