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V. DENTISTRY |
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three dental schools in Texas, one of which (Baylor College of Dentistry) is
part of the Texas A&M System. Two are part of the University of Texas
System and are located in Houston and San Antonio. Texas residents pay the
same tuition to attend Baylor College of Dentistry as to attend the two
state-supported schools. All three dental schools have a four-year
professional curriculum. The addresses of the dental schools in Texas are: University of Texas - Houston Health Science Center Dental Branch 6516 John Freeman Houston, TX 77030 Phone (713) 500-4000
Baylor College of Dentistry The Texas A&M University System 3302 Gaston Avenue Dallas, TX 75246 Phone: (214) 828-8100
Health Science Center Dental School 7703 Floyd Curl Drive San Antonio, TX 78284 Phone: (210) 567-7000
University of Texas System Medical and Dental Application Service 702 Colorado, Suite 6.400 Austin, TX 78701 Phone: (512) 499-4785 http://dpweb1.dp.utexas.edu/mdac/homepage.htm Preprofessional courses
required by Texas dental schools are: Biol 1406, 1407, and two additional courses such as 2420, 3440, and/or 3470. (Baylor requires Freshman biology only.) Chem 1411, 1412, 3411, 3412, 4411 (required by University of Texas, Houston). Phys 1401 and 1402 (or 2425, 2426). Engl 1301 and 1302 (or
1374). The above courses are
minimum requirements and applicants are in competition with students who
have had additional courses in each of the above disciplines. The above
courses should be meshed with the requirements of the bachelor degree
chosen by the preprofessional student. A minimum of 60 hours of courses
are required at all Texas Dental Schools. Guidelines
for Dental School Applicants Dental schools assess
six basic factors to judge performance in college and qualifications for
admission. These factors are residency status (preference given to Texas
residents), cumulative college grade point average (GPA), DAT scores, a
completed application form, the evaluation submitted by the
Preprofessional Advisory Committee, and a personal interview. The Dental Admission
Test (DAT). The
DAT consists of four examinations and the entire test requires a half-day
for administration. The time limits for each of the four examinations can
vary from one test administration to another according to the length and
difficulty of the material presented. The examinations
included are: 1. Survey of the Natural
Sciences, an achievement test limited to those areas covered by first year
courses in biology and general and organic chemistry (ca. 90 min.). 2. Reading Comprehension
Test contains a passage typical of material that might be read in dental
school and is followed by questions which can be answered from a reading
of the passage (ca. 55 min.). 3. Quantitative
Reasoning Test measures the candidate's ability to reason with numbers, to
manipulate numerical relationships and to deal intelligently with
quantitative materials (ca. 45 min.). 4. Perceptual Ability
Test includes various types of non-verbal perceptual test items. One part
covers two-dimensional perception, while the other parts cover
three-dimensional perception (ca. 50 min.). Eight scores are obtained and
reported for the DAT. Each is based on a scale of 1 to 30. Although there
are no strict passing or failing scores, a score of 15 signifies average
performance on a national basis. The written DAT can be taken in Houston
and Nacogdoches, while the computer version can be taken in Beaumont. Academic Performance.
The GPA is a major factor in evaluating academic performance. Also
considered are: (a) consistency of grades, (b) performance
in required courses, (c) course load per semester, (d) number of
colleges attended, (e) discrepancies between GPA and DAT scores, and
(f) social, economic and/or educational disadvantages. The dental
schools require official transcripts from all colleges or universities
attended. The GPA is a composite of all college work at all colleges
attended and is calculated by year, overall, and science area courses. All
grades are used in the calculations, regardless of whether courses were
repeated. The Application.
(Also see "Professional School Application Checklist" section in
this handbook.) Application periods vary from school to school but
generally extend from mid-April to mid-October. Check the application
dates carefully as applications received before the filing period may not
be processed. Dates pertaining to application procedures for schools in
the U.S. and Canada can be found in the current edition of Admission
Requirements of U.S. and Canadian Dental Schools. This book is revised
annually and contains up-to-date information about the nature of dental
education, predental planning, choosing a dental school, the DAT, AADSAS
(American Association of Dental Schools Application Service), ways of
financing a dental education, and other aspects of the dental school
application and admission process. Two- or three-page descriptive entries
are presented for each of the dental schools (see "Suggested
Reading" section). Schools participating in
AADSAS, a national application service, require a supplemental application
to be completed after the first application is received. Complete and mail
these applications as early as possible. (Note: No dental schools in Texas
participate in AADSAS but many out-of-state schools do.) Samples of previous DATs
are published by the American Dental Association in booklet form entitled Dental
Admission Test Preparation Materials. This booklet should be used as a
means of discovering possible areas of weakness in subjects covered by the
DAT. It also enables candidates to become familiar with the general format
of the test and the types of material included. This set of exams may be
used as a study guide to make your preparation for the DAT more effective.
Test registrants will automatically receive this booklet from: Division of Educational Measurements American Dental Association 211 East Chicago Avenue Chicago, IL 60611
Following is a short
list of reading materials that may be useful in preparing to enter dental
school. Please realize that this is a selected list and that new books and
other materials are constantly being published. Dental School Catalogs.
Write to the individual dental schools for copies. If you are applying to
dental school, make certain that you have the most recent edition. 1. Admission Requirements of U.S. and Canadian Dental Schools (revised annually). A must for any serious applicant to dental school. Published by and available from: American Association of Dental Schools, 1625 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036. 2. Dental Admission
Test Preparation Materials (revised periodically). This booklet
is also a must for all serious dental school applicants. It is available
"free of charge" to dental school applicants as a means of
discovering possible areas of weakness in their comprehension of subjects
covered on the DAT. It consists of sample examinations used in
the DAT and enables candidates to become familiar with the types of
material included in the test. Available from: Division of Educational
Measurements, 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611. 3. Peterson, Shailer. 1977. Preparing to Enter Dental School. Sterling Swift Publishing, P.O. Box 188, Manchaca, TX 78652.
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