The United States has many dental schools that train people to work as professional dentists. The issue of what are the best dental schools in the U.S. is often heavily debated, but there are many names that constantly come up when people discuss prestige and dental schools. The good news is no matter what dental school you go to, if you successfully complete an accredited Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Medical Dentistry (DMD) degree you should enjoy a lucrative career for the rest of your working life.
To become a dentist, one must first complete a bachelor’s degree and successfully complete the Dental Admissions Test (DAT.) To get into the best dental schools in the U.S. does not usually require a specific major, but prerequisite science courses such as biology and chemistry. There are undergraduate dental and other medical degrees available, which are also ideal for people looking to work in the medical field as assistants and perhaps go to dental school later. At least two semesters of organic chemistry is highly recommended to gain admission into the best dental schools in the U.S. The average dental school applicant has at least a 3.5 G.P.A., and usually colleges can only take one-third or less of their applicant pool.
While Ivy League schools such as Harvard University, School of Dental Medicine are always considered among the best dental schools in the U.S., there are many other colleges that qualify for a lot of public recognition. State educational institutions such as University of Maryland at Baltimore, Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, University of North Carolina School of Dentistry, University of Michigan, School of Dentistry, and University of Washington, School of Dentistry are just a few of the excellent and more affordable offerings ranked in the best dental schools of the U.S.
The advantages of any state college or university is affordable tuition and more spaces for qualified students, especially those who live in the same state of the educational institution. While it may seem exciting and prestigious to go to dental school at Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, or Columbia University, there are many students who cannot gain admission to these universities. The reason is there is simply too much competition and little space. Ivy League colleges also can create well over $100,000 of debt, which may be too much for even a highly paid dentist to take on right out of school.
The final step to actually becoming a dentist through study at one of the best dental schools in the U.S. is taking a licensing examination. All accredited colleges and universities offer special preparation through their DDS and DMD programs. Residency programs are also available for newly licensed dentists to prepare further for their vocation. However, an increasingly smaller number of graduates from the best dental schools in the U.S. are opting for residencies. Most are joining dental practices or creating their own dental business. No matter what a licensed dentist decided to do after getting out of school, there is definitely a good future ahead for him.
