Aspiring to become a dentist and pass out from a reputed school? Then you are on the right page. When it comes to dentistry, no state can beat the schools of Georgia and their training programs. This guide will help you get an insight into the various dental schools in Georgia, how to apply there, their selection procedure, enrollment information, etc. Both private and public dental schools in Georgia offer courses for both undergraduates and established dentists. Let’s start with Dental Schools In Georgia List How To Get Accepted And More.
The dental schools of Georgia offer the best for the new professionals by giving them hands-on experience and education. The people of Georgia, especially, are lucky to have such amazing facilities in the field of dentistry. Each year the applications for dentistry courses are rising because it lands you in one of the highest-paying jobs in the medical field. Moreover, after graduating from these reputed dentistry schools, there are high chances of you landing a great job.
Now, we will discuss some of the best dental schools in Georgia.
Andrew College
Andrew College in Georgia offers amazing pre-dentistry courses. These courses help you to prepare well to get admission into a dentistry program. They offer general courses of education like Social Science, English, Humanities, and Math along with pre-dental courses in physics, biology, and chemistry. Once you clear the admission process, you get into a four-year-long university program and pass out with a bachelor’s degree before going into a dental school. Let’s have a look at more details of the program:
- Name of the Course – Associate of Science in Pre-Dentistry
- Duration of the Program – Two years, Full time
- Prerequisites – SAT/ACT score of at least 460 (math and verbal), high school diploma with a minimum 2 GPA.
- Fees – Around $17,500 for a year
- Number of Students Accepted – 293 (all undergraduate)
Augusta University
Augusta University in Georgia offers a Dental Medicine program. They have an excellent curriculum and let the students have hands-on experience in their experience-gaining years only. It offers theoretical and practical courses and covers the topics like oral surgery, dentures, patient services, orthodontics, pharmacology, etc. Under the same program, you can enroll in internships that will help you gain more knowledge and experience in treating community patients.
It is not only just a college for students but every year thousands of patients come here for treatment by the residents, faculty members, students, etc. This helps in gaining good hands-on experience and on-the-job learning.
Let’s have a look at more details regarding this program:
- Name of the Course – Doctor of Dental Medicine
- Duration of the Program – Four years, Full time
- Prerequisites – A GPA of 3.58, an interview, and three recommendations
- Other Requirements – Minimum 90 semester hours (Bachelor’s Degree preferably from a Certified American University), one year each of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, English plus a good Dental Admission Test Score
- They also prefer students that have any community involvement, unusual experiences, and good research work.
- Fees – Around $7100 for one year (Georgia-based students) and around $20,000 (out-of-Georgia based students)
- Number of Students Accepted – 8458 students (2995 undergraduates)
Augusta also offers other dental degree courses like DMD (Doctorate in Dental Medicine), a combined DMD/MBA (Master of Business Administration) program, Doctorate in Philosophy with Oral Biology as Mains and Maxillofacial Pathology), etc.
Note:- Students who wish to pursue their dentistry courses from Georgia can get their Associate of Science degree (Pre-dentistry) from the certified Andrew College or get a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree in General Dentistry from the renowned Augusta University.
Valdosta State University
The Valdosta State University in Georgia offers a degree in Bachelor of Science in Biology. This program has other pre-professional courses and Pre-Dentistry is one of them. This course is mainly targeted toward Biology as its first subject but in due course, it targets the pre-dentistry subjects for those students who wish to apply for advanced dental courses. For this, the students must sit with academic advisors before the course and formulate the program in a manner that directs them more towards pre-dentistry. Thereafter, they can qualify for applying for advanced dental programs.
- Name of the Course – Bachelor of Science in Biology
- Duration of the Program – Four Years
- Prerequisites – A minimum score of 480 in SAT in the Reading-Writing Section and 440 in the Math Section
- Fees – Around $6400 for Georgia state students, and $17,200 for out-of-Georgia state students
- Number of Students Accepted – More than 10000 undergraduate enrollments have taken
Advantages of Studying in Georgia Dentistry Schools
The universities of Georgia provide the best dentistry courses and studying here has the following advantages:
- They offer a diversified curriculum, which is innovative and sufficient.
- The schools have all the required boarding and lodging facilities for local and international students.
- The environment they provide is very healthy. The students are from varied backgrounds, with multiple cultures and identities.
- The education from American Universities is recognized as the most prestigious, be it a diploma, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate. Dental schools in Georgia are recognized worldwide and thus open amazing employment opportunities for the students.
- These universities also offer career-oriented services, which help the students in growing up their income level and get selected for job placements.
- The fees are pretty affordable in dental schools in Georgia, even for International students. Also, the cost of living in Georgia is quite less than in some foreign countries.
- Georgia is a very safe state in the United States. It has a very low crime rate, the local people are welcoming and very friendly. The international students also will feel safe and happy in such an environment.
- Georgia offers a great standard of living and quality of life.
Subjects in Dental Schools, Georgia
Subjects that you will study in the four years of your dental science degree:
- Biochemistry
- Dental Surgery
- Theory of Dental Science
- Biopsy
- Microbiology
Along with having classroom sessions for these subjects, there will also be lab sessions for practicals. Moreover, they will give ample opportunities to the students to get a hang of the real world.
The Practical Subjects that dental schools in Georgia offer are:
- Dental Rehabilitation
- Dental X-rays
- Oral Diseases
- Gum Diseases
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Fixed Restorations
- Detachable Prostheses
- Internal Functions
Job Opportunities for Dental Students from Georgia
After passing out as a graduate or doctorate from the dental schools of Georgia, you are surely going to land into a very good and fulfilling profession, both in terms of money and quality of work. Some of the great job opportunities for you are mentioned below:
- Orthodontics and Braces
- Dental Disease
- Endodontics
- Gums
- Dental Prostheses
- Dental Radiology including Maxillofacial teeth
- Dental Surgery including Maxillofacial teeth
- Dentistry for examination
- Dentistry for Children
Criteria for Admission of International Students
Each university in Georgia has its selection criteria and requirements. Some of the general prerequisites are as follows:
- An overall GPA of 2.8 at the least
- The International applicants must have scored a minimum of 60% marks to pursue dentistry in Georgia
- The students must possess a science background in class 12 with at least a 3.56 GPA in science subjects
- The applicants should clear the English proficiency exam
- The international students do not have to undergo any entrance test to pursue dentistry in Georgia
Scholarships for International Students
The dental schools in Georgia have lucrative scholarship offers for international students, mainly to attract them. But, they are worth it. These scholarships help the students by covering their tuition fees.
Apart from this, these students are also eligible for the National Health Service Corps Scholarship. It offers scholarships on the whole of the tuition fee.
The Health Professionals Scholarship is another scholarship for students studying dental science in Georgia.
Some other high-ranked universities in Georgia that offer dental courses are:
- Georgia American University
- Akaki Tsereteli State University
- Georgian National University (SEU)
- Medical School of David Tvildiani
- BAU International University
- Caucasus International University
- Tbilisi State Medical University
- European University
Let’s throw some light on how to become a dentist?
Studying dentistry lands you in one of the best professions and the cost of studying dentistry is like an investment towards your bright future. Usually, the dental schools do not require a specific major but might require you to fulfill some dental school prerequisites like a Dental Admission Test, Science courses, recommendation letters, and relevant extracurriculars.
The study is quite challenging yet fulfilling if you wish to become a dentist. Moreover, it involves more than 4 years to complete the studies, bear the financial costs of education, set up a dental clinic, etc.
Here are some tips on How to Become a Dentist:
Gain Knowledge of Dentistry
The ideal way to begin preparing for dentistry is by investigating other people who are already in this field. Talk to your family dentist or any close friend who is a dentist and gain knowledge about the field. Like, courses you need to do, the cost involved, challenges that you may come across, etc. These are topics you must be aware of before stepping into dentistry. There is nothing to be scared of, if your heart says to do it, then you must go for it.
Academic Proficiency
Academically, you must be aware of what subjects to pursue to get into dentistry. Like you will have to take up science subjects involving biology, anatomy, chemistry, pharmacology, etc. This will help you build up a strong and sound foundation for dentistry. Like it is rightly said – ‘Well Begun is Half Done.’ Moreover, it will help you decide whether you are enjoying studying those subjects or not. But also do not get disheartened that if you don’t love Biology, you cannot be a dentist. There are dentists with humanities and business backgrounds too. So, choose wisely which path is best for you.
Relevant Extracurricular Activities
Being a dentist, you will be dealing with a lot of patients daily, thus you must have good skills to handle people and solve their problems with a smile. It can be very distressing at times. Thus, it will be better to indulge in activities that train you to work with different kinds of people. This will surely help you in the long run, when you become a successful dentist.
Conclusion
The above-detailed guide is your one-stop to know everything about getting into the good dental colleges of Georgia. But before getting into a good dental school, you must be well aware of the admission process, fee structure, pre-requisites, etc. Always keep your research detailed before you start on the path of shaping up your future.
FAQs
Q1. Is the Dental Admission Test (DAT) important to get into a dental school in Georgia?
DAT is a very important test to enter a good dental school. The admission committee considers it an important predictor along with the GPA score.
Q2. Can I pursue dentistry if I did not take science?
Yes, you can pursue but it is advised to get a hang of science subjects like Biology, Chemistry, etc. Although there are many dentists with Humanities or Business subjects. The main idea to take up science early is to make you aware of basic things before you dive into higher studies.
Q3. Is GPA very important for dental school admission and how much?
A GPA of 3.5 and above is ideal to get into a dental college. But, be aware that this is just one of the criteria to enter and not the only prerequisite.
Q4. What DAT Score is required for getting into a dental school in Georgia?
An average DAT score ranging from 18 to 27 is ideal for getting into any dental school in Georgia. However, you must know other important prerequisites before you apply for a dental school in Georgia.
Q5. How is the curriculum divided at Georgia University?
The first two years of dentistry are focused on the basics of medical and biological elements of dentistry, and the last three years focus on clinical practice along with training in the field and practical knowledge of post-dentistry procedures.
