To know about Dental School Acceptance Rate….Read on this article….!
As the world continues to advance in science and medical technology, the need for medical practitioners in all fields will continue to increase because of the widespread abuse of technological advancement in our everyday lives by the populace. How easy it should be for aspiring medical practitioners to gain access to the needed education has been a long-standing issue influenced by a wide variety of factors. According to research and standing statistics, the rate of acceptance of Dental School varies per region. It’s easier to get into dental school in the Western African region than it would be overseas. Thousands of applications are received by schools every single year from students across the globe, and only a few who meet certain set standards and requirements make the cut.
Dental School Acceptance Rate
Here are some of the differences in admission requirements in the southern and western parts of the world:
USA:
• In the United States of America, you need to have a full four-year degree in areas like Anatomy, Biochemistry, and Microbiology (these count as pre-dental background) with a GPA of at least 3.0 (preferably higher, somewhere around 3.5 to give you a stronger footing) and a good score on your DAT (Dental Admissions Test). Most dental schools do have very low GPA requirements, some are as low as 2.75, but any mark below 3.0 reduces the chance of landing an interview with a dental school.
• The reputation of your school is important to potential employers when you graduate, so you have to meet the requirements of schools with good reputations, and most of those schools have heavy financial tuition fees and obligations that most people may not be able to afford. A solution to this would be to split focus between good private and public schools. Public schools are more affordable, though “affordable” is relative. There’s also the option of student loans, which are not very desirable because of how long it takes to get and pay off but can help to give one a head start.
• You also need at least two recommendation letters from credible figures in the field to increase your chances of getting accepted and an impressive amount of involvement in research and other dentistry-related activities. Schools are picky, so the more you have under your belt, the higher your chances are of getting into a good school.
• Inspite of these requirements, there are schools in certain parts of the USA that are easier to get into than others, some of which are the University of Mississippi, University of Augusta, University of Iowa, and, University of Missouri.
Nigeria:
In the southern parts, using Nigeria as an example, it’s much easier to get into dental school. First of all, the educational system is a little more straightforward.
• No background bachelor’s degree is needed as a prerequisite to admission into any dental school. What is required, however, is a strong WAEC (West African Examination Council) result (more A’s and B’s than C’s) as a science student in secondary school (or high school) and a good result from UTME (Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB). This exam determines whether a secondary school graduate can enter the university and is scored over 400. A pass mark of 180 is needed to stand a chance of getting into any university in general. 200 is a stronger base score. To study dentistry, however, the student has to meet or surpass the cut-off mark of the university/specialist school he or she is interested in.
• In Nigeria, dentistry can be studied as a full course in the university or in a specialist school. It depends on the state you find yourself in or the state you want.
• The cut-off marks differ per state. In some states, 200 is enough. In others, you have to hit 250, 260, 275, and 280. The University of Nigeria, which is one of the best public universities in the country, requires a 282 score.
• Tuition fees and other financial obligations are not as high as they would be abroad.
• In the event that a student does remarkably well in UTME exams, there is a very high possibility of scholarship by individuals or the government. Over the past few years, it has progressively gotten easier for most aspiring dentists to gain admission into specialist schools or universities, especially as there is an ever-increasing demand for practitioners in all areas of medicine.
Conclusion
Whether it’s easy, a bit difficult, or entirely impossible to get admission into a dental school is, first and foremost, up to you as a student. You determine how attractive you look to a school by how much effort you put into your studies and how eager you are to not just be a dentist but make a difference as one. Schools want students they can count on and be proud of, so give them that, and you’d find that it will be quite an easy task for you to get admission into a school of your choosing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: Can I get into a dental school in a different country or continent with different educational requirements?
Answer: Yes, you can. Despite the differences in structure, education in dentistry is available to anyone anywhere in the world.
Question 2: What are the best countries to study dentistry abroad?
Answer: China, Australia, Denmark, and Japan…to mention a few.
Question 3: Can one get a dentistry degree online?
Answer: Yes, there are distance learning dentistry degrees you can obtain online. It is preferable to learn in person, but online degrees are very much available.
Question 4: How much will a practicing dentist make in a year?
Answer: Anywhere between $120,000 to $150,000 on average or even $200,000 for the well paid. Sometimes, where you are is a determinant and the strength of the economy you’re in. Your years of experience in the field are also a major income determining factor.
