Essential High School Courses for Future Dentists

Preparing for a career in dentistry? Ensuring you take the right courses in high school is crucial. While dental school does not review your high school transcripts directly, the knowledge and skills you acquire during your high school years lay a strong foundation for your future academic and professional endeavors.

Accomplishing the Right Balance

Your high school performance should be focused on getting you into a college with a robust pre-med program. While in high school, take the required classes necessary for college entry, along with any electives that align with your interests, such as business management. These electives can be particularly beneficial if you manage to maintain a high GPA and gain work experience with a small business. This combination of academic excellence and practical experience can prepare you well for college and beyond.

Excellence in Academics

To apply to college, you need to maintain a high GPA and take a major that allows you to fit in with the necessary prerequisites for dental school. Courses in vertebrate biology, especially at the Advanced Placement (AP) level, are highly recommended. This is because these courses are very time-consuming. Therefore, gaining business experience and work skills in high school can be particularly advantageous. Lack of business skills might be a serious issue for some new dentists, making it an essential component of your high school experience.

Maximizing Your Course Load

Take the hardest science courses available, such as AP courses, and consider electives that support a strong academic profile, including mathematics, English, history, and foreign languages. If you have an opportunity, work towards obtaining a hygienist certification since many states require some form of certification for dental hygiene careers. Of course, you should aim for as much science as possible, along with math and art, preferably practical hands-on activities.

College Prerequisites and Beyond

Undergraduate entry into a dental school typically requires a good bit of practical, hands-on work. Therefore, it's wise to look up the specific prerequisites required for several dental schools on your list. You might be able to take some of these prerequisites as AP or dual enrollment courses, allowing you to focus on composition or history during your undergraduate years. Though these classes may not be as science-centric, they will provide a balanced and solid foundation for your future academic and professional pursuits.

Consulting with Your Counselor

Inform your high school counselor of your career aspirations. They can assist you in creating the right course schedule that aligns with your goals. Make sure to plan for 2 to 3 years of foreign language study and take the highest level of math courses available. Completing two semesters of calculus is crucial, as it is a prerequisite for many science-based degrees.

By strategically planning your high school courses, you can set a solid foundation for a successful career in dentistry. Embrace both academic rigor and practical experience to ensure you are well-prepared for dental school and beyond.