Pre-Dentistry

Dentistry Background

Dentistry is concerned with diseases, disorders, and conditions of the oral cavity, commonly in the dentition but also the adjacent and related structures and tissues in the jaw and facial area. Dental treatments are carried out by a dental team, which often consists of a dentist and dental auxiliaries. Most dentists either work in private practices, dental hospitals, or institutions.

Dentistry tends to be less competitive than other professional schools because the surplus of dentists produced in the 40s, 50s, and 60s are now retiring. It is still relatively easy to gain admission to dental school, and a young person can join an established practice and make a good living as a dentist. Many students gain admission after three years in undergraduate school. The duration of dental school is approximately four years, but no internship is required. West Virginia University has the only school of dentistry in the state.

Dental Admission Test (DAT) usually taken in the spring of your junior year for 4-year student. For the most current information, review the DAT web site.

Pre-Professional Health Care Studies Minor

A minor in Pre-Professional Health Care Studies is designed to help students prepare to apply to professional health programs by providing a comprehensive list of courses which build competencies essential for a competitive application. This minor does not include a comprehensive list of courses required by every professional school, but instead provides a structured pathway to help a student complete graduate or professional school prerequisites courses, regardless of major. The minor includes the most common courses needed to pursue an advanced degree in the health sciences and/or completing prerequisites for post-baccalaureate health care programs. Students who plan to pursue attendance at a medical school, physician assistant program, physical therapy doctoral program, or other related graduate programs will find this minor helpful in addressing the required prerequisite courses. Because each professional school may determine its own requirements, and because those requirements can vary among institutions and are subject to change, students should regard the courses listed below as examples only. This is not a comprehensive statement of what actually is required by every professional school.

Any degree-seeking undergraduate student, regardless of major, can declare this minor.

Students must complete at least 18 hours from the core list of required courses below, as well as complete a set of required courses from a sub-discipline to complete this minor. Each student, in consultation with their advisor, would design their specific Pre-Professional Health Care Studies minor with regard to their post-baccalaureate plans for graduate school or professional school, and decide how many and which disciplines they need as preparation for their plan.

Required Courses
BSC 120 Bison image
& BSC 120L Bison image
Principles of Biology I
and Principles of Biology I Lab
4
BSC 121/121L Bison image Principles of Biology4
CHM 211 Bison image
& CHM 217 Bison image
Principles of Chemistry I
and Principles of Chem Lab I
5
CHM 212 Bison image
& CHM 218 Bison image
Principles Chemistry II
and Principles of Chem Lab II
5
Electives (choose from one of the options listed below)
Pre-Chiropractic
BSC 423Comp Vertebrate Anatomy4
CHM 355Organic Chemistry I3
CHM 356Organic Chemistry II3
CHM 361Intro Organic Chm Lab3
CHM 365Introductory Biochemistry3
PHY 201 Bison image College Physics I3
PHY 202 Bison image General Physics I Laboratory1
PHY 203 Bison image College Physics II3
PHY 204 Bison image General Physics 2 Laboratory1
Pre-Optometry
BSC 227
& BSC 227L
Human Anatomy
and Human Anatomy Lab
4
or BSC 423 Comp Vertebrate Anatomy
BSC 228 Bison image
& BSC 228L Bison image
Human Physiology
and Human Physiology Lab
4
BSC 250 Bison image Microbiol & Human Disease4
or BSC 302 and BSC 304, Principles of Microbiology and Lab
CHM 355Organic Chemistry I3
CHM 356Organic Chemistry II3
MTH 140 Bison image Applied Calculus3
or MTH 229 Bison image Calculus/Analytic Geom I (CT)
PHY 201 Bison image College Physics I3
PHY 202 Bison image General Physics I Laboratory1
PHY 203 Bison image College Physics II3
PHY 204 Bison image General Physics 2 Laboratory1
BSC 417Biostatistics3
or STA 225 Bison image Introductory Statistics (CT)
Pre-Physician Assistant
BSC 227/227LHuman Anatomy4
or BSC 423 Comp Vertebrate Anatomy
BSC 228 Bison image
& BSC 228L Bison image
Human Physiology
and Human Physiology Lab
4
BSC 250 Bison image Microbiol & Human Disease4
or BSC 304 and BSC 304, Principles of Microbiology and Lab
CHM 355Organic Chemistry I3
CHM 356Organic Chemistry II3
CHM 361Intro Organic Chm Lab3
HS 200 Bison image Comp Medical Terminology (CT)3
BSC 417Biostatistics3
or STA 225 Bison image Introductory Statistics (CT)
Pre-Pharmacy
BSC 227
& BSC 227L
Human Anatomy
and Human Anatomy Lab
4
or BSC 423 Comp Vertebrate Anatomy
BSC 228 Bison image
& BSC 228L Bison image
Human Physiology
and Human Physiology Lab
4
or BSC 422 Animal Physiology
BSC 250 Bison image Microbiol & Human Disease4
or BSC 302 Principles of Microbiology
CHM 355Organic Chemistry I3
CHM 356Organic Chemistry II3
CHM 361Intro Organic Chm Lab3
or MTH 229 Bison image Calculus/Analytic Geom I (CT)
MTH 140 Bison image Applied Calculus3
PHY 201 Bison image College Physics I3
PHY 202 Bison image General Physics I Laboratory1
BSC 417Biostatistics3
or STA 225 Bison image Introductory Statistics (CT)
Pre-Podiatry
CHM 355Organic Chemistry I3
CHM 356Organic Chemistry II3
CHM 361Intro Organic Chm Lab3
PHY 201 Bison image College Physics I3
PHY 202 Bison image General Physics I Laboratory1
PHY 203 Bison image College Physics II3
PHY 204 Bison image General Physics 2 Laboratory1
Pre-Physical Therapy
BSC 422Animal Physiology4
or BSC 228 Bison image Human Physiology
BSC 423Comp Vertebrate Anatomy4
BSC 417Biostatistics3
or STA 225 Bison image Introductory Statistics (CT)
PHY 201 Bison image College Physics I3
PHY 202 Bison image General Physics I Laboratory1
PHY 203 Bison image College Physics II3
PHY 204 Bison image General Physics 2 Laboratory1
PSY 311Child Development3
Pre-Veterinary
BSC 302Principles of Microbiology3
BSC 304Microbiology Lab2
BSC 422Animal Physiology4
CHM 355Organic Chemistry I3
CHM 356Organic Chemistry II3
CHM 361Intro Organic Chm Lab3
CHM 365Introductory Biochemistry3
PHY 201 Bison image College Physics I3
PHY 202 Bison image General Physics I Laboratory1
PHY 203 Bison image College Physics II3
PHY 204 Bison image General Physics 2 Laboratory1

 

Prepare for Health Care Professions with the College of Science