Some things never change - dental school admissions prerequisites
Lynn D Carlisle, DDS
After writing In a Spirit of Caring Revisited, I had sworn off of criticising dental education because it is an exercise in futility. But, I can't pass this up. Recently, I was asked to be a mentor at a "Boys to Men" career fair for 8th grade boys. It was recommended that I bring some handouts for the students to take home. So, I went to the ADA web site and looked for some material. It turned out that they had excellent information for high school and college students. Information on mentoring, shadowing, prerequisites, salaries, hours worked, 10 reasons to consider dentistry, a You Tube video of dental students talking about what it is like to be a dental student, blogs on a day in the life of a dental student, practitioner, public health dentist and faculty member. All good stuff until I read the prerequisites. They had not changed since I applied to dental school in 1961 - forty eight years ago.
 All good stuff until I read the prerequisites. They had not changed since I applied to dental school in 1961 - forty eight years ago. 
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Here they are:
Dental School Admissions
Prerequisites
Students should contact individual dental schools for specific prerequisite information. Required courses generally include:
• 8 hours Biology with lab
• 8 hours Physics
• 8 hours English
• 8 hours General Chemistry with lab
• 8 hours Organic Chemistry with lab
Majoring in science is not a must, but completion of pre-dental science requirements is necessary.
A college undergraduate degree is recommended in preparation for dental school. Most dental students have completed four years of college. I could not hand this out to the 8th graders without adding my comments. Here is my amended version of the ADA article - my added comments are in bold type: Interested in becoming a dentist?Dentistry requires three things: your head, your hands and your heart. Your head for the intelligence and knowledge that is necessary; your hands for the artistic skill and dexterity needed; and your heart for caring for your fellow human beings (and yourself). Lynn D Carlisle, DDS, FAGD, HW, Carbondale, Colorado
Author: In a Spirit of Caring and www.spiritofcaring.com
e-mail address: carlisledds@comcast.net Here is detailed information from the American Dental Association (ADA) on what it takes to be a dentist - www.ada.org/public/careers -- Careers in Dentistry BE A DENTIST: HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
What can I do to prepare to become a dentist?
• Plan Ahead
• Mentoring Program
• Join American Student Dental Association (ASDA)
• Additional Resources
o Career Exploring
o Related Dental Associations
o Other Programs
Plan Ahead
While in high school take math and science courses, enroll in chemistry, biology and algebra and consider taking AP (Advanced Placement) science courses.
(Added by Lynn D Carlisle, DDS, Carbondale Co. -- While science courses are an important and necessary part of being a dentist -- and getting into dental school - caring about and understanding people is equally or more important. Take courses in psychology, human behavior, philosophy, religion, and business in high school and college. Without understanding and implementing these human dimensions, you are in danger of being a "skilled barbarian" -- someone who ignores the marvelous uniqueness of the person and treats him or her as only a vehicle that brings the mouth to see the dentist.) At least a half century of the same prerequisites, and we wonder why we dentists struggle so much with communicating and building relationships with patients and team members. And why a patient, David Clow, wrote a book on this problem. David is the author of the excellent book A Few Words for the Chair, a patient speaks to dentists. Amazon.com: A Few Words from the Chair: A Patient Speaks to Dentists: David Clow: Books No where in this ADA article is there a mention of the importance of learning about people. There are no prerequisites to suggest to high school or college students that people skills and caring are vital components of being a dentist.
The result? Dental schools turn out 'skilled barbarians' to use Steven Muller PhD's apt description of the result of this scientific bias.
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The result? Dental schools turn out "skilled barbarians" to use Steven Muller PhD's apt description of the result of this scientific bias. Muller is a President Emeritus of Johns Hopkins University. His whole quote is: "The university is rooted in the scientific method, and the scientific method cannot provide a sense of values. As a result we are turning out skilled barbarians". I told the 8th grade boys that the best dentists are like the best triathletes. They excel in all three areas - head, hands and heart. I said the unhappiest dentists I know are the people that have the head and maybe the hands, but don't have the heart. In selecting and training dental students, dental schools still focus a half or full century (since the Flexner report(1) in 1910) later on the heads and hands and ignore the heart and the human dimensions of dentistry. Dental education needs come to the same conclusion as Conclusion 2 did twenty - five years ago in the 1984 GPEP report by the Association of American Medical Colleges on Physicians for the 21st century. Conclusion 2 is confined to the baccalaureate component of the education of the physician and strongly supports the thesis that studies in the arts, the humanities, the social sciences, literature and philosophy are as important in the college preparation of the physician as are the sciences. To read a 1985 editorial in the Journal of the National Medical Association and see the other conclusions of the GPEP report, go to: The Future of Medical Education in the United States: The GPEP Report To read the first page of this editorial go to: The Future of Medical Education in the United States: The GPEP Report
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Very appropriate and needed comments. Your suggestions for ways to avoid becoming "skilled barbarians" are right on, but I was surprised that you didn't include the "classics" of literature. Most dentists aren't "readers" outside the technical journals and throw away periodicals. A true liberal arts education (if you can still get one in the modern university) leads to a civilized person. That is what is needed in the healing arts.
Regarding the behavioral sciences: Dr. Nathan Kohn, Jr.(a psychologist) felt that one of the fundamental requirements for dental students is the need to be trained to understand himself and others. Dr. Kohn proposed to Dental School deans for a research project to study this area. He suggested that all entering students be given a series of tests that would give them information about their personalities, values, and goals. Skilled professionals would interview the students to bring out their inner feelings regarding their expectations of dentistry, their motivations for entering the field, and their preconceived notions or concepts of the dental profession. Testing would be repeated in the third and fourth years and again after they had practiced a few years.
In addition, the new student would receive orientation to the life of a dental student. Courses would be offered in personality theory and abnormal psychology at appropriate times in the training. The problems of individual growth and development would be considered. Courses would be given in semantics and communications. Specific instructions in interviewing patients and evaluation of the material from a patient. Use of video recordings of these sessions would be helpful.
In the senior year a course in practice administration including location, office layout, work methods, equipment, setting up the business portion, interprofessional relationships, and medicolegal problems. Goal setting and how that helps direct a career. Seminars to discuss the feelings of students and dentists with respect to situations involving the doctor-patient relationship, etc.
The proposal was met with a groundswell of apathy from most dental schools.
However, think of how a program like this would have improved success in practice for your patients, your profession and you.
Bill,
Wouldn't it be wonderful if dental schools made a liberal education a prerequisite along with the necessary science courses?
And wouldn't it be wonderful if they had adopted Nate Kohn's suggestions?
I am jealous of you for your experiences with Nate Kohn. How did you meet him?
Lynn
Here is the handout I gave to the 8th grade students: Interested in becoming a dentist? Dentistry requires three things: your head, your hands and your heart. Your head for the intelligence and knowledge that is necessary; your hands for the artistic skill and dexterity needed; and your heart for caring for your fellow human beings (and yourself). Lynn D Carlisle, DDS, FAGD, HW, Carbondale, Colorado
Author: In a Spirit of Caring and www.spiritofcaring.com
e-mail address: carlisledds@comcast.net Here is detailed information from the American Dental Association (ADA) on what it takes to be a dentist - www.ada.org/public/careers -- Careers in Dentistry. BE A DENTIST: HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS What can I do to prepare to become a dentist?
• Plan Ahead
• Mentoring Program
• Join American Student Dental Association (ASDA)
• Additional Resources
o Career Exploring
o Related Dental Associations
o Other Programs
Plan Ahead
While in high school take math and science courses, enroll in chemistry, biology and algebra and consider taking AP (Advanced Placement) science courses. (Added by Lynn D Carlisle, DDS, Carbondale Co. -- While science courses are a important and necessary part of being a dentist -- and getting into dental school - caring about and understanding people is equally or more important. Take courses in psychology, human behavior, philosophy, religion, and business in high school and college. Without understanding and implementing these human dimensions, you are in danger of being a "skilled barbarian" -- someone who ignores the marvelous uniqueness of the person and treats him or her as only a vehicle that brings the mouth to see the dentist.)
Find out everything you can about dentistry to discover if dentistry is a good fit for you and to demonstrate your interest in the profession. How? Job shadow or volunteer at your family dentist's office, orthodontist or pediatric dentist's office. Contact a local practicing dentist to answer your questions. If there isn't a mentor program in your area to pursue job shadowing or volunteering, contact the nearest dental society.
Find out if there are any dental camps or other programs for high school students at nearby dental schools. Does your high school have health careers clubs? HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) is a national organization with high school chapters offering health profession career information and Learning for Life (Exploring) offers students 14-20 years old programs to explore careers.
Mentoring Program Would you like to talk with a dentist in your community, ask questions and possibly observe first-hand (job shadow) a dental professional at work? Mentors can help you understand dentistry from the other side of the chair and provide guidance about pursuing dentistry as a career as well as dental team careers. Learn more about mentoring or find out how to contact the mentor coordinator for your area in the mentoring section of this site. Dental School Admissions
Prerequisites
Students should contact individual dental schools for specific prerequisite information. Required courses generally include:
• 8 hours Biology with lab
• 8 hours Physics
• 8 hours English
• 8 hours General Chemistry with lab
• 8 hours Organic Chemistry with lab
Majoring in science is not a must, but completion of pre-dental science requirements is necessary. A college undergraduate degree is recommended in preparation for dental school. Most dental students have completed four years of college. You Tube Video for Dental Students and prospective dental students
Dental students submit videos that answer the most frequently asked questions
http://www.youtube.com/ADEAVideoMentors
(1) Flexner Report - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Excellent Article, May 5, 2009
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