Pre-Dental Club

Pre-Reqs and application necessities

​

10/1/2025

Overview

• Pre-requisites
• Journaling
• Shadowing
• Volunteering

Important Classes

• Can vary by school, but to be able to apply to most schools follow the table below: (If you already have schools in mind research their requirements)
• Build relationships with science teachers for letters of recommendation

*Blue = usually not required but strongly recommended by schools and helps with DAT

Pre-Dent Mentor Map

• Map of all dental schools in the U.S., Canada, and U.S. territories
• Avg. DAT, GPA, tuition (in/out of state), and class size
• Access to mentors from different dental schools
• Research and find your preferences

Journaling

​

• Journal everything (that could be useful)
• Shadowing and Volunteer experiences
• Daily interactions and life experiences
• Take away the most important parts, think how this knowledge can be used in your future and career
• Don’t leave anything out
• Keep it organized (this will help when you’re applying)

Shadowing

• Start now (reach out to a dentist in the area)
• Aim for 100 hours
• Most hours spent with a general dentist
• Shadow at least 4 general dentists
• Include some specialties (orthodontics, oral surgery, prosthodontics)
• Journal your experiences
• Ask yourself why you’re shadowing?

​

​

Shadowing

• Be a human (not everything has to be serious)
• Find doctors who you mesh with
• Unfavorable experience can be used to reflect!
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions, you’re there to learn
• Understand the feelings in the room, don’t be a stressor
• Offer to help if it feels right

Volunteering

​

• Start now and be consistent
• Aim for 40-50 hours minimum
• Find organizations that are important to you
• Show that you want to help your community

​

​

​

​

​

​

Volunteering

​

• Do things that you enjoy
• Be passionate about your experiences
• This will make them easier to talk about in writing/interviews
• Go the extra mile and show you want to be there

SUMMARY

• Be your own advisor and research what classes are necessary for the dental schools you want to apply to.
• Start your shadowing and volunteering NOW. Write detailed journal entries about what you learned during these times. They will come in handy when filling out the application.
• Build relationships - you need 3 letters of recommendation, 4 is optional
• 2 science teachers
• 1 dentist
• 1 optional

Follow Us On Instagram

When2meet form

Pre Dent Mentor Map

Things to ask yourself

• What is the purpose of shadowing dentists?
• What is the most important to you?
• Show growth over time (Extremely important for showing that you can learn while in dental school)
• What kind of dentist do you want to be?
• What is your mission statement?
• Don’t write what you think they want to hear! Be AUTHENTIC

Volunteer Opportunities

• Love heals health clinic
• 877.246.7349- hope for the warriors veteran volunteer.
• 208-336-9643- meridian foodbank
• Werepair.org
• Genesis community health
• City of Boise Volunteer
• Volunteer match
• VA
• St. Lukes
• St. Al’s
• Personal Interests (i.e. youth sports, humane society, etc.)

RAKE UP BOISE!!!!

• Date: November 15, 2025
• Time: TBD
• Location: TBD
• We are responsible for providing rakes
• Leaf Bags are provided
• Signed up for 2 Large yards - can sign up for more depending on how many people come
• Google form: https://forms.gle/1SRER2jfkZsqcsL7A

​

​

Breathe.

Yes, this is overwhelming.

Start now, plan, and build it into your schedule so it’s not overwhelming.

Chip away at it piece by piece.