PROGRAM OVERVIEW

High school students with outstanding records and exceptional entrance credentials may want to consider admission to one of University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine’s five accelerated Bio-Dental programs. These programs, which lead to a combined Bachelor/Dental degree, are designed for students who have selected dental medicine as a career and wish to accelerate their studies. Students participating in Bio-Dental programs are not only able to reduce their education time and tuition and related expenses by one year, but also avoid the lengthy and costly dental school interview process. Students complete a three-year academic curriculum and matriculate into the dental school after successfully completing academic requirements in the undergraduate program. Students typically receive their baccalaureate degrees from their undergraduate institutions after successfully completing the first year of the dental curriculum.

Accelerated programs leading to a combined bachelor’s and a dental degree are offered through the following schools:

These programs enable qualified students to earn both their BS or BA and DMD degrees in seven years. Admission is made through application to the participating undergraduate institution’s admissions office.

Applicants interested in applying to a Bio-Dental program should contact any of the participating institutions for an undergraduate admissions application and select the Penn Dental Medicine Bio-Dental option indicated on the school’s application. Applicants who meet the school’s admissions requirements will be sent a Penn Dental Medicine Bio-Dental Supplemental Application for completion. This supplemental application includes questions required by the Penn Dental Medicine Admissions Selection Committee. The undergraduate institution will forward application information to Penn Dental Medicine for review and consideration. Approximately 10 to15 applicants are granted acceptance to the Bio-Dental program. Applicants will be notified in writing of final decisions by the undergraduate institution. Successful applicants will receive a conditional letter of acceptance from Penn Dental Medicine, which describes program and pre-matriculation requirements.

In addition to meeting the individual admissions requirements at the participating schools, Penn Dental Medicine seeks academically prepared, caring individuals who will contribute to the advancement of high-quality, oral health care. Consideration will be given to those candidates who meet academic prerequisites, fulfill admissions requirements, and demonstrate a commitment to the dental profession. Strong preference will be given to those candidates who demonstrate proficiency in the following areas: community service, extracurricular activities, predental experience, and superior academic preparation. Because Penn Dental Medicine is a private institution, it is not bound by agreement to limit the number of out-of-state students in its program, and therefore, seeks a geographically diverse student body.

To remain in the Bio-Dental Program students must maintain a cumulative overall and science GPA of 3.5 per semester while enrolled at their undergraduate institution as calculated by the American Dental Education Association’s Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS).

Matriculation and enrollment into the D.M.D. program after three years of undergraduate study will be contingent upon an overall and science grade point average of 3.5 at the time of application and matriculation as calculated by AADSAS, submission of an AADSAS dental school application, submission of application fees and a Penn Dental Medicine Supplemental Application, attainment of satisfactory scores (minimum of 20 in all subject areas) on the Dental Admission Test (DAT), fulfilling admissions requirements, and maintenance of a personal record that is consistent with the standards of the profession. During the three years of enrollment in the consortium program, students must earn a minimum of 100 hours of dental experience, of which the majority must occur in one or more general dental practices, preferably in the U.S. or Canada, prior to submission of the formal AADSAS dental school application. Additional time in dental practices is always encourages as is exploration of the dental specialties.

In order to evaluate academic credentials for final acceptance, all Bio-Dental participants must submit an AADSAS application to the American Dental Education Association, a Penn Dental Medicine Supplemental Application and application fee prior to September 1 of their junior year, and submit DAT scores from a test taken no later than September 1 of their junior year, and submit. Failure to submit credentials in accordance with the above schedule may jeopardize acceptance and enrollment. Upon final acceptance, a $1,000 non-refundable deposit is due to reserve a place in the entering class. An additional non-refundable deposit of $1,000 is due on or before March 1 prior to matriculation in August. Both deposits will be credited toward the first semester tuition