School of Dental Medicine Entrance Requirements

LECOM School of Dental Medicine seeks applicants who have demonstrated strong performance in their science courses, as well as a well-rounded academic record. Ideal candidates have excelled throughout their academic careers and show a commitment to excellence across various disciplines.

Applicants are required to have completed a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university by the time of enrollment. However, exceptions may be made for students enrolled in special programs who have completed at least 90 credits from an accredited institution.

Successful applicants typically have a science GPA and an overall GPA of 3.2 or  higher. Each candidate must submit their most recent Dental Admission Test (DAT) scores through the American Dental Education Association application service (ADEA AADSAS). DAT scores taken within the past three years of acceptable, and competitive candidates typically achieve an average DAT score of 18 or higher.

Applicants must meet the following specific course requirements:

  • Biology: A minimum of eight (8) semester hours, including two semester hours of laboratory work.
  • Inorganic/general chemistry: A minimum of eight (8) semester hours, including two semester hours of laboratory work.
  • Organic chemistry: A minimum of eight (8) semester hours, including two semester hours of laboratory work.
  • Biochemistry: A minimum of three (3) semester hours.
  • English: A minimum of six (6) semester hours of composition with emphasis on technical language skills.

Additional consideration will be given to candidates who have taken courses in anatomy (3 hours), physiology (4 hours), microbiology (4 hours), and physics (4 hours). Students should consider additional courses in cell biology, histology, immunology, and molecular/genetic biology. Understanding of these sciences will be beneficial for the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) sessions of the curriculum.

The School strongly recommends applicants complete at least 100 hours of job shadowing in a clinical dental setting, with the majority of those hours spent observing a general dentist.

*LECOM will consider coursework from accredited community colleges to meet any of the 90 credit course hour requirements for prerequisites and electives.

The LECOM School of Dental Medicine only accepts applicants who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.