The Pathway to Dental School for Post-Bacc Students - Getting Started - Application & Timeline

Sep 17, 2026

Upload by Jasmine

Northeastern University PreMed and PreHealth Advising Program provides an end-to-end pathway for post-bacc students applying to dental school, with guidance on using the Medical Applicant Portal (MAP), staying connected through events and updates, and navigating a year-long application cycle beginning in May. It outlines prerequisite course categories, recommended timing for the DAT after completing core sciences, and the experiential preparation needed for admissions success. The document also covers letters of recommendation support for qualified applicants.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Medical Applicant Portal (MAP)

Application & Timeline

Experiential Preparation

Required Coursework

Entrance Exam (DAT)

Letters of Recommendation

PreMed and PreHealth Advising Program Northeastern University The Pathway to Dental School for Post-Bacc Students G ETT I N G STA RT E D Medical Applicant Portal ( MAP) : MAP is an online resource for post-bacc students and alumni to identify themselves as PreMed and stay informed of important dates and events. It also serves as a portfolio to help prepare students for the application process. Create a MAP account in StudentHub! Connect with us: Meet your pre-health advisor , register for upcoming events , sign up for our monthly newsletter , and read upon our latest blog posts from students , staff , and alumni! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @ NUPreHealth A P P L I CAT I O N & T I M E L I N E The application process for dental school begins every year in May and is a year-long application process. Applicants should have their prerequisite courses and DAT score(s), along with recommended experiences, prior to the application. Please click on the links below to learn more about each dental application type: Dental Medicine-AADSAS TMSDAS-Texas Medical & Dental Schools Most students in the post-bacc certificate program should expect to be in the program for about one year prior to applying to dental school - more information and resources are on our website. EX P E R I E NT IA L P R E PA RAT I O N Dental students must possess a broad range of competencies to successfully learn and develop in dentall school and become effective dentists. The pre-dental competency model includes professional , thinking and reasoning , and science competencies , and serves as aroadmap for students as they prepare to succeed in medical careers. View the AAMC Core Competencies here. Post-bacc students bring a wealth of professional and interdisciplinary experience that will be valued by dental school admissions. Rather than starting from scratch , postbacc students should asses where their experiences are already strong and identify areas to supplement with additional community service , clinical exposure , dental shadowing. R EQ U I R E D CO U RS EWO R K Requisite courses are school specific. For detailed course requirements , please review the list of accredited dental schools on the linked ADEA Go Dental website. Common courses include: Biology with labs (Two semesters) General Chemistry with lab(s) (Two semesters) Organic Chemistry with labs (Two semesters) Physics with labs (Two semesters) Biochemistry with lab Math (One Calculus & One Statistics) Social Science/Humanities (Two semesters) Additional coursework across disciplines may be required (e.g. Microbiology , Anatomy & Physiology , etc.) E NT RA N C E EXA M Pre-Dental students will take the Dental Admissions Test (DAT) . We recommend that pre-dental post-bacc students plan to take the DAT after completing all general biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry prerequisite courses and the applicant has had 4-5 months to study. Atthe latest , applicants should take the DAT by the end of June , the year they apply. L ETT E R S O F R E C O M M E N DAT I O N The Northeastern University PreMed & PreHealth Advising program offers a Letters Packet service for medical , dental , and podiatry applicants who complete the Pre-Med PostBacc Certificate Program. More information on our website here. Learn More: [northeastern.edu/prehealth](northeastern.edu/prehealth)

FAQs

What is the Medical Applicant Portal (MAP) and how is it used by post-bacc students?

MAP is an online resource where post-bacc students and alumni identify themselves as PreMed and receive updates on important dates and events. It also functions as a portfolio to help prepare for the application process.

When does the dental school application process begin and how long does it take?

The dental school application process begins every year in May and runs as a year-long process. Applicants should complete prerequisite courses and have DAT score(s) before applying.

When should post-bacc students plan to take the DAT?

Students are recommended to take the DAT after completing general biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry prerequisite courses, with about 4–5 months to study. Applicants should take the DAT by the end of June in the year they apply.

Sep 17, 2026

Upload by Jasmine