Specific course requirements to enter medical or dental school are minimal, but academic excellence is stressed. In addtion, excellent performance on MCAT or DAT exams, life experiences, and familiarity with the professions is also important. Calvin will prepare you for success in medical school, dental school and beyond.
Preparing for College
Although medical and dental schools will not review your high school grades, ACT or SAT scores, your performance may determine how prepared you are for college courses and your eligibility for scholarships.
Advanced Placement (AP) credit scores will determine the college credit earned, if any. More importantly than getting credit for earning an exemption from a science course is whether or not you have learned the material! Please remember that not all medical schools accept AP credit for required courses.
Major or Concentration?
Being "pre-medical" or "pre-dental" at Calvin indicates a career goal rather than a program of concentration, or major. Hence, you need to be concerned about meeting the general requirements of Calvin for graduation, including selecting a major.
What is the best major to prepare for medical or dental school? Nationally, about one-half of medical school applicants are biology majors of some type (aamc.org). However, one has just as good a chance being accepted to medical or dental school with a music, history, or any other major. Select a major in a field that you enjoy, can get good grades and in which you have some skill.
Regardless of which major you select, be sure to meet with Professor Tigchelaar, the Pre-Medical/Dental Advisor at least once per year to verify you are not deficient in any requirements.
Grades and Honors
Regardless of your selected major, community service, or desire to go to medical or dental school, if your g.p.a. is not sufficeint you will have a difficult time with the acceptance process. A g.p.a. based on poor freshman grades is extremely hard to raise.
Grades are the most important criterion that a medical/dental admissions committee will consider. Accepted medical students have an undergraduate g.p.a. of about 3.5-3.6, and some medical schools have even higher averages. Dental students have an undergraduate g.p.a. of about 3.2 - 3.5.
Students of outstanding academic ability are encouraged to consider enrolling in the Calvin Honors Program. An incoming student is eligible if the composite ACT score is 28 or higher, or by petition. Special sections of many freshman courses are available for honors stuents. A complete description of the honors program is available online.
Research and Clinical Time
Although research may not be a requirement, it is surely looked upon favorably by admissions committees. There are many opportunities for one to get involved with research, especially summer research, through the Science Division at Calvin College.
Highly qualified students with little or no clinical experience will have a difficult time being accepted into medical school. Experience can be obtained by volunteering in hospitals or other medical facilities or actually having a job in a clinical setting. Both breadth and depth of experiences are important. This is less important, though valuable in applying to dental schools.
Timeline for Success
The minimum requirements for most medical and dental schools include: 3 semesters of molecular and animal biology, 2 semesters of general chemistry, 2 semesters of organic chemistry, and 2 semesters of physics. In addition, some medical schools require calculus, biochemistry, psychology as well as other certain humanities courses.
Balancing the requirements for graduation from Calvin, while meeting medical or dental school entrance requirements can be a daunting task. The Pre-Medical/Dental Advisor has created a Timeline for Success to assist with your journey to medical or dental school. Remember, it is very important for you to meet with the Pre-Medial/Dental Advisor at least annualy to discuss your progress.
