Students considering a career in dentistry won’t find better undergraduate preparation than what Alma College offers. Alma’s reputation is chronicled in volumes such as Peterson’s Top Colleges for Science and Yale’s Insider’s Guide to Colleges.
Alma provides Pre-Dentistry preparation along with a broad-based liberal arts education. The College’s varied offerings allow each student to develop well-rounded academic, co-curricular and personal credentials.
Planning for the future
Students first need to choose a major that interests them and that they can work in happily. The most popular majors to prepare for advanced dental training are Biology and Biochemistry.
To qualify for admission to most dental schools, students need to take these basic science courses: one year each of inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, mathematics and physics, and one-and-a-half years of biology. Students are encouraged to also take courses in business administration, psychology and sociology. Most Pre-Dentistry students take more science courses than those listed here.
A science major is not a prerequisite for dental school, however; dental schools are interested in the overall quality and scope of undergraduate education. Dental schools also evaluate performance on the Dental Admissions Test, personal characteristics and overall potential for success. Most require students to have experience working with or observing a practicing dentist.
During Winter Term of the junior year or Fall Term of senior year, students need to complete the Dental Admissions Test.
Faculty-student research
Laboratory experiences accompany almost all biochemistry, biology, chemistry, and exercise and health science courses. Because Alma stresses individualized education, professors help apply classroom learning to laboratory situations.
Laboratory sections at Alma are small; no more than 24 students at a time. In the life and physical sciences, students work closely with professors.
As part of the Pre-Dentistry Program, students can study human cadavers, a rare experience at the undergraduate level.
Alma’s faculty encourage students to do independent research and help share findings with practicing scientists.
Facilities
State-of-the-art instructional and laboratory facilities for chemistry and biochemistry are in the Kapp Science Laboratory Center.
Alma’s Dow Science Center provides access to sophisticated instrumentation such as electrophoresis apparatus, specialized chromatographic and spectrophotometric equipment, a state-of-the-art Zeiss Universal microscope with UV fluorescence capabilities, and microcomputers for statistical and data analysis.
The McIntyre Center for Exercise and Health Science provides human anatomy, human performance and cardiovascular physiology labs.
Practical experience
At Alma, emphasis is on both classroom learning and practical, “hands-on” experience.
Students have volunteered in local Big Brother-Big Sister groups and helped dentists provide services to economically disadvantaged people.
Several local dentists give generously of heir time and experience to provide the practical exposure so critical for success in medical school.
As a small college, Alma offers a wide range of opportunities for direct involvement in campus life. Participation in co-curricular activities, for example, helps develop leadership and interpersonal decision-making skills needed in a professional career.
