Pre-Medical & Dental Students

So you want to be a doctor or a dentist?

Academic majors within the College of Life Sciences are the most popular program choices among pre-medical and pre-dental students. A background in biology, chemistry or biochemistry provides a strong foundation for students going to professional school and prepares students to be successful on the medical college aptitude test (MCAT) and the Dental Admissions Test (DAT). Students can satisfy major requirements while satisfying required courses for medical or dental school.

Achieving admission into medical or dental school requires:

• the core courses required of all life science majors
• the successful completion of an undergraduate degree from a U.S. institution
• medical or dental experience and sometimes laboratory experience
• a competitive score on the MCAT or DAT
• a demonstrated commitment to serving others
• excellent communication skills
• strong verbal reasoning and writing skills for medical school
• manual dexterity for dental school

Why should you choose the University of Maryland, College Park?

• Graduates of the University of Maryland are currently attending 105 of the 125 medical schools in the United States and many foreign medical schools.

• We have one of the largest groups of Pre-Dental students in the country.

• University of Maryland has a designated Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental advisor to assist students in the medical or dental school application process.

• More UM students attend the University of Maryland Medical School in Baltimore, which ranks in the top 25% of all medical schools, as well as the University of Maryland Dental School in Baltimore, the first Dental College in the world.

• Every semester, approximately one half of the students in the College of Life Sciences participate in research in labs on or off-campus. Laboratory research experience can be crucial for applying to medical or dental school. College Park is located at the hub of one of the largest scientific communities in the country, and students have access to internships at such prestigious institutes as Walter Reed, the National Institutes of Health, The Food and Drug Administration and the Institute for Genomic Research. The new Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN) has many internships for Life Sciences students and eligible students can apply for paid positions.

• The Howard Hughes Medical Institute identified the University of Maryland, College Park as "a preeminent institution for training students in the biomedical sciences" as it awarded the university $1.3 million to support undergraduate research. That grant was just renewed for an additional $1.6 million, making the University of Maryland one of only 56 institutions in the country to receive such funding; the university joins Johns Hopkins as the only other institution in Maryland awarded this grant. Our Howard Hughes program offers several opportunities beneficial to undergraduates and high school students interested in the life sciences.

• Part-time post-baccalaureate students can attend evening courses through our Science in the Evening program.

• The UM Pre-Dental Society, a member of the American Student Dental Association, and the Pre-Medical Societies bring in special speakers to provide important information for students preparing for dental or medical school.