Undergraduates preparing for dental school should take eight semester hours or 12 quarter hours of either zoology or biology; general or inorganic chemistry lecture and lab; and general physics lecture and lab. They also need four semester hours or six quarter hours of organic chemistry and human anatomy -- both lecture and lab. Students need three semester hours or four and a half quarter hours of human physiology and bichemistry lecture. For the non-science courses, students need at least two semester hours or three quarter hours of introductory psychology and English composition.
Every student applying to the Doctor of Dental Surgery program needs three written evaluations from academic course instructors. They should delineate not only what makes the student good academically, but how the student's capabilities will fit into a dental program. Although there are no requirements as to which professors and instructors a student can include, having recommendations from science fields will likely show proficiency in the those subjects. Additionally, students need at least one personal evaluation from someone who is not a relative.
Dentists are doctors who must have keen critical thinking skills, diagnostic capabilities and command of the sciences. However, a keen mind alone does not a dentist make. Gross and fine motor skills including manual dexterity are essential to a dentist being able to perform skilled treatments and surgeries. Indiana University not only requires students be capable of these physical skills, but also to be free of disabilities beyond the school's capacity to accommodate and which would interfere with the ability to practice dentistry safely. Dental school candidates must also have strong oral and written communication skills.
All applicants to the IU School of Dentistry must take the Dental Admissions Test (DAT) administrated by the National Board of Dental Examinations. The DAT measures knowledge and ability in quantitative reasoning, biology, organic chemistry, general chemisry and reading comprehension. Although IU does not specify a specific minimum score, scores closer to the maximum of 25 improve applicants' chances of admission.