If you are interested in attending Columbia's College of Dental Medicine (CDM), you need to meet certain educational prerequisites. To be eligible for admission, it is preferred that you have an accredited bachelor degree with at least 120 credits. However, you must have a minimum of 90 credit hours to be considered. You should have at least one year of study or six credits in English composition. In addition, you need to have completed one year of study or eight credits in biology, physics, general chemistry and organic chemistry. These science courses must include lab hours. The CDM recommends that prospective students complete courses in mathematics, social sciences, fine arts and at least one foreign language.
You must pass the Dental Admissions Test (DAT) prior to applying to Columbia's dental medicine program. The American Dental Association (ADA) administers this test. You can contact the ADA Testing Services at the following address:
ADA Department of Testing Services
211 East Chicago Avenue, Suite 600
Chicago, IL 61611
800-232-1694
ada.org
Applications for the College of Dental Medicine are available at the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) website. In addition to the application, you will need to provide an official copy of your college transcripts and your DAT scores. You have to submit a letter of recommendation from a pre-health committee or provide three letters of recommendation from science professors. All application materials should be sent to the ADEA. Once your application is reviewed, you may be invited to an interview with the CDM Admissions Committee. This interview is a required component of the admissions process.
The CDM curriculum lasts four years. Each year will build upon the knowledge and skills learned previously. The first year will require you to focus on a variety of science disciplines in addition to introductory dental courses such as dental anatomy, oral histology and dentistry. In the next year you will learn about dealing with patients as well as how to identify dental-related medical abnormalities. Coursework in human biology, periodontics and oral radiology is required.
The final two years of Columbia's dental school program involve clinical practice in the field of dentistry. As a third-year student you will begin to use your dental knowledge to treat patients in a supervised setting. You will also spend a one-month term working at a hospital to gain hands-on experience in diagnosing and treating dental conditions. Your primary year-long clinical experience will occur in your final year of the program. In addition to taking remaining dental courses, you will provide dental care to an assigned group of patients. You also will complete weekly clinical rotations at Columbia-affiliated hospitals.