Preparing for Dental School
What You Should Do When...
First-Year:
- Keep your grades up!
- Make sure your name is on the HPAG's Blackboard list.
- Check out the Roanoke College's HPAG web site.
- Join Students Interested in Health Careers.
- Attend health-related programs on campus (including the Hylton Lecture) and visits from representatives of health professions schools.
- Explore the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Considering a Career in Medicine web site.
- Identify dental schools that you might like to attend. Check out the web site for each of these schools and note specific requirements.
- Investigate summer paid or voluntary medically-related experiences.
Second-Year:
- Keep your grades up!
- Make sure your name is on the HPAG's Blackboard list.
- Participate in Students Interested in Health Careers.
- Attend health-related programs on campus (including the Hylton Lecture) and visits from representatives of health professions schools.
- Investigate shadowing opportunities with dentists. Investigate summer paid or voluntary medically-related experiences.
Third-Year:
- Keep your grades up!
- Make sure your name is on the HPAG's Blackboard list.
- Participate in Students Interested in Health Careers.
- Attend health-related programs on campus (including the Hylton Lecture) and visits from representatives of health professions schools.
- Investigate shadowing opportunities, placements, and internships with dentists. Take the DAT in spring semester.
- Conduct a practice interview with members of HPAG.
Fourth-Year:
- Keep your grades up!
- Make sure your name is on the HPAG's Blackboard list.
- Participate in Students Interested in Health Careers.
- Attend health-related programs on campus (including the Hylton Lecture) and visits from representatives of health professions schools.
- Investigate shadowing opportunities, placements, and internships with dentists.
What If You Don't Get In? Try Again!
- Contact schools and ask an admissions counselor what your weak areas are and how you can strengthen your application in the next round.
- Apply again.




