Pre-Dental Program
Contact:
Admissions information 713-525-3500 or admissions@stthom.edu
Financial Aid information 713-525-2170 or finaid@stthom.edu
Dr. E. Larry Nordyke 713-525-3169 or nordyke@stthom.edu
Dr. John Palasota 713-525-6918 or japalaso@stthom.edu
Dr. Bill Tinnerman 713-525-2135 or tinerman@stthom.edu
The Pre-Dental Program is designed to prepare students for entry into dental school. The program is a rigorous science and math-based program that can be combined with any major. It is important to note that the Pre-Dental Program is not a major but rather a program consisting of 41 credit hours (11 classes and 8 labs) of science and math courses and 6 credit hours of English.
These courses serve as the prerequisites for application to dental school. The pre-dental advisers assist students in tandem with their major adviser. The pre-dental adviser informs the student of prerequisite courses, admissions test dates, and application deadlines, as well as provides workshops and letters of evaluation for application to dental school.
Interviews and Acceptance Rates
Dental school admission data for the last five academic years (Table I) indicates that approximately 81 percent of St. Thomas applicants were granted at least one interview. In our opinion, the interview statistic is indicative not only of the student’s success in the Pre-Dental Program but also the high quality of teaching at the University.
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Table I. Dental School Applicants (Fall 2003-Spring 2008)
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Applicants
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Interviewed
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% Applicants Interviewed
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Accepted
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% Applicants Accepted
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24
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22
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81
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14
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56
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Alumni
For the 2008-09 academic year, there are 13 St. Thomas alumni matriculating at:
- The University of Texas Dental Branch in Houston
- Baylor College of Dentistry
- Columbia University School of Dentistry.
Summary Information and Pre-professional Course
Requirements for Dental Schools in Texas
There are three dental schools in Texas, The University of Texas Dental Branch in Houston (UTDB), The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Dental School (UTSADS), and The Texas A&M University System Baylor College of Dentistry (BCD), all public institutions. All three dental schools have a four-year professional curriculum and Table II summarizes information about the Dental Schools in Texas.
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Summary Information and Pre-Professional Course
Requirements for the Dental Schools in Texas
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Dental Schools
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BCD
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UTDB
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UTSADS
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Size of Class Admitted
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90
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80
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90
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Minimum Number of Semester Hours
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90b
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90b
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90b
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Semester Hours Limit on Junior College Work
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60
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60
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None
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General or Inorganic Chemistryc
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8
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8
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8
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Organic Chemistryc
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8
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8
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8
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Biochemistryd
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3a
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3
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-
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Physicsc
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8
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8
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8
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Biologyc
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14a
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14
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14
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Englishe
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6
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6
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6
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a For the 2008 entering class.
b Baccalaureate degree highly desirable.
c Courses as required for science majors-one year with laboratory.
d Course as required for science major.
e Remedial, developmental, or English as a Second Language courses are not accepted. | 
