{"id":471,"date":"2019-12-12T16:00:15","date_gmt":"2019-12-12T16:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/ma-biomedicine\/?p=471"},"modified":"2019-12-12T16:00:15","modified_gmt":"2019-12-12T16:00:15","slug":"how-can-ms-in-biomedicine-at-emu-help-you-reach-your-goal-of-being-a-dentist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/ma-biomedicine\/2019\/12\/12\/how-can-ms-in-biomedicine-at-emu-help-you-reach-your-goal-of-being-a-dentist\/","title":{"rendered":"How can MS in Biomedicine at EMU help you reach your goal of being a dentist?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Sukriti Silwal<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Aspiring pre-health students who have an interest in oral\nhealthcare and preventing oral pathologies often hope to become dentists one\nday. However, getting into dental school is not as easy as it seems. There is a\nvery rigorous one-year application process that consists of writing and\nsubmitting a primary application, supplemental essays and interviewing. According\nto the admissions statistics from the American Dental Association (ADA) for the\nyear of 2018-2019, only 55.3% of dental school applicants were admitted into the\n66 accredited dental schools in the US. With each dental school having its own\nset of requirements and admissions criteria for acceptance, obtaining a MS in\nBiomedicine at Eastern Mennonite University will give applicants a competitive\nedge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hands-on experience with cadavers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is rare for a pre-health student to have experienced\ncadavers in their collegiate education. The Anatomy & Physiology cadaver lab\nhelps many students not only get comfortable with dissecting but also helps\nbuild manual dexterity, which is required from pre-dental students. Manual\ndexterity is the ability to use your hands in a skillful, coordinated way to\ngrasp and manipulate objects and demonstrate small, precise movement. Past\npre-medical and pre-dental alumni have expressed gratitude towards being able\nto improve upon their hand-eye coordination and ambidexterity through the hands\non experience that cadavers offered.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Networking with alumni who are current dental students <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students in the program can contact past alumni to ask any\nquestions about the application process as well as dental school. Being in a close-knit\ncommunity of students, many of the past alumni are eager to help as much as\npossible which makes it extremely beneficial for the current students. Previous\nMS in Biomedicine graduates have gone on to attend VCU School of Dentistry and\nHoward School of Dentistry.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shadowing local dentist <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

EMU is located in heart of the Shenandoah Valley in\nHarrisonburg with plenty of dentists in the area to shadow. Many of the\ndentists are also affiliated with EMU, giving the MS in Biomedicine student an\nadvantage when completing shadowing hour requirements. The program also has a\npracticum component added in the program, where a student is required to shadow\na doctor, dentist, PA, etc. for 40 hours over the summer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biomedical research <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although not always a requirement, having research\nexperience may be advantageous in creating a competitive dental application. When\nmany students think of research, they automatically think of laboratory-based\nbench research. However, students of the MS in Biomedicine program are able to\nbe involved in a plethora of other research experiences some of which include:\nclinical, social science, and epidemiological. Pre-dental track students in the\npast have done lab research on topics such as \u201cthe effect of kombucha on a cow\ntooth\u201d as well as social research on topics like “determining the link\nbetween smile symmetry and character perception at Eastern Mennonite University.”  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Challenging courses that prepare you for dental school <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Courses a student takes in the program are a great\nintroduction of courses in dental school. The program requires you to work hard\nwith challenging assignments, exams, and presentations. It is through the\nrigors of the program that a student can build a good work ethic. Although the\nclasses are challenging, EMU also has a 12:1 student to facility ratio which\nmakes the professor readily accessible to students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

DAT prep courses <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The DAT can a big hurdle for a pre-dental students. It is\nseen as a monster of exams and requires 2-4 months of preparation on average. When\ntaking challenging classes, it can be hard to start studying for the DAT.  The MS in Biomedicine program has a DAT prep\ncourse added as a part of the curriculum. This allows students to take a lighter\ncourse load that semester to study for the DAT. With the program advisor doing\nregular check-ins, you are required to keep on top of your studying for the\nDAT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cross-cultural experience<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a dentist, you\u2019re bound to have patients from all\ndifferent walks of life. As a MS in Biomedicine student, after your second\nsemester, you spend 3 weeks in a different country learning about their\nhealthcare system as well as delving deep into the culture of the country. This\npast summer, 2nd<\/sup> year MS in biomedicine student went to Peru, where\nthe pre-dental students were able to shadow and work with the local dentists as\nwell as visit, tour and learn about a dental school in Lima, Peru.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peer support of your peer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the main aspects that separates this program from\nmany others is the camaraderie among the students. Students often collaborate\non assignments, projects, and study for exams with each other. Not only does\nthis help students form a long-standing relationship with each other, but it\nalso helps hold each other accountable to get the work done. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Committee Letter Recommendation <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve successfully completed one or two years of the\nprogram, the pre-health advising committee at the school will send a committee\nletter\/packet for your application. This can be a huge advantage as you\nwouldn\u2019t have to wait on individual letters from professors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, EMU’s MS in Biomedicine not only prepares a\npre-dental student for the rigors of dental school but also provides various\nresources so they can stand out during the application process. Each student is\ngiven individualized attention so they can put their best foot forward. That\nbeing said, the program is CHALLENGING and will require you to give your\ngreatest effort. If you know dentistry is the path you wish to pursue and\nyou’re ready to give your 110%  then\nEMU\u2019s MS in Biomedicine will make sure you get to your goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resources <\/p>\n\n\n\n