Dental Hygiene Admissions

The SDM is pleased to offer a special admissions pathway program for both practicing dental hygienists who have been out of school for more than 3 years and students currently enrolled in an accredited dental hygiene program or dental hygienists with 3 years or less of practice experience who are interested in attending dental school. Applicants are required to apply using the AADSAS application portal. The following admissions requirements must be met to apply through these pathway programs: 

Actively Practicing Dental Hygienists with Three or More Years of Practice Experience: 

• Applicants must have been awarded a bachelor’s degree in either dental hygiene or a science, such as biology or chemistry in Washington state. The overall and science GPAs for this degree are recommended to be above 3.0. 
• Applicants must have at least three years or more of post-dental hygiene program practice experience and must be actively practicing dental hygiene at the time of application. 
• Applicants must meet all the admissions requirements outlined in the general admissions requirements, except the science prerequisite courses, letters of recommendation, and shadowing hours.   

• The SDM will waive any missing science prerequisite courses for applicants through this pathway program. 

• Letters of Recommendation: 

• • Two letters from any science-course faculty (these can be science faculty, such as biology, chemistry, etc., or dental hygiene faculty who taught, for example, head and neck anatomy, pharmacology, etc., in the dental hygiene program.) 
  • One letter from a non-science course faculty 
  • One letter from the community service coordinator/advisor/supervisor 
  • One letter from the dentist owner of the practice you are currently working in (note – if you find it a challenge to obtain this letter, please get in touch with the dental school to discuss options) 

• • You may submit up to three additional letters from shadowing doctors, other faculty, etc. 

• Shadowing Hours: 

• • The shadowing hours prerequisite will be modified based on the applicant’s practice experience. For example, if you practice in a general practice office, you will only be required to perform 25 hours of shadowing in specialty offices. Applicants are directed to contact the school to discuss the shadowing hour prerequisites about their experience.

• All applicants accepted via this pathway program must take and pass with a B, or better, a biological sciences refresher course before beginning the DMD program. The SDM will provide information on this course during the admissions process. 

Actively Practicing Dental Hygienists with Less Than Three Years of Practice Experience: 

• Applicants must have been awarded a bachelor’s degree in either dental hygiene or a science, such as biology or chemistry, in Washington state.
• Applicants must have less than three years of post-dental hygiene program practice experience and must be actively practicing dental hygiene at the time of application. 
• Applicants must meet all the admissions requirements outlined in the general admissions requirements, except for the science prerequisite courses, letters of recommendation, and shadowing hours.   

• The SDM will waive any missing science prerequisite courses for applicants through this pathway program. 

• Letters of Recommendation: 

• • Two letters from any science-course faculty (these can be science faculty, such as biology, chemistry, etc., or dental hygiene faculty who taught, for example, head and neck anatomy, pharmacology, etc., in the dental hygiene program.) 
  • One letter from a non-science course faculty 
  • One letter from the community service coordinator/advisor/supervisor 
  • One letter from the dental hygiene program director

• • You may submit up to three additional letters from shadowing doctors, other faculty, etc. 

• Shadowing Hours: 

• • The shadowing hours prerequisite will be modified based on the applicant’s practice experience. For example, if you practice in a general practice office, you will only be required to perform 25 hours of shadowing in specialty offices. Applicants are directed to contact the school to discuss the shadowing hour prerequisites about their experience. 

• All applicants accepted via this pathway program must take and pass with a B, or better, a biological sciences refresher course before beginning the DMD program.  The SDM will provide information on this course during the admissions process. 

Students Currently Enrolled in an Accredited Dental Hygiene Program: 

• Applicants must be currently enrolled in an accredited bachelor of science dental hygiene program in Washington state.
• Before starting the DMD program, applicants must be awarded a bachelor’s degree in either dental hygiene or a science, such as biology or chemistry. It is recommended that the overall and science GPAs be above 3.0 at the time of program application. 
• Applicants must meet all the admissions requirements outlined in the general admissions requirements, except for the science prerequisite courses, letters of recommendation, and shadowing hours.   

• The SDM will waive any missing science prerequisite courses for applicants through this pathway program. 

• Letters of Recommendation: 

• • Two letters from any science-course faculty 
  • One letter from a non-science course faculty 
  • One letter from the community service coordinator/advisor/supervisor  
  • One letter from the dental hygiene program director 

• • You may submit up to three additional letters from shadowing doctors, other faculty, etc. 

• Shadowing Hours: 

• • The shadowing hours prerequisite will be modified based on the applicant’s practice experience. We understand that some dental hygiene students work as dental assistants during their program. For example, if you work as a dental assistant in a general practice office, you must only perform 25 hours of shadowing in specialty offices. Applicants are directed to contact the school to discuss the shadowing hour prerequisites about their experience.

• All applicants accepted via this pathway program must take and pass with a B, or better, a biological sciences refresher course before beginning the DMD program. The SDM will provide information on this course during the admissions process. 

School of Dental Medicine Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements
Admission Prerequisite Mapping
Cost to Apply
The Interview
Notification
Helpful Links

Pathway Programs

Dental Hygiene Admissions
Master of Arts, Medical Sciences (MAMS)
Pathway Programs with Partner Colleges and Universities

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