Texas Tech For Undergraduate Work In Biology

[KHende]

Hi,
We are looking for thoughts on going to Texas Tech, majoring in Biology, then applying to dental school. Has anyone had good success and have you felt prepared for the DAT? I am looking into other colleges also just not sure yet. We live in Texas and are trying to keep the cost down since it is a long education journey.

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[TheBookCookout]

I'm sure Tech would do a fine job, but I would personally recommend looking into other universities. There are several Texas schools that are more well-regarded, and also have better biology programs than Tech. UT Austin, UT Dallas, and A&M are great schools with low price points, and are very strong in the sciences. Geographically speaking, each would also put you in a position where you can easily network with the dental schools, and attend most TMOM events without much hassle (Lubbock would basically isolate you from all these opportunities).
In regards to the DAT though, as long as you take your studies seriously, prepare in advance, and work hard, you will do just fine. Don't pick a university based on how well their curriculum will prepare you for one standardized test. Pick the university that will prepare you for dental school. Good luck!

 

[KHende]

Thank you for your input! May I ask what TMOM events are? Newbie here...

 

[TheBookCookout]

Thank you for your input! May I ask what TMOM events are? Newbie here...

TMOM is short for Texas Mission of Mercy. It's a traveling dental clinic that sets up in under served areas of Texas, and provides free dental care for a few days. A ton of faculty/students from the Texas schools show up to these things (it's often mandatory for students). It can be a great opportunity to network, as well as get some hands on experience, all while demonstrating commitment to service through dentistry. Texas dental schools love to see involvement with these things, so I would recommend going as soon as possible.

 

[KHende]

AHHHHH! Thank you so much for that! I have not heard of that (yet). Any thoughts on UNT for predental?

 

[TheBookCookout]

AHHHHH! Thank you so much for that! I have not heard of that (yet). Any thoughts on UNT for predental?

Honestly, there are probably better programs for biology out there, but UNT isn't a bad school by any means. I have a few friends that go there and they love it, and Denton is a cool town too. You can look up statistics on each incoming class for the different dental schools. It'll tell you how many people of each class came from a given university. If I remember correctly, there were a surprising number of UNT students that got in.

 

[KHende]

I saw that. Interesting. UNT was not on the radar at all until we saw that number. It may be easier to walk away with a higher GPA from there... lots to think about.