Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health Requirements

The A.T. Still University Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health program is one of 66 dental programs in the United States of America. The ASDOH requirements are categorized here in the priority of what an applicant must submit to be considered:

Academic

1. Pre-requisite courses
2. Minimum number of years of undergraduate study required
3. GPA

Non-Academic 

1. Dentistry Admission Test (DAT)
2. Dental Shadowing
3. Letter of References
4. Personal Essay
5. Interview

ASDOH Requirements: Prerequisite Courses

All students applying to ASDOH must have completed at least a minimum of 3 academic years of undergraduate study (90 semester hours or 120 quarter hours). They must include the following courses: 

Prerequisite Course	Required	Lab Required	Credits (Semester/Quarter)
Biology	✓	✓	8/12
General Chemistry	✓	✓	8/12
Organic Chemistry	✓	✓	8/12
Physics	✓	✓	8/12
Anatomy	✓	X	3/4
Biochemistry	✓	X	3/4
Physiology	✓	X	3/4
Composition	✓	X	3/4

ASDOH Requirements: GPA Calculation and Requirements

Minimum Overall GPA to Apply	Average Overall GPA of accepted applicants	Lowest Overall GPA Admitted	Average Science GPA of accepted applicants	Lowest Science GPA Admitted
2.50	3.41	2.94	3.28	2.83

All university courses taken are used in the calculation of the admission GPA.

The overall and science GPA, the school(s) attended, and the rigour of the academic course load are all assessed on an individual basis.

The Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health will honour online courses and pass/fail courses due to the COVID-19 changes in instruction and grading IF a letter grade is not an option.

ASDOH Requirements: Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) and Shadowing

DAT and Shadowing Overview:

Dental Shadowing Hours	DAT Required	CAD DAT Accepted	DAT Scores Considered
50	✓	X	Highest Score

50 Hours of Dental Shadowing are required and 100 Dental Shadowing hours are recommended. Shadowing/volunteer hours will be looked at on a case-by-case basis and will focus on consistency of experience rather than accumulation of hours.

Community service experiences are also expected, and a letter of recommendation from a community service provider is recommended.

ASDOH DAT Admission Score Statistics:

Mean Academic Average Score	Minimum AA Score Given Admission	Mean Perceptual Ability Test	Minimum PAT Score Given Admission	Mean Total Science	Minimum Total Science Score Given Admission
19.3	17	19.5	16	18.9	16

Dental Aptitude Test: The DAT must be taken within 3 years of the application deadline. All sections including the Survey of Natural Sciences (SNS), Perceptual Ability Test (PAT), Reading Comprehension Test (RCT), and Quantitative Reasoning (QR) will be used by the admission team. If an applicant has completed the DAT more than once in the 3-year window the highest score will be used when calculations are made.

Students looking to test their knowledge in preparation for the DAT can click on this link to access our free practice tests for both the Canadian DAT and American DAT. 

Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health: Letter of References

All applicants to the ASDOH are required to provide a minimum of two letters of recommendation. One letter must be from a Science Faculty OR Predental Committee Member and one must be from a Dentist.

Applicants can also submit an additional letter of recommendation from a Community Service Supervisor. The letter from the Community Service Supervisor must be from a broad-based volunteer community service project in which the applicant was involved but not paid.

AADSAS Personal Essays

The ASDOH will take into account the AADSAS personal essay you submit to the ADEA. Your personal statement is a one-page essay (not to exceed 4,500 characters, including spaces, carriages, numbers, letters, etc.) that gives dental schools a clear picture of who you are and, most importantly, why you want to pursue a career in dentistry. For more information on the personal essay click on the link above.

Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health Interview:

Mandatory	By Invitation	Number of Applicants Invited	Entering Class Size
✓	✓	N/A	77

Shortlisted candidates will be required to partake in an interview with the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health admissions team. The interview process for the ASDOH Dental School occurs in three parts:

1. ​Group Exercise: Applicants will be placed in groups to discuss a scenario that is presented to them and discuss and present a solution to the scenario.
2. ​Panel Interview: Each applicant will have an individual panel interview.
3. ​MMI with a Standardized Patient: The multiplie mini interview is a circuit of three timed independent interview stations with a standardized patient. Each interview station is unique and chosen for its relevance for assessing a candidate’s overall acceptability for admission into the program.

If you are looking for interview practice check out our posts on both MMI Practice Questions and Standard Interview Practice Questions.

ASDOH Offers of Admission Decision:

The ASDOH’s offers for admission for dental school will be based upon a mix of academic achievement, DAT scores, AADSAS essay, reference letters, and results of the interview process. In addition to this, being able to demonstrate community service (volunteering or service-oriented employment) is preferred.

Requirements for other Dental Schools in America:

If you would like an in-depth analysis of the dental school requirements for other dental schools in the United States of America click on this link.