Comprehensive Guide to the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine Programs

The University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine (Penn Dental Medicine), an Ivy League institution located in Philadelphia, has been committed to providing comprehensive, patient-centered oral health care within the scope of its educational programs since 1878. Penn Dental Medicine's earliest instance was the Philadelphia College of Dental Surgery, which was founded in 1852. The school was renamed the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery in 1878. That same year, Dr. Charles J. Essig founded the Dental Department of the University of Pennsylvania, serving as the first Dean until 1883. As one of 12 schools within the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Dental Medicine is uniquely positioned geographically and philosophically to encourage a depth of opportunities for interdisciplinary study across other professional disciplines.

A Patient-Centered Approach to Education and Care

The primary role of the Penn Dental Medicine Clinical Education Program is the training of dental health professionals. Patients are charged a reasonable fee to cover the operating costs and services of the clinic. The care performed by student doctors is overseen by faculty to ensure the highest quality, which may result in longer treatment lengths than in a private dental office. The student doctors also have periodic educational breaks. The plan of care, driven by the patient’s desires and values, is constructed and executed with the patient/family/parent/caregiver’s direct involvement in collaboration with the dental team (faculty, students, and staff) who explain the care possibilities developed utilizing the best in evidence-based information. Penn Dental Medicine welcomes patients of all types and backgrounds, and prides itself on providing access to quality oral health care for everyone.

History and Facilities

Penn Dental Medicine's earliest instance was the Philadelphia College of Dental Surgery, which was founded in 1852. The school was renamed the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery in 1878. That same year, Dr. Charles J. Essig founded the Dental Department of the University of Pennsylvania, serving as the first Dean until 1883. The school's first facilities at Penn's West Philadelphia campus were housed in Medical Hall, later renamed Logan Hall and now Claudia Cohen Hall. This building was later home to the Wharton School, and currently houses several departments of the School of Arts and Sciences. In 1897, a dentist and native of Philadelphia by the name of Thomas W. Evans left his estate to create and maintain a dental school that would be "not inferior to any already established." Evans' generosity made possible the construction of the Evans Building (officially called the Thomas W. Evans Museum and Dental Institute) which opened in 1915, the best-equipped dental building in the nation at that time.

Penn Dental has three main buildings, all of which are connected to each other:

The Robert Schattner Center: Dedicated in 2002, serves as the main entrance to the Dental campus. It has clinical facilities on three levels dedicated to oral surgery to oral and maxillofacial surgery, an emergency clinic, and a faculty practice.
The Leon Levy Center for Oral Health Research: Dedicated in 1969, is the school's hub of research activities, made possible by the generosity of Dr. Leon Levy (D'1915). The center plays a pivotal role in Penn Dental, providing a home for basic science faculty and the facilities needed to support research programs.
The Thomas W. Evans Museum and Dental Institute: Originally dedicated in 1915, is named for one of Penn Dental's earliest benefactors, Thomas W. Evans. The collegiate gothic, Tutor-style building was considered the most advanced dental teaching facility in the nation when completed in 1915 and helped establish new standards for teaching clinical dentistry in the United States.

Academic Programs

The four-year program and curriculum at Penn Dental Medicine not only reflects a strong commitment to developing knowledge and skills in both oral science and oral health care but also offers the flexibility for students to tailor their education to their professional interests and goals. Here, students find an education that builds excellence in dental medicine by encouraging individual interests and strengths to flourish and grow.

Combined Degrees:

B.A./B.S.
M.B.A.
M.P.H.
M.S.
Ph.D.
Other Degrees: M.S in Bioethics, Education, and Translational Research
Other degrees: M.S.E in bioengineering; J.D. (law)

International Dental Graduate Programs:

Traditional Predoctoral Program for IDGs
Advanced Standing Program for IDGs

Pre-Dental Opportunities:

Bio-Dental Consortial Programs for High School Students
Summer Enrichment Courses
Introduction to Dentistry Summer Program
Online Coursera courses:
- Introduction to Dental Medicine
- The Oral Cavity: Portal to Health and Disease

Admissions Information

Admissions Statistics:

(2024 Applicant and Entering Class Data)

Mean Age of First-Time, First-Year Enrollees: 22
Acceptance Rates by Location:
- Number of Applicants
- Number of Enrollees
- Enrollment Rate
Class Breakdown by Residency:
- Number of Enrollees
- Percentage of Incoming Class
Academic Averages for Acceptance:
- DAT Academic Average
- DAT Natural Science
- DAT Perceptual Ability
- Cumulative GPA
- Science GPA
Range of Academic Averages for Acceptance:

Read also: History of the Block 'M'
- 5th Percentile of Enrollees
- 95th Percentile of Enrollees

Prerequisites

Required Coursework:
- General or Organic Chemistry: II 4 / 6 (Semesters/Quarters) Required Lab
- English Composition (speech, literature, humanities courses, freshman writing seminars, technical/business writing, and other writing intensive courses): 6 / 9
- Mathematics (calculus preferred, but any college-level math will suffice): 3 / 5
Recommended Courses Include: Anatomy, Microbiology, Physiology and Physical Chemistry

Additional Information

Community College Coursework and Advanced Placement Credit: Community College Coursework Accepted Yes
- Specific course abbreviations and course numbers receiving AP credit must appear on one’s official transcript to receive AP credit.
- Maximum number of Community College Credit Hours: 64 (community college work is discouraged after starting a 4-year program or earning a degree)
Required Shadowing Hours: Minimum of 100 hours prior to application submission, of which 50+ must be in general dental practices. Volunteering, pre-dental cub activities and mission trips should be reported on the AADSAS application but do not count towards our 100-hour minimum requirement.
Letters of Recommendation:
- Option 1: Two letters from professors, preferably from the applicant’s major course of study. Science faculty is not required unless you are a science major.
- Option 2: Committee letter
Dental Admissions Test Requirements: Mandatory DAT
- Canadian DAT Accepted? Yes
- Applicants Evaluated Before Official DAT Submission? No
- DAT Score Considered: Highest score (may change to most recent in 2026 cycle)
Supplemental Information:
- Mandatory Casper Participation in ADEA AADSAS Required Supplemental ApplicationSupplemental Application Fee
- Yes Yes Yes: $60 fee for all students
Interview Format: Between September and March about 430 interviews (14% of applicants) are conducted. They are currently virtual, two 30-minute one-on-ones.
Residency Status Penn Dental Medicine maintains no specific residency or visa requirements to submit an application. and/or Canadian dental practice model in order to present a competitive application. Official Course-By-Course Evaluation conducted by ECE (Educational Credential Creditors). and grade equivalents. It also identifies upper level courses and grade point averages. An official Course-by-Courses ECE Evaluation must be sent to ADEA CAAPID. or Canadian dental practice where you were employed, volunteered or observed. Penn Dental Medicine understands that ADEA CAAPID limits applicants to just three letters of evaluation which may not meet the letter requirements of the many schools to which applicants are applying. To address this, we have developed a process by which applicants can provide us with those letters when an application enters our letter validation process. During our letter validation process, applicants who have submitted letters that do not meet our requirements to include type of evaluator, missing title and/or original hand-written signature, or letter does not appear on letterhead stationery, will be notified and provided the opportunity, through our applicant portal, to submit a request directly with your evaluator. Unfortunately, this process cannot be facilitated in advance of our letter validation process. Requested letters must be submitted, only by your evaluators, directly through the Penn Dental Medicine applicant portal. While there is no minimum TOEFL score, serious consideration will be given to applicants with Internet-based test (iBT) scores of 90 and above. Official National Dental Board Examination (NDBE) Scores - Passing official NBDE Part I and Part II, or INBDE scores are required for all applicants. Applicants who are extended an interview are required to provide us with the following documentation either prior to or on the day of the scheduled interview. Official Dental School Transcripts - we will accept either an original sealed official transcript or a notarized copy of your official dental school transcript.

Muhlenberg College Program

Students admitted to this program spend three years at Muhlenberg and four years at the School of Dental Medicine, graduating with a B.S. degree in Biology from Muhlenberg (after completing year one of dental school) and a D.D.S. degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Following the February 1 deadline, semi-finalists will be invited to an on-campus visit day to complete a required interview, as well as to meet science faculty, current students, and our pre-dental program coordinator and advisor.

Finances and Application Logistics

Financial Estimations for students starting Fall 2025:

Year	In-State Tuition	Out-State Tuition	Additional Fees	Estimated Living Expenses
D1	$94,176	$94,176	$26,592	$33,622
D2	$94,176	$94,176	$19, 072	$33,622
D3	$94,176	$94,176	$21,378	$39,408
D4	$94,176	$94,176	$21,378	$39,408

Research Opportunities

The school's research enterprise is multidisciplinary, spanning both the basic and clinical sciences, concerned with the structures and functions of tissues and fluids and microbial flora in the oral cavity. Collectively, Penn Dental Medicine investigators contribute to the emerging science and practices shaping dental care.

Research focuses include:

Oral microbiology and virology
Inflammation and immunity
Tooth development
Mucosal disease
Salivary gland disease
The use of analgesics and sedatives
The cellular biology of connective tissues and bone
The applications for state-of-the-art dental materials
The causes and effects of periodontal disease

Research programs:

Summer Research Program allows students to experience basic and clinical dental research with a faculty advisor. Students work full time during the summer and continue during the academic year.
Honors Research Courses are offered
Students can directly reach out to faculty to participate in independent research

Clinical Experiences

Clinical Curriculum Overview

D1: Students are introduced to relevant medical and dental human biology concepts and begin preclinical courses in restorative dentistry at the Advanced Simulation Laboratory. Clinical rotations on oral medicine, periodontics, health promotion, and radiology.
D2: Continued preclinical work in the Advanced Simulation Laboratory.
Students assist D3 and D4 students on the clinic floor.

A depth of comprehensive clinical experiences with a diverse patient base, instilling wide exposure to cases and care across specialties.

Read also: Legacy of Fordham University

tags: #university #of #pennsylvania #dental #school #programs