About NMU's Pre-Dental Program
Northern Michigan University's predental program is designed to give students interested in dentistry as a career plenty of opportunity to fully explore the field before applying to dental school. The program is advised by Dr. Erich Ottem, pre-dental and pre-medical advisor. We offer a different kind of mentoring program that's not available at most schools. Through our preceptorship program, juniors and seniors (and sometimes even sophomores) get a glimpse into your chosen field from a professional perspective. We'll pair you with a dentist with whom you'll work on a regular basis. This type of mentoring experience is critical to your successful application to professional school.
Our placement rate into dental school is phenomenal. Nearly 100 percent of our predental students who apply to dental school are accepted.
What You'll Study at NMU
As a predental student, your will choose one of NMU's 180 academic majors as your major, as well as take 36 credits (8 courses) in the predental program (most of these will also count toward your major). You will also be advised about other courses that will increase you ability to gain entrance into dental school. Pre-dental students must take certain courses in biology, chemistry and physics. NMU has outstanding teaching facilities in all of these areas. The Seaborg Science Complex is one of the premier university science facilities in the Midwest. The complex is the largest academic facility on NMU's campus. It consists of the New Science Facility, opened in 2001, and the completely renovated Luther S. West Science Building and features state-of-the-art instructional equipment and technology including more than a dozen different types of scientific laboratories.
Student Research
We offer our students opportunities to participate in high-level faculty research projects another activity that is highly regarded by professional schools. You might become involved in cancer or genetics research or you might help research particles and fields theory, create lenses that mimic the gravity that bends light around planets or uncover the mysteries of the aurora borealis.
Advisory Board
The pre-dental program is directed by an advisory board comprised of NMU faculty members and local dentists. In addition to providing professional guidance, when you apply to professional school you may request that your advisory board conduct a personal interview with you. Based on that interview, the board will prepare an evaluation letter, which they'll send to the professional school or schools of your choice.