The UCLA School of Dentistry is committed to creating a pathway to better educational opportunities and careers in dentistry and the health sciences. One of those initiatives is our Post-Baccalaureate program, which accepts two students per cycle, with plans to expand the program.
This program helps guide underrepresented, disadvantaged college students through the dental school application process. Despite the many challenges these students face, they perform well enough in college that an additional year of improving their academic record will make them competitive dental school applicants. The 1-year program provides students with comprehensive, hands-on experience at a dental school to help increase their chances of being accepted to a DDS program.
This is made possible through courses administered through UCLA Extension and the UCLA School of Dentistry. The UCLA Extension courses focus on the basic sciences and provide students with a chance to fulfill coursework required for dental school acceptance.
The dental school courses are taken alongside first year dental students and focus on areas such as Dental Morphology, Histology, and Dental Waxing work among other subjects. Experiences are tailored to the needs of each student and include clinical, volunteer, and research activities.
Of the 40 students who have completed the program since 2003, 30 students have gone onto attend dental school.
More information can be found at UCLA Dental Post-Baccalaureate Mentoring Program Webpage
