Location: Boston, MA
Institution Type: Private
Campus Setting: Urban
Dental Doctoral Degree: Doctor of Dental Medicine
Mission Statement: “HSDM’s mission is to develop and foster a community of global leaders dedicated to improving human health by integrating dentistry and medicine at the forefront of education, research, and patient care.”

Year Opened: 1867
Number of Months to Earn Degree: 43
Campus Housing Available: Yes
Class Size: 35
Term Type: Semester

Combined degrees offered:

B.A./B.S.

M.B.A.

M.P.H.

M.S.

Ph.D.

Other Degrees

International Dental Graduate Programs:

Traditional Predoctoral Program for IDGs

Advanced Standing Program for IDGs

Yes

Admissions Statistics: (2022 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

Overall

990

3.54%

In-State

5.36%

Out-State

822

3.65%

International

112

1.79%

Class Breakdown by Residency:

Number of Enrollees

Percentage of Incoming Class

In-State

8.57%

Out-State

85.71%

International

5.71%

Academic Averages for Acceptance:

DAT Academic Average

DAT Perceptual Ability

Cumulative GPA

Science GPA

24.7

23.1

3.94

3.92

Range of Academic Averages for Acceptance:

5th Percentile of Enrollees

95th Percentile of Enrollees

DAT Academic Average

Cumulative GPA

3.79

4.00

Science GPA

3.76

4.00

Prerequisites

Preferred

Strongly Preferred

Required

Baccalaureate is:

Required Coursework:

Required Course

Credits (Semesters/Quarters)

Required Lab

Biology

8/12

Inorganic Chemistry

8/12

Organic Chemistry

8/12

Physics

8/12

Biochemistry

3/4

Composition

6/8

Calculus I, II

6/8

Statistics

3/4

Recommended courses include: Cell Biology and Microbiology

Community College Coursework and Advanced Placement Credit:

Prerequisites

Electives

AP Credit Accepted

Yes (discouraged)

Yes

Community College Coursework Accepted

Yes (discouraged)

Yes

Maximum number of Community College Credit Hours:

O Hours Required

Required Shadowing Hours:

O Hours Required
100+ Hours Recommended to be competitive

Letters of Recommendation:

Option 1: Three individual letters from faculty members (up to 4 will be accepted). At least two must be from science professors.
Option 2: Pre-health committee letter

Dental Admissions Test Requirements:

Mandatory DAT

Canadian DAT Accepted?

Applicants Evaluated Before Official DAT Submission?

DAT Score Considered

Yes

Only most recent score

Supplemental Information:

Participation in ADEA AADSAS

Required Supplemental Application

Supplemental Application Fee

Yes

Yes: $80 for all applicants

Interview Format

Two one-on-one interviews with members of the admissions committee.
There are both in-person and virtual options.

Finances and Application Logistics

Financial Estimations for students starting Fall 2023:

Year

In-State Tuition

Out-State Tuition

Additional Fees

Estimated Living Expenses

$69,300

$10,800

$16,664

$69,300

$31,227

$18,169

$69,300

$25,754

$18,169

$69,300

$26,591

$16,664

University Offerings

1. Academic Offerings

Pre-Dental Opportunities
- Bridge to Dental School Program (for 3rd-4th year college students or during gap year)
- Pre-Dental Mentorship Program
- Harvard Dental School’s “Introduction to Dentistry” 7-week virtual course
Research
- All students are required to complete a research project by the end of D4. This involves selecting an area of interest, finding a mentor, designing and completing a project, and presenting or publishing the results.
- Various research focuses such as color science in dentistry, disease prevention, oral implantology methods, and health services
- DMD-PhD Program
- DMD-DMSc program provides a special focus on clinical research in oral and craniofacial biology and medicine in academic dentistry

2. Clinical Experiences

Clinical Curriculum Overview
- D1: Students observe in the Teaching Practices clinic once a week and focus on learning the fundamentals of medicine.
- D2: Clinical observation rotations extend to a wider range of dental topics, such as oral medicine, oral hygiene, pediatric dentistry, behavioral science, and more.
- D3: Students begin to evaluate and treat patients.
- D4: Students continue to provide care at the Teaching Practice and Harvard Dental Center while learning more advanced techniques. Required rotations and externship experience include a comprehensive care rotation, general dentistry rotation, and an oral surgery rotation.
Postdoctoral and Residency Programs
- Post-grad programs:
  - AEGD Program - Rural Track
  - Dental Public Health
  - Endodontics
  - Orthodontics
  - Oral Medicine
  - Pediatric Dentistry
  - Periodontics
  - Prosthodontics

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