Lecom - dentistry early acceptance programs
Get an important head start on your future in dentistry by applying to PennWest California to earn your undergraduate biology degree– and benefit from an exceptional opportunity to pave the way to your future as dentist.
PennWest California offers an Early Acceptance Program with the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM),enabling PennWest California biology majors to follow a pathway toward a career in dentistry, osteopathic medicine or pharmacy.
Under the Early Acceptance Program, qualified PennWest California undergraduates in the B.S. in Biology: Pre-professional program can be assured of provisional acceptance (in essence, a reserved seat) in LECOM's School of Dental Medicine, College of Osteopathic Medicine or School of Pharmacy. Students in the Early Acceptance Program must complete a successful interview and meet all academic requirements.
The primary goal of the LECOM School of Dental Medicine is to prepare dental professionals committed to providing high-quality, ethical and empathetic patient-centered care to serve the needs of a diverse population.
Students can apply for the Early Acceptance Program as soon as their senior year of high school, or prior to the start of their third year in the biology program at PennWest California. Eligible dental students follow a "4+4" program that assures them a seat in a four-year LECOM program once they successfully complete the four-year, 120-credit pre-professional biology program at PennWest California.
Early Acceptance: Important Advantages
Through the Early Acceptance Program, future dental medicine students in PennWest California's pre-professional biology program get the right foundation by completing rigorous courses that prepare them to do well in graduate-level studies. With early acceptance, students largely bypass the intense competition for dental school seats and can focus totally on their studies during their senior year in college.
LECOM's tuition is lower than many other medical, pharmacy or dental schools, and students also enjoy a considerable savings because they don't have to apply to multiple schools (and pay multiple application fees) or spend added time and money to travel to multiple interviews.
To qualify for admission to the programs, students should have a high school grade-point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher (unweighted), with an SAT score of at least 1240 or an ACT score of at least 26. The entrance exam for dentistry school (DAT) is required.
Students who are interested in joining the Early Acceptance Program should notify
PennWest California when they apply (or as soon as possible) in order to meet program
deadlines. Current PennWest California biology students, as well as transfer students,
will be considered for the Early Acceptance Program if they meet the requirements.
Nationally Recognized LECOM
LECOM has grown to become the nation’s largest medical college, with campuses in Erie and Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and Bradenton, Florida. LECOM receives the most medical school applications in the country.
The School of Dental Medicine offers a patient-centered curriculum to train dentists to improve the health of their patients through preventive care. LECOM’s dentistry curriculum is modeled on problem-based learning through small-group, case-based study for basic sciences. Students receive early simulation and clinical learning experiences in basic patient care and progress to community-based, primary-care clinic experience in urban areas with the greatest need for dental care.
LECOM offers the Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree through a full-time, four-year pathway at the Bradenton campus. The curriculum consists of two years of basic science delivered through Problem-Based Learning (PBL) sessions, and pre-clinical dental education instruction with traditional lectures, laboratories and an early introduction to clinical experiences. Years three and four offer primarily hands-on, clinical experiences.
Problem-Based Learning emphasizes self-directed study with a team approach through mentored, small-group, case-based study. Other components of the curriculum include:
- Faculty-directed self-study of gross anatomy.
- Early exposure to the practice of dentistry in the first year by direct assisting and observing the third-year student dentists’ interaction and treatment of their patients in the LECOM Dental Group Practices; vertical integration practice model; and direct comprehensive patient care in the first year.
- A patient-based simulation clinic.
- The entire fourth year devoted to community-based primary care clinics in Florida and in Erie.
Each LECOM campus building in Erie and Bradenton provides expansive teaching and learning areas and includes the latest teaching technology. The LECOM Bayfront Campus, Coffee Culture Café and Student Center, and the John M. and Silvia Ferretti Medical Fitness and Wellness Center in Erie provide additional space for education and student activities. In Greensburg, LECOM uses classroom space at Seton Hill University.
LECOM is a member of LECOM Health, an academic health center that includes Millcreek Community Hospital and the clinical practices managed by Medical Associates of Erie. Other members of LECOM Health include Corry Memorial Hospital, LECOM Senior Living Center, LECOM Senior Living Communities, LECOM Medical Fitness and Wellness Center, LECOM Health Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Lifeworks Erie, and Visiting Nurses Association of Erie County. LECOM students learn and work in all of these facilities.
Get your start at PennWest California today to enter the field of dental medicine. Benefit from our Early Acceptance Program with the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. Apply now!
Lake Erie College of Medicine
Nationally Recognized
Learn about LECOM, the nation's largest medical college.
Early Acceptance Programs
Vital Head Start
Qualified biology majors can be assured of provisional acceptance in LECOM's College of Osteopathic Medicine, School of Pharmacy or School of Dental Medicine.
Dentistry Career Options
More Need
The demand for dental services – and professional opportunities – is increasing as the population ages and as research continues to link oral health to overall health.
Changing Healthcare Landscape
Many Opprtunities
Healthcare occupations are projected to add more jobs than any other occupational group. Discover professional opportunities in pharmacy, dentistry and osteopathic medicine.