<p>I'm pretty sure the prereqs for dental, optometry, and medical school are nearly similar. so is it possible to take school admissions tests for each of this schools.</p>
<p>They're similar but not identical. Of course it's possible to take all three. </p>
<p>The issue isn't the coursework however. I would assume that you're interested in this question because either A) you have interest in all three and don't know which to pick or B) (more likely) you're hoping to increase your odds of getting into some sort of health profession and your next question is can you apply to all three.</p>
<p>The problem is that competition for all the spots in all three disciplines is extremely intense. It's been a while since I saw the numbers for dental school, but rest assured it's pretty close to those for medical school. Optometry is slightly less competitive, but there are very few opto schools. The problem is, schools want to see a dedication/interest to the profession you're applying to be a part of. Dental schools and Opto schools (and pharmacy schools) are not looking for medical school rejects, and they'll be able to tell by the lack of dental or opto specific activities on your application what you were trying to do. They'll gladly give an acceptance to a student dedicated to their profession over someone with higher grades and test scores...</p>
<p>So pick one and go after it. Or if you are really unsure, find some ways to shadow a doctor, optometrist and dentist and see which one you like the best, then throw all your energy into achieving that goal.</p>
<p>When I was deciding what I wanted to do, it looked like dental and optometry had more required coursework than medicine, e.g. undergrad anatomy and physiology. But it could have been just the specific schools I was looking at.</p>
<p>P.S. When I saw the title of this thread, I thought it was going to be about running...</p>
<p>well, originally i was thinking that dental or opto might be a good back up plan in the event i dont get into med school. but it seems like you're saying that the competion is almost the same in all three areas, so i have to choose a different back up plan.....any suggestions?</p>
<p>There's always work/shadow/volunteer for a year and reapply... you can strengthen your app and build a little bit more experience in whatever field you choose.</p>
<p>Or there are masters programs, other post-grad, etc. Depends on what you want to do.</p>
<p>Even if they are less competitive (or you choose less competitive schools in dent or opto), you'll be an undesirable candidate if you don't have the necessary experiences. An applicant who volunteered at the ER and lists shadowing experience with an orthopedic surgeon and a family practice doc, even with good DAT scores and grades doesn't look as good as a pre-dent student who comes in showing a year or two working in a denture lab, time spent shadowing an orthodontist, and being VP of the pre-dental club even with worse stats. The latter student obviously has been very interested in dentistry for a significant period of time, while the the former student stands out as a failed pre-med (even more obvious as they are likely a couple years out of college after they re-applied to medical school a couple times).</p>
<p>It costs a lot of money to train health care professionals (even beyond what students pay in tuition and fees), and given the relative shortage of these professionals in the futures, schools have a vested interest in making sure they select individuals who will not only will be good in their chosen field, but also will stick with it. Why give the spot to an individual who in 10-15 years will change careers, when there is someone right behind them waiting for the spot who will practice as long as their body holds out?</p>