[kinetic]

Kinetics,

I see you got awesome scores on your DAT. I'm taking mine in April and I've been studying but I was just curious to know how you studied, what books you used and for how long? I keep freaking out because whenever I go on SDN forum everyone has amazing scores!! I keep getting freaking 18s on Crack DAT PAT (I've taken 2 tests on Crack DAT PAT and both times I got an 18). I don't have scores for my AA because I am planning on taking my first practice DAT tomorrow. So please tell me how you got a 27 in bio when your bio GPA is not as high (I am actually the opposite of you. My strongest subject is actually Bio and I'm worried for Chem and Ochem since it's been awhile since I've been in that class). Thanks in advance!

1.
How I studied: 2 weeks, 14-16hours/day for 14 days
Material: Kaplan DAT book, TopScore, Barrons (kinda useless), and a reference bio book
My Bio GPA was not a 4.0 because of my own laziness. I really didn't care for bio classes and enjoyed chemistry classes a lot more. (Thus, the differential)
How did I get a 27 in bio? Cram straight for at least 4 days, with the last day ending on the day before your exam. That way, when you take the exam, you can dump all that information on the exam, and still have some working knowledge of the other subjects. Bio is mass mem, chem is more of an instructional manual style of doing things. You will always remember the instructions, but you may not always remember the small details of bio.

Method:
Study, assess using topscore, study deficiencies, assess again, study deficiencies, assess again (take all the practice tests), then a final cram session.

2. Don't believe everything on SDN. SDN people like to make other applicants insecure.

3. Don't worry about PAT too much, 18 is fine. It is enough to get you into ucla, ucsf, uop, harvard, etc..

4. Chem/ochem is easy on the DAT. OChem in particular (I did better in ochem than the bio section ) Gchem, just memorize how they want the answers (equation form, but not necessarily the final answer)

[srinivasN]

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[ickboo]

For dental schools, do they each have different requirements on how they want letters of recommendations sent? I mean, if I have 15 or so schools I want to apply for, that means i have to ask my the person(s) writing the letter to mail it to 15 schools? How does this all work out? Thanks.

[kinetic]

For dental schools, do they each have different requirements on how they want letters of recommendations sent? I mean, if I have 15 or so schools I want to apply for, that means i have to ask my the person(s) writing the letter to mail it to 15 schools? How does this all work out? Thanks.

They will have their own requirements, but just have your recommenders send letters of recommendation to aadsas. The letters you have sent to aadsas will then forward all those letters to the respective schools. There is a form you need to print out from aadsas though -- at least the last time I applied, hehe.

SOME schools may require you to bring a letter from your PI or others if you did research (Harvard required/wanted one). It's always nice to bring a good reference letter if your PI likes you. Just have a nice portfolio when you go into the interview and bring copies of your CV, sample research documents (publications, posters (on an 8.5 x 11)), letter from your PI to verify your research experience. Make sure you have pens in there to look prepared. Doesn't have to be a Mont Blanc, but don't bring any corporate pens or other anything non-professional.

[Mochibunny]

i already told my mom before took my first quarter in college, that i was going to aim for dental hygiene.

my college has a dental hygiene program but only 23 students get accepted into per year.

i recently found out that if you have clinical / working experience that you have a higher chance of getting into the dh program.

so i thought about it, and i had the idea that if i started to study dental assisting first, it would be easier to get started with experience and clinical work. and at the same time i could be studying for dental hygiene. i thought it works out because if i studied dh straight, i cant really get work experience unless i get into the program and get registered. dental assisting do not need to be registered so finding work should be easier than finding work as a dental hygienist.

i think that this may be a more safe route. but i dont want my mom to think that im taking the easy way out and thinking too low of myself. ha.

i just dont know since i never did so well in school, if i could easily be 1 out of the 23 to get into the program the first try.

do you guys think this is a good idea? can you guys PLEASE give me some insight on your thoughts. id super appreciate it thanks!!

[kinetic]

i already told my mom before took my first quarter in college, that i was going to aim for dental hygiene.

my college has a dental hygiene program but only 23 students get accepted into per year.

i recently found out that if you have clinical / working experience that you have a higher chance of getting into the dh program.

so i thought about it, and i had the idea that if i started to study dental assisting first, it would be easier to get started with experience and clinical work. and at the same time i could be studying for dental hygiene. i thought it works out because if i studied dh straight, i cant really get work experience unless i get into the program and get registered. dental assisting do not need to be registered so finding work should be easier than finding work as a dental hygienist.

i think that this may be a more safe route. but i dont want my mom to think that im taking the easy way out and thinking too low of myself. ha.

i just dont know since i never did so well in school, if i could easily be 1 out of the 23 to get into the program the first try.

do you guys think this is a good idea? can you guys PLEASE give me some insight on your thoughts. id super appreciate it thanks!!

It's a good idea: assist for the experience AND letter of recommendation, but take classes at the same time. It would also be wise to apply to several programs. Improve your chances.

[hyun_ah]

what dental school does everybody go to??
i'm going to columbia next year...anybody else go there?

[kinetic]

what dental school does everybody go to??
i'm going to columbia next year...anybody else go there?

Congratz on Columbia (great choice for OS)!
But... alas, I do not go there =D

Lets see... where do I go?
Take a guess... hehe.

Hints:
This is actually finals week for us. (What am I doing on the boards?!)
We only have 12 finals (unlike 17 previous yrs) this time
California school.
Nice area w/ no restrictions on caffeine.
We're marginally, but probably not statistically significantly better than Columbia in terms of DAT <---- dead giveaway

[OneSky.]

My dad heard about a 'dental school' that you can attend right after you finnish highschool for 6 years. There wouldn't be any college 4 years then dental school for another 4 years involved? This is what I've heard, and I was wondering if it was true? If it is, I'm sure the admittance rate is very low. I'd appreciate it if someone knew more about this. Thank you.

EDIT.
http://dental.pacific.edu/Academic_Program...l_Students.html
I found more information about this, but I was wondering if there was any cons into finnishing school in just 6-7 years (undergraduate and dental school combined). Is it hard to get admitted?

[kinetic]

My dad heard about a 'dental school' that you can attend right after you finnish highschool for 6 years. There wouldn't be any college 4 years then dental school for another 4 years involved? This is what I've heard, and I was wondering if it was true? If it is, I'm sure the admittance rate is very low. I'd appreciate it if someone knew more about this. Thank you.

EDIT.
http://dental.pacific.edu/Academic_Program...l_Students.html
I found more information about this, but I was wondering if there was any cons into finnishing school in just 6-7 years (undergraduate and dental school combined). Is it hard to get admitted?

It's not hard to get into the program; the program does give you an advantage since it guarantees an interview, and if you have an interview, you are pretty much in.
You can actually finish in 5 years, if you do their 5 year program.
The costs are very high going to uop dent and the prereqs are usually weeder courses.
Also, you must absolutely make sure that you want to pursue dentistry, since the program is relatively rigid and inflexible. Take it from me... I came from an "accelerated program" and I quit (not enough $$), did my BS in 2 years... such a waste of time and money. Lesson: backtracking has high opportunity costs.

UOP undergrad, due to its small size, will allow u to get more research ops and more personal lor's. You will spend 2-3 yrs in undergrad, then advance to their "3 year dent program". It's not really 3 years, but moreso 3.25-3.5.

One last warning, I've seen quite a few people who do get into the 2+3 program, but end up crashing/burning and getting stuck as 3+3, 4+3, or quit the dent program altogether. Lesson being: don't crash and burn.

[brownjhoy_818]

i wanna do dental hygiene. thats still pretty good right?'

right now im in my prerequisites so I should start by fall of 2010.

btw i go to a community college in virginia. and i want to go to the medical campus that they offer. NVCC is anyone is wondering... they have different branches but one medical campus exclusively for dental, radiology, nursing etc etc..... the other campuses like the one i go to right now is just for general studies. so im planning to transfer...

[AshaAsher]

Hi, everyone~
I'm also pre-dental right now (yay pre-dents!), and I just started looking at dental schools to get some idea of where I want to go.
I know there aren't any real rankings for dental school, so I should choose the programs that fit me best.
So can anyone tell me the differences between these schools? Like what some schools specialize in or the demographics, etc?
Any info would be really helpful to me at this point

Thanks, all!

[wendo]

Just curious to all the dental students out there, how is the economy affecting your schools? I live in Vegas and right now we're looking at a 23-24% budget cut for higher education (which is probably around 4 mil or so but it's not finalized..) and to do that it would mean to shut down the law, dental, and med school here (which of course won't happen). I'm guessing tuition is just going to sky rocket. Are you guys facing huge budget cuts as well and do you think it would have a huge impact on your program?


PS: thanks for your advice about the DAT Kinetics but unfortunately I'm not as smart as you and I don't think I can cram G. Chem and O. Chem into 2 weeks and expect above a 20. I have a month and a half so that should be enough time for me (hopefully). One more question, was the personal statement difficult for you and what did you do to stand out of the crowd? Also do you think it's better to go to an in-state school than an out-of-state school since tuition is a lot cheaper in-state?

[kinetic]

One of the potential issues of the economic downturn is the removal of adult denti-cal. Our patient base may substantially decrease. Tuition has not gone up significantly. Our school does not get much of its money from tuition. A lot comes from grants.

Personal statement took a very long time. You need to tell a compelling (but not cheesy) story about why you want to go into dental school that includes stuff in your application (i.e community service/research). Think of the personal statement as a cohesive story that ties everything you have done and you're trying to sell it to the admissions committee.

In-state v. Out-of-state

If you want to just do GP, go to the cheapest school.
If you want to specialize, go to a school known to specialize.

In-state status classification can be obtained in a year for some schools.

[moley]

My dad heard about a 'dental school' that you can attend right after you finnish highschool for 6 years. There wouldn't be any college 4 years then dental school for another 4 years involved? This is what I've heard, and I was wondering if it was true? If it is, I'm sure the admittance rate is very low. I'd appreciate it if someone knew more about this. Thank you.

EDIT.
http://dental.pacific.edu/Academic_Program...l_Students.html
I found more information about this, but I was wondering if there was any cons into finnishing school in just 6-7 years (undergraduate and dental school combined). Is it hard to get admitted?

At my university, there's a Pre-Dent Scholar Program that you can apply for during high school. If you get in, I think you have to maintain a 3.5 GPA throughout undergrad and then start dental school during your (would be) 4th year of undergrad. If you have the grades now, you should be able to get in -- they usually take the people who had top GPA's. It's probably easier to get in than STAY in if you know what I mean. =/

[mz simmonz]

First of all, you should be a CA resident. If you're not, go rent a cheap place in CA immediately, get a CA driver's license, and meet residency requirements.

Second, closed file interview... use your imagination.

Third, be unique. They want dental scientists. Let that reflect in your interview essay. I remember having to analyze a poem; lets just say I had energy diagrams =p.

Finally, apply early. I applied late, they told me I got one of the last spots.

I was considering USC but is that not a out-of-state-friendly school? why do I keep hearing about UC's that prefer CA residents over non-CA? are private schools like USC the same way? (I find this suprising maybe because my undergrad in NY was such an out of state resident lover )

[Jay Chou]

how long are your summer breaks in dental school?
i only get 1.5 months off at my school
(school ends at around mid-july and starts again early september)
i wonder if that's more or less than compared your other schools you guys are attending.

btw do you guys start clinical sessions during your 3rd year?
how intense are your clinical sessions?
have you guys come across any difficulties in treating patients during clinic?
i feel the curriculum at my school is not sufficient enough in terms of clinical aspects. making a RPD for a patient seems like a long and confused process for me still. could take 3-4 monthes to deliever a RPD given that i see that patient on a weekly basis.

[starch]

hi dental thread,

i have two questions/ requests: (1) advice on getting over interview nerves (2) how to score LoR besides researching for them.

sorry if these have been addressed before, it's been a while since I read the thread. thank you very much!

[Ali_Kay150]

I need help. I earned a degree in Psych, but I have a 3.0 because I had no motivation whatsoever to do well in school. Well, I'm regretting all the stupid choices I made in college and I recently decided to go back to school. I really want to become a dentist now and I will be going back to school in the fall to take the required science courses. I'm going to a different school since they can start me over with a clean gpa, but would I have to graduate with a second degree or could I get into dental school by just taking the required science courses?

[tujaj]

^ sorry the post up there was made by me (tujaj), but my younger sister signed into soompi on my computer and I had to sign back in to my name.