Are these research topics relavant to dental research??

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I am interviewing one of PIs in NIH and he is focused on transcription factors and methyltransferases governing mammalian cell differentiations.

I wonder whether his research focus on genetics and cell differentiation are relevant to major dental research areas. I am interested in DMD PHD program.

Originally Posted by libraryismyhome

I am interviewing one of PIs in NIH and he is focused on transcription factors and methyltransferases governing mammalian cell differentiations.

I wonder whether his research focus on genetics and cell differentiation are relevant to major dental research areas. I am interested in DMD PHD program.

You dont have to do a dental related research to please adcoms. Any research is fine. Be able to talk to your interviewers about it.

Apply to Michigan

Originally Posted by wizi

You dont have to do a dental related research to please adcoms. Any research is fine. Be able to talk to your interviewers about it.

Apply to Michigan

This makes me laugh because I did years of research and work in wildlife conservation (conservation genetics specifically), which is obviously not related to dentistry, and I'm going to Michigan.

Originally Posted by wizi

You dont have to do a dental related research to please adcoms. Any research is fine. Be able to talk to your interviewers about it.

Apply to Michigan

I understand that doing research in any area is fine when applying to dental school. but I am interested in doing DMD PHD or specialty and would like to work on an area relevant to these routes. For example, the major research topics of UMich's DMD PHD program are tissue engineering, regeneration focused on restoration of oral-cranialfocal tissue. I wonder how my research at NIH heavily involved in genetics and bioinformatics would be helpful toward these areas.

Originally Posted by DentalJedi

This makes me laugh because I did years of research and work in wildlife conservation (conservation genetics specifically), which is obviously not related to dentistry, and I'm going to Michigan.

lol Deja Vu...

Originally Posted by libraryismyhome

I understand that doing research in any area is fine when applying to dental school. but I am interested in doing DMD PHD or specialty and would like to work on an area relevant to these routes. For example, the major research topics of UMich's DMD PHD program are tissue engineering, regeneration focused on restoration of oral-cranialfocal tissue. I wonder how my research at NIH heavily involved in genetics and bioinformatics would be helpful toward these areas.

Sorry I misunderstood your question. You can email some research based dental schools and ask them. These people are the best to answer your question.

Originally Posted by libraryismyhome

I am interviewing one of PIs in NIH and he is focused on transcription factors and methyltransferases governing mammalian cell differentiations.

I wonder whether his research focus on genetics and cell differentiation are relevant to major dental research areas. I am interested in DMD PHD program.

how interesting.
my masters was in demethylases in mammalian cell differentiation

i definitely talked about it in my interviews and hope to use this information should i research during dental school, it has inferences in dental stem cell research for sure

Originally Posted by wzhu

it has inferences in dental stem cell research for sure

That's right! Cell regeneration, which is one of my interests!

Hey guys, I think research is relevant in any subject. I researched biomechanics and renal stem cells, and now I'm going to pursue a DMD/MS in craniofacial regeneration! Many fields are overlapping now, and biology is definitely integrative. I never thought bioengineering (what my job is in) would be relevant to dentistry until I learned about tissue regeneration and scaffolding.

The skills you learn in research is also analogous to patient treatment. In research, you have to take the information you know already, propose a methodology, synthesize the results, and draw conclusions or future directions. In patient treatment, you have to diagnose the patient, prepare a course of action, assess the final results, and give a prognosis.

I am involved in synthetic Organic chemistry research and love it, what d schools are big on research? A DMD/ Phd sounds awesome!

I can probably chime in here. I'm going to UMich for their DDS/PhD program. In terms of research experience, I have a summers worth of dental-related research experience involving oral/IV bisphosphonates effect on osteonecrosis of the jaw at UCSF, 1 year honors research with a molecular and cellular biology lab involving nuclear transportation of proteins in C. elegans at UCDavis, and 1.5 year as a junior specialist in charge of developing protocols to make recombinant monoclonal antibodies for NeuroMab. Any research is fine, but pursuing a DDS/PhD program requires the applicants to have extensive research because those that have done it before know how much BS is involved and why some experiments fail/succeed is sometimes all luck. Any research is fine but I think it's up to you to make it worthwhile. Research as an undergraduate will help, but these programs are looking for people with lots of experience since it's a very long road to travel.

Originally Posted by a2ndragoon89

I can probably chime in here. I'm going to UMich for their DDS/PhD program. In terms of research experience, I have a summers worth of dental-related research experience involving oral/IV bisphosphonates effect on osteonecrosis of the jaw at UCSF, 1 year honors research with a molecular and cellular biology lab involving nuclear transportation of proteins in C. elegans at UCDavis, and 1.5 year as a junior specialist in charge of developing protocols to make recombinant monoclonal antibodies for NeuroMab. Any research is fine, but pursuing a DDS/PhD program requires the applicants to have extensive research because those that have done it before know how much BS is involved and why some experiments fail/succeed is sometimes all luck. Any research is fine but I think it's up to you to make it worthwhile. Research as an undergraduate will help, but these programs are looking for people with lots of experience since it's a very long road to travel.

yeah, wow... I see that you have an extensive research experience. I have about 2.5 years of research experience at pharmacology lab, worked on a project, had a poster presentation, and wrote a senior thesis. In addition, I will be working as a NIH IRTA at a lab for a year or two. Hopefully, my experience bring me some chance...

But what happens when you get rejected from DDS PHD? Could I be reconsidered as a DDS only applicant?? I see that you were a cali resident but was rejected from UCSF DDS PHD but still got into Mich DDS PHD despite being an out of state student. (btw this is amazing!!) I am also very interested in going into academia and specialty without doing Ph.D.

Originally Posted by libraryismyhome

yeah, wow... I see that you have an extensive research experience. I have about 2.5 years of research experience at pharmacology lab, worked on a project, had a poster presentation, and wrote a senior thesis. In addition, I will be working as a NIH IRTA at a lab for a year or two. Hopefully, my experience bring me some chance...

But what happens when you get rejected from DDS PHD? Could I be reconsidered as a DDS only applicant?? I see that you were a cali resident but was rejected from UCSF DDS PHD but still got into Mich DDS PHD despite being an out of state student. (btw this is amazing!!) I am also very interested in going into academia and specialty without doing Ph.D.

So what happens if you get rejected? First off, it varies from program to program. I know that for UCSF you have to apply to the DDS/PhD at the same time, so your application is considered for that specific program. If you don't get in, then you're rejected from the DDS program as well--which I feel is lame. However, at UMich, you must first be accepted into the DDS class before you start the application for the PhD class. So even if you get rejected from the dual degree, it doesn't stop you from being a dentist. I personally applied to a range of DDS/PhD programs and regular DDS programs because there are few dual-degree programs out there. I think you have enough research experience, but you'll probably want to be sure that this is what you really want to do. Also another note, not all DDS/PhD programs will guarantee 100% funding throughout your time there. UMich is one of the few that do.

Originally Posted by a2ndragoon89

So what happens if you get rejected? First off, it varies from program to program. I know that for UCSF you have to apply to the DDS/PhD at the same time, so your application is considered for that specific program. If you don't get in, then you're rejected from the DDS program as well--which I feel is lame. However, at UMich, you must first be accepted into the DDS class before you start the application for the PhD class. So even if you get rejected from the dual degree, it doesn't stop you from being a dentist. I personally applied to a range of DDS/PhD programs and regular DDS programs because there are few dual-degree programs out there. I think you have enough research experience, but you'll probably want to be sure that this is what you really want to do. Also another note, not all DDS/PhD programs will guarantee 100% funding throughout your time there. UMich is one of the few that do.

hmm I see. Then I better play my cards wisely. Hopefully, working as a IRTA help me to know whether I would like to be a Ph.D or not. I also hear from another person that if I want to become a faculty member, unless I want to run a lab and get adequate funding, Ph.D is not necessary. Is this true? What are the benefits of getting Ph.D besides keeping my lab afloat, knowing how to maintain projects, and training both Ph.D, DDS, and DDS PhD students??

if you want to do research in the 80/20 ratio, you will need a phd. if you dont really want to do research, you do not need a phd.

you should really only be getting a phd if you plan on being a PI. it woudl just be a waste if you dont want to

Originally Posted by libraryismyhome

yeah, wow... I see that you have an extensive research experience. I have about 2.5 years of research experience at pharmacology lab, worked on a project, had a poster presentation, and wrote a senior thesis. In addition, I will be working as a NIH IRTA at a lab for a year or two. Hopefully, my experience bring me some chance...

But what happens when you get rejected from DDS PHD? Could I be reconsidered as a DDS only applicant?? I see that you were a cali resident but was rejected from UCSF DDS PHD but still got into Mich DDS PHD despite being an out of state student. (btw this is amazing!!) I am also very interested in going into academia and specialty without doing Ph.D.

I see libraryismyhome changed her track from premed--> prehealth after failing to get competitive MCAT scores and not able to get into med school. The question we need to ask you do you really want to do dentistry or this is your back up plan? Why can't you apply to DO school? Pharmacy since you have pharmacology lab experience?

Originally Posted by supermax

I see libraryismyhome changed her track from premed--> prehealth after failing to get competitive MCAT scores and not able to get into med school. The question we need to ask you do you really want to do dentistry or this is your back up plan? Why can't you apply to DO school? Pharmacy since you have pharmacology lab experience?

Here comes the witch trial again.

Originally Posted by supermax

I see libraryismyhome changed her track from premed--> prehealth after failing to get competitive MCAT scores and not able to get into med school. The question we need to ask you do you really want to do dentistry or this is your back up plan? Why can't you apply to DO school? Pharmacy since you have pharmacology lab experience?

Honestly, dentistry did start as a backup plan but now it certainly isnt. After shadowing and volunteering, I have realized that this is something I could enjoy and be really good at. I aspire to go into health professional academia and have the privilege of simultaneously being healer, researcher, and teacher. And DO won't let me fulfill this goal. While shadowing a family physician who was a DO, I highly admired him but also learned that I won't be able to become as great as him cause English is my 2nd language. Moving to America at the age of 15, I cannot score as high as my peers in mcat verbal despite reading Economist, New Yorker articles for a year and working on every single mcat verbal passage available in market. (used all Kaplan, princeton, examkracker, berkeley, ivyhall, barrons, REA, and gold standard verbal passages) On DAT RC, even when working on Godfrey, I can score 17~19, which is equivalent to natives' performance.

I worked as a pharm tech for 6 months and absolutely hated it. Plus my mother is a pharmacist and she hates it. The only thing I liked about it was helping patients. In addition, my pharmacology research is heavily basic and is focused on enzyme kinetics and solving active site structure, and these topics are irrelevant to pharmacy.

I sure hope you get somewhere. You're impressive.