Applying to Dental and Medical School

[Gametime85]

I have previously applied to Medical school without success... I am now thinking of taking my DAT and applying to dental school, but I wanted to clarify a few things:

1. Do adcoms ask if you have applied to medical school in the passed?
2. Is this frowned upon? (I am assuming so)
3. Any way to work around this???

I appreciate your help

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[jigabodo]

1. Yes. In fact, this question is asked on AADSAS app.
2. Yes.
3. Personally I have no idea, but i am sure there are some that can answer this question.

 

[tinman831]

3. Any way to work around this???

Bribes.


Oh and you might want to check and see if you actually LIKE dentistry before jumping into that so soon.

 

[SugarNaCl]

Bribes.


Oh and you might want to check and see if you actually LIKE dentistry before jumping into that so soon.

Agreed. Average GPA for dental school enrollees is now about a 3.6. If you would rather do medicine, you would probably have a better shot or at least an equal shot of getting into DO school...depending on your MCAT score.

 

[xdianaax]

Yeah, I know Nova's DO program does not have very high requirements for the MCAT. Don't go into dentistry for the wrong reasons, this subject is a little touchy in this forum because of the typical stereotype that dentists are just doctors who couldn't make it into med school. I for one, am really trying to overcome this stereotype. I considered them both at the beginning as i'm sure plenty have, but then really found my passion was in dentistry. I didn't need to be rejected from med school to like dentistry.

So before you apply, do a lot of shadowing so that they see that you want to commit yourself to dentistry and dentistry only. If all they see on your app is that you shadowed a bunch of doctors, didn't get into med school, took your DAT, and then applied for dental school, what do you think will be running through their heads? You want to make sure that you can hold your own in an interview when they start attacking you about med school. Good luck (no sarcasm intended).

 

[yeabuddy]

Was this your first time applying to medical school? If medicine is your 1st choice and passion then think about ways to improve your application and apply again. I applied twice before I was accepted into dental school.

Also, although similar in ways dentistry is very different than medicine (YOUR WORKING IN SOMEONE'S MOUTH AS A CAREER!).

As the other posters have stated do you even like dentistry or know enough about it to like it? Or are you just using it was another option because you couldnt get into medical school? As many other pre-dents will tell you, know what your getting yourself into when it comes to dentistry.

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

I have previously applied to Medical school without success... I am now thinking of taking my DAT and applying to dental school, but I wanted to clarify a few things:

1. Do adcoms ask if you have applied to medical school in the passed?
2. Is this frowned upon? (I am assuming so)
3. Any way to work around this???

I appreciate your help

Dentistry is an excellent alternative to medicine but you should consider it ONLY as a last resort if your heart is in medicine. This is because both fields although are in health care, the nature of work is rather different. Think about a "zebra and the horse" analogy. If you like medicine and have some minor interest in dentistry, then you should consider sticking to medicine. Nothing is worse than have a career that wasn't your first choice because you will never be sastisfied. Becoming a physician is becoming easier than you think. US DO school stats are near on par with dentistry and going offshore MD schools is pretty open. Getting a residency slot from foreign schools is not that difficult unless you want to become a thoracic surgeon. With dental stats are competitive enough for US DO schools and way competitive for foreign MD schools, I can't see a reason why you want to abandon your physician dream. DP

 

[hawk25]

I think its kind of a joke when a student is pre med and cant get into med school, so they try dentistry because they heard its easer to get in to (its not), if you are really passionate about being an MD you would strengthen your ap and re apply until your in. Most dental admission people see this as an individual that wants money or to be called a doctor. Don’t get me wrong some people are pre med and than discover that they really like dentistry as they are completely different fields. I don’t know your position and you could be one of these people, so Im not bashing you. But I feel that these students who just want money or to be called a doctor, should leave the application pool open for us individuals who have always wanted to be dentists. Best of luck.

 

[SugarNaCl]

I have previously applied to Medical school without success... I am now thinking of taking my DAT and applying to dental school, but I wanted to clarify a few things:

1. Do adcoms ask if you have applied to medical school in the passed?
2. Is this frowned upon? (I am assuming so)
3. Any way to work around this???

I appreciate your help

I didn't really answer your questions.
1. Yes, on the app as another has stated. Not just medical school though. They ask if you ever applied to any other professional school.

2. Absolutely unless you show some new found dedication to dentistry

3. Of course, observe dentists A LOT, maybe get a job dental assisting for a couple of years. If you apply the year after med school, it won't look very good. I can also nearly promise you that if you don't go after medicine if in fact that is really what you want, at some point (even if not forever) you will regret it and wonder... I wonder if I could have... or, if I was a physician...

Just apply to DO school already