chances at pedo

[hopeful_pedo]

I NEED ADVICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what type of stats are needed to get into pedo? At this point in my dental education, I have realized that I would like to further my studies in pediatric dentistry. I wish I would have come to this realization before I started dental school, so that I would have gave a little more effort in my grades. My stats are as follows:

-3.33 (bottom half of the class)
-85 NBDE 1.
-sufficient amounts of experience, extracurriculars, volunteer work.

I am determined to become a pediatric dentist. To me, it doesn't matter where I go as long as I reach my goal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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[Temple 2006]

I will drop my 2 cents, and be legit as possible...

I think you have an uphill battle at this point in time as the numbers stand. Pedo seems to be peaking out and there is a ridiculous amount of applicants for one reason or another. Get in good with your director at your school and DO A TON OF EXTERNSHIPS.......seriously. I will be doing my third this week and got a good vibe from the first two externships and feel like I am in the driver seat. It really let me see what each program had to offer and I busted my butt those weeks to show I was willing to work. Some places are about grades, others personality and others who you know. Don't rely on just one of those 3 to get you in. Make yourself stick out, so what you have a 3.3 and an 85, get into clinic and step it up. Some folks hate the book work but get into clinic and excel and outdo the rest. Hope this helped, just work hard, be patient and make yourself know, just not annoying. Don't make waves during your externship, that sticks out it seems and looks bad, Work hard, show you can adjust and be teachable. With a bunch of attendings, they have a bunch of teaching methods and ideas they are stuck in and want to show you. Be open, and once you get out, form your own style. Best of Luck and ask any questions you may have. I am sure others will drop a line too here

T 2006

 

[ItsGavinC]

Very solid response. Anybody else?

 

[Dr. Pedo]

As a pedo resident, I've seen the competition this year at our school. The apps are incredible. One applicant had a NDBE part I= 99 ! I've never heard or anyone much less seen it with my own eyes. Obviously numbers aren't everything----but they do help get you in the door. Just do some externships, talk with your director, get your interests known, and don't give up. If worse comes to worse do a gpr and reapply.

Dr. B

 

[whynot?]

As a pedo resident, I've seen the competition this year at our school. The apps are incredible. One applicant had a NDBE part I= 99 ! I've never heard or anyone much less seen it with my own eyes. Obviously numbers aren't everything----but they do help get you in the door. Just do some externships, talk with your director, get your interests known, and don't give up. If worse comes to worse do a gpr and reapply.

Dr. B

This year is insane though. At my school the # of applicants went from around 4 last year to around 15 this year. Maybe next year will calm down again!!

 

[esclavo]

This year is insane though. At my school the # of applicants went from around 4 last year to around 15 this year. Maybe next year will calm down again!!

Many don't like kids but I've thought for some time that pedo had some hidden potential. Fast paced, up beat, good patient management skills, excellent assistants. It has a rare mixture of ortho, endo, restorative, some dentoalveolar surgical, OR stuff. I met two pediatric dentists who after their residency, did a year or two of anesthesia and have general anesthesia/sedation licenses (they don't wear out the old papoose board). Talk about a sweet practice. I won't begin to talk about the revenue... it was jaw dropping. The nice thing in pedo is that it doesn't drag on and on. None of this 1 hour appointment crap. Get in, get out. Next... Its like the dental specialty for the ADHD dentists. Assistants can do alot of stuff that hygenists do for a general practitioner.

 

[Dr. Pedo]

Many don't like kids but I've thought for some time that pedo had some hidden potential. Fast paced, up beat, good patient management skills, excellent assistants. It has a rare mixture of ortho, endo, restorative, some dentoalveolar surgical, OR stuff. I met two pediatric dentists who after their residency, did a year or two of anesthesia and have general anesthesia/sedation licenses (they don't wear out the old papoose board). Talk about a sweet practice. I won't begin to talk about the revenue... it was jaw dropping. The nice thing in pedo is that it doesn't drag on and on. None of this 1 hour appointment crap. Get in, get out. Next... Its like the dental specialty for the ADHD dentists. Assistants can do alot of stuff that hygenists do for a general practitioner.

Esclavo---brilliant explanation .

 

[LeFort]

I agree!

 

[wasabi007]

I NEED ADVICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what type of stats are needed to get into pedo? At this point in my dental education, I have realized that I would like to further my studies in pediatric dentistry. I wish I would have come to this realization before I started dental school, so that I would have gave a little more effort in my grades. My stats are as follows:

-3.33 (bottom half of the class)
-85 NBDE 1.
-sufficient amounts of experience, extracurriculars, volunteer work.

I am determined to become a pediatric dentist. To me, it doesn't matter where I go as long as I reach my goal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i agree with the previous posts that pedo has suddenly shot up in popularity this year~ since it is very difficult to increase one's gpa after accumulating so many units, you could try your hardest at this point to beef up your app with pedo related extracurriculars, research, experience, etc. it's just like dental school applications, they're all pretty much looking for the same thing--a very well-rounded applicant. so what, if your numbers are not stellar? dazzle them with the incredible amount of pedo experience you've sought out for yourself, the pedo related research you've accomplished and published, the leadership positions you've held in pedo clubs/organizations...you get my drift?

don't think that there's not enough time, b/c i did not decide to do pedo until the 3rd quarter of my 3rd yr--yet, i still managed to immerse myself in pedo related activities. the advantage that you have right now is that you KNOW what you want to do, so now all you have to do is go out and focus all of your energy on getting there~

good luck!

 

[esclavo]

As a pedo resident, I've seen the competition this year at our school. The apps are incredible. One applicant had a NDBE part I= 99 ! I've never heard or anyone much less seen it with my own eyes. Obviously numbers aren't everything----but they do help get you in the door. Just do some externships, talk with your director, get your interests known, and don't give up. If worse comes to worse do a gpr and reapply.

Dr. B

The other thing about pedo I really liked is the cool crap you can hang on your ceilings of your practice. Toys all over the place. Being a professional sometimes in pedo means not being stuffy, being original, fun, engaging, cutting up a little. And for someone who is a little light hearted like myself, acting like a total jackass/weird has finally come back to benefit me. So all you young jackasses out in dental school, there is a place for your corny sense of humor.... originality....nonconventional attitudes

 

[Woodsy]

pedo reqs a certain personality, my family friend is on the board of pedo at the university. He said that marks don't matter as much as references and how much he and the committee deems fit. Specializing should be given to those who really want to do it, not some nerd who can score high marks and thinks this is a way to make a lot of money.

 

[20052005]

I will drop my 2 cents, and be legit as possible...

I think you have an uphill battle at this point in time as the numbers stand. Pedo seems to be peaking out and there is a ridiculous amount of applicants for one reason or another. Get in good with your director at your school and DO A TON OF EXTERNSHIPS.......seriously. I will be doing my third this week and got a good vibe from the first two externships and feel like I am in the driver seat. It really let me see what each program had to offer and I busted my butt those weeks to show I was willing to work. Some places are about grades, others personality and others who you know. Don't rely on just one of those 3 to get you in. Make yourself stick out, so what you have a 3.3 and an 85, get into clinic and step it up. Some folks hate the book work but get into clinic and excel and outdo the rest. Hope this helped, just work hard, be patient and make yourself know, just not annoying. Don't make waves during your externship, that sticks out it seems and looks bad, Work hard, show you can adjust and be teachable. With a bunch of attendings, they have a bunch of teaching methods and ideas they are stuck in and want to show you. Be open, and once you get out, form your own style. Best of Luck and ask any questions you may have. I am sure others will drop a line too here

T 2006

So Temple2006,

You mentioned that you did a number of externships. I will be applying next year for pediatrics, but have not gone on any. Can you tell me what you actually do on externships? Has anyone heard anything about California externships and what they do there? or is just observe? Thanks!

2005

 

[archer123]

I NEED ADVICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what type of stats are needed to get into pedo? At this point in my dental education, I have realized that I would like to further my studies in pediatric dentistry. I wish I would have come to this realization before I started dental school, so that I would have gave a little more effort in my grades. My stats are as follows:

-3.33 (bottom half of the class)
-85 NBDE 1.
-sufficient amounts of experience, extracurriculars, volunteer work.

I am determined to become a pediatric dentist. To me, it doesn't matter where I go as long as I reach my goal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would re-take the boards and shoot for a 90. I think that it's very risky trying to get in with an 85, even with externships/excellent rec letters and even considering that Pedo may emphasize personality over boards compared to the other specialties. Everyone is right, Pedo is very popular and has been for the last few years. I wouldn't bank on it getting any easier in the coming years either. There are lots of people who have 90s and still don't match. The key is to be solid overall and not have any voids in your application that make you stick out like a sore thumb. Good luck.

 

[DcS]

I NEED ADVICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what type of stats are needed to get into pedo? At this point in my dental education, I have realized that I would like to further my studies in pediatric dentistry. I wish I would have come to this realization before I started dental school, so that I would have gave a little more effort in my grades. My stats are as follows:

-3.33 (bottom half of the class)
-85 NBDE 1.
-sufficient amounts of experience, extracurriculars, volunteer work.

I am determined to become a pediatric dentist. To me, it doesn't matter where I go as long as I reach my goal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A classmate of mine applied with very similar stats and got only 1 interview. I'd suggest retaking boards and getting in the mid 90s if possible. If you are that dedicated work a year and reapply, because that makes you a very strong candidate.

 

[whynot?]

So Temple2006,

You mentioned that you did a number of externships. I will be applying next year for pediatrics, but have not gone on any. Can you tell me what you actually do on externships? Has anyone heard anything about California externships and what they do there? or is just observe? Thanks!

2005

I don't know about the California externships but I went on an externship to San Antonio and it was excellent. They keep you busy, and you do the dentistry instead of watching the residents. Apply relatively early though as I believe its a popular externship.

 

[Yah-E]

Another douch, unreal!

http://www.wftv.com/health/6055956/detail.html

 

[Dr. Pedo]

Another douch, unreal!

http://www.wftv.com/health/6055956/detail.html

Absolutely----why is a general dentist taking-on a 3 year old with multiple bombed-out teeth! Just refer to the pedo specialist. The speed and skill to take-on such a case is not likely to be found in a general dentist's office.

A more typical situation is the referral I get after a GD fails and now I get to correct their mistakes on a toddler that just experienced 'hell' with parents that are pissed-off. Please future GD's don't do that---REFER BEFORE TRYING a difficult case-- it doesn't help you build a practice as those parents will tell everyone they know you are a butcher, whether it was little jonny's fault or not. So be smart, choose your cases wisely and know your limits.

Dr.B
________________________
Never argue with an idiot; they'll bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.