Some questions...

[Blistex000]

I have already submitted my application, but I have a few questions.

1) My GPA was recently verified, and unfortunately I have a 3.25 sGPA and 3.44 oGPA. I have a 21 AA DAT, with nothing lower than a 19 (25 in RC...). I have about 120 hours (95 listed on application) of shadowing at various low cost dental clinics, and have seen general, orthodontics, and OMFS. Had two jobs during my four years of undergrad, with one heavily involving manual dexterity. I'd been part of my university's pre-dental society, and do extensive volunteering. I have about 175 hours of what I believed is quality service between free clinics, schools, and food banks. I have LOR's from two science profs and a volunteer coordinator, which I believe isn't extraordinary, but should suffice. I'm a Louisiana resident, so I hope to stay in state for dental school. Sadly, when I submitted my appellation last week I only applied to my state school, Louisville, and LECOM (FL). I believe you can add schools after submitted your application, correct? It is fairly early right now (right?), and I need some assistance with additional picks. With my low GPA, what OOS friendly schools should I add onto my list? I preferably want to stay in the south...I think a few private northeastern schools might be within reach for me, but tuition and the distance from home is a terribly high number.

2) Isn't there two LECOMS? One in FL and one in PA right? Why do everyone just say LECOM when they post about it? I'm never sure which LECOM people are referring to on these forums.

3) I just did a bit of research on LDP and PBL. LECOM uses a PBL curriculum, and may be the reason why their enrollees have lower stats that many other dental schools. What do you guys think about LDP and PBL? I'm just worried that a PBL won't help much when boards come around. But I do think PBL, would make one a better dentist. Why don't LDP schools incorporate a hefty PBL portion into their curriculum, I think that would be ideal.

4) Even though my sGPA is rather low, I think my oGPA is somewhat acceptable. Despite my optimism, I look forward to the worst. What do you guys recommend? Taking random high-level science post-bacc classes to increase my sGPA or invest in a one year Masters for the incoming year? I definitely don't want to consider a Master's program, since that would mean taking about maybe 25k loans. I'd considered taking the DAT again later this year, but my the biggest concern is that my state school as well as a few others will primarily take into account your latest DAT score. That's a huge turn off, but I honestly only studied for about 3 weeks prior to taking my first DAT. I only use a Kaplan DAT prep book for my study material, and could do more the next time around. What do you guys think?

5) Many dental schools say that they take one's undergraduate school into consideration. Anyone knows how that works? I attended a prominent private liberal arts college, so I like to know how that comes into consideration. During my summers, I took some classes in my state's university, and found it much different (easier). I'm not saying that my state's school is lacking compared to my main school, it's just that I hope the dental schools I applied to will take that into consideration.

6) If I'm lucky to get an interview or two, how should I prep? How have you guys been prepping? Anyone willing to post questions that they have been asked during interviews?

Thanks and good luck to all applicants.

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[BeaverLover]

FL = Dental campus only

 

[Typical Average Student]

May I ask what your cumulative GPA was from your main institution? Did it go down a lot if at all?

To answer your questions:
-LECOM only has 1 dental campus in FL, the two campuses are for medical schools.
-I think your DAT is fine, your GPA is a little low but I think if everything else is good (extracurricular, PS, LORs), you should be fine.

 

[RamsFan1991]

1. Our stats were kind of similar. Add MWU-IL, MWU-AZ, Temple, ASDOH, Tufts, NYU, VCU, Creighton, NOVA, OSU, Buffalo, Marquette, and Detroit Mercy to make it 15 schools. With those stats it is MUCH safer to apply broadly, don't take any chances with just two schools. Keep in mind this is your future, even if you don't want to go somewhere initially, just apply anyway and see how far you can get. Do this as soon as you possibly can.

2. LECOM in PA is the Osteopathic Medicine school. The FL branch has an Osteopathic school too but opened a dental school about four years ago. All D4's do their last year of dental school in either Defuniak Springs, FL or Erie, PA where you work for the underprivileged for basically an entire year, half the class moves to either location

3. PBL works for some people but honestly it's not as bad as people make it out to be. You meet with your group a few times a week and learn from each other if you don't get it or if you do, you reinforce it by helping your peers. LECOM had 97% board rate pass if I remember correctly from my interview, which is all that really matters.

4. No I don't think you really need to retake as long as you add the schools I listed above as soon as possible and fill out their secondaries ASAP. A 21 AA is very good, especially if you only studied for a couple weeks. Doc toothache posted a small study that the majority of retakers either don't improve or improve by very little. Unless you are absolutely sure you can kill the DAT and get a minimum 23 AA, don't retake.

5. Maybe, I honestly have no clue but I think it plays a small factor compared to DAT and GPA.

6. Take it one step at a time. Worry about this first then you can worry about interviews when the time comes. Just for future reference, at the top of SDN there is a tab that says interview feedback and you can read what others said there for each individual school.

Best of luck.

 

[Blistex000]

May I ask what your cumulative GPA was from your main institution? Did it go down a lot if at all?

To answer your questions:
-LECOM only has 1 dental campus in FL, the two campuses are for medical schools.
-I think your DAT is fine, your GPA is a little low but I think if everything else is good (extracurricular, PS, LORs), you should be fine.

My oGPA from my main institution was a 3.40. I had two 9 credit semesters at my state's school during the summer, and received 4.0's. And now my overall is 3.44.

1. Our stats were kind of similar. Add MWU-IL, MWU-AZ, Temple, ASDOH, Tufts, NYU, VCU, Creighton, NOVA, OSU, Buffalo, Marquette, and Detroit Mercy to make it 15 schools. With those stats it is MUCH safer to apply broadly, don't take any chances with just two schools. Keep in mind this is your future, even if you don't want to go somewhere initially, just apply anyway and see how far you can get. Do this as soon as you possibly can.

2. LECOM in PA is the Osteopathic Medicine school. The FL branch has an Osteopathic school too but opened a dental school about four years ago. All D4's do their last year of dental school in either Defuniak Springs, FL or Erie, PA where you work for the underprivileged for basically an entire year, half the class moves to either location

3. PBL works for some people but honestly it's not as bad as people make it out to be. You meet with your group a few times a week and learn from each other if you don't get it or if you do, you reinforce it by helping your peers. LECOM had 97% board rate pass if I remember correctly from my interview, which is all that really matters.

4. No I don't think you really need to retake as long as you add the schools I listed above as soon as possible and fill out their secondaries ASAP. A 21 AA is very good, especially if you only studied for a couple weeks. Doc toothache posted a small study that the majority of retakers either don't improve or improve by very little. Unless you are absolutely sure you can kill the DAT and get a minimum 23 AA, don't retake.

5. Maybe, I honestly have no clue but I think it plays a small factor compared to DAT and GPA.

6. Take it one step at a time. Worry about this first then you can worry about interviews when the time comes. Just for future reference, at the top of SDN there is a tab that says interview feedback and you can read what others said there for each individual school.

Best of luck.

Thank you so much for your in-depth answers! I really appreciate that. I guess I figured it would be safer to apply more broadly as everyone here says. It's just that the distance from home, tuition, and the $$$ for interviews might be a bit financially hard on me. But obviously, one cannot put a price tag on becoming a dentist! When you applied back then, how many interviews/acceptances did you get? Also, how were your ECs?

I'll definitely take a look at the schools you listed, though I do know I have to immediately take out a few since they require LORs from dentist, which I cannot secure at the moment.

Anyone know when I can expect secondary requests to be sent to me from Louisville and LECOM since the 1st batch was just sent out today?

Thanks, thanks, and thanks.

 

[ajj70]

Which classes did you take at the state school?

 

[RamsFan1991]

My oGPA from my main institution was a 3.40. I had two 9 credit semesters at my state's school during the summer, and received 4.0's. And now my overall is 3.44.




Thank you so much for your in-depth answers! I really appreciate that. I guess I figured it would be safer to apply more broadly as everyone here says. It's just that the distance from home, tuition, and the $$$ for interviews might be a bit financially hard on me. But obviously, one cannot put a price tag on becoming a dentist! When you applied back then, how many interviews/acceptances did you get? Also, how were your ECs?

I'll definitely take a look at the schools you listed, though I do know I have to immediately take out a few since they require LORs from dentist, which I cannot secure at the moment.

Anyone know when I can expect secondary requests to be sent to me from Louisville and LECOM since the 1st batch was just sent out today?

Thanks, thanks, and thanks.

I applied to only 10 schools at the time, I got cocky after getting my DAT results and thought it was good enough to get into my state school VCU and have 9 other back ups. I only got 2 interviews (LECOM and NYU), both were waitlists, and I got off the NYU waitlist last month. I found out the reason I didn't get many interviews was my application listed 0 community service hours, I completely focused my application on my research since I had so much so I thought the few community service hours I had weren't worth mentioning for some reason. Such a huge mistake in the long run but at least I got into NYU!!

EC's:
- 3 Research Publications working in a Pharmacology and Toxicology lab, 1 publication is a first author abstract. 2000+ total hours of research including presenting my project at a convention in San Diego, California.
- 100 hours shadowing between two General Dentists.
- 450 hours working in Orthodontics at VCU School of Dentistry this past summer while studying for the DAT.
- Accepted a one-year research position in my Pharmacology and Toxicology lab to get more publications and pay for my student loans (would have loved to continue working in the dental field but my loans wouldn't be possible to pay if I didn't take this research position.)
- 200+ hours of volunteering teaching graduate students the hands-on research techniques that our lab uses
- 50 hours community service across various student organizations during undergrad.

You'll definitely have to cut the list a little if you don't have a LoR from a dentist, I think a fair amount of schools want that nowadays.

I remember receiving some of my secondaries days after submitting last June, and tho interview invitations are extended starting June I got mine from LECOM in September for a January interview.

 

[Blistex000]

Which classes did you take at the state school?

Human anatomy, immunology, botany, geology, and a couple of non-science courses.

I applied to only 10 schools at the time, I got cocky after getting my DAT results and thought it was good enough to get into my state school VCU and have 9 other back ups. I only got 2 interviews (LECOM and NYU), both were waitlists, and I got off the NYU waitlist last month. I found out the reason I didn't get many interviews was my application listed 0 community service hours, I completely focused my application on my research since I had so much so I thought the few community service hours I had weren't worth mentioning for some reason. Such a huge mistake in the long run but at least I got into NYU!!

EC's:
- 3 Research Publications working in a Pharmacology and Toxicology lab, 1 publication is a first author abstract. 2000+ total hours of research including presenting my project at a convention in San Diego, California.
- 100 hours shadowing between two General Dentists.
- 450 hours working in Orthodontics at VCU School of Dentistry this past summer while studying for the DAT.
- Accepted a one-year research position in my Pharmacology and Toxicology lab to get more publications and pay for my student loans (would have loved to continue working in the dental field but my loans wouldn't be possible to pay if I didn't take this research position.)
- 200+ hours of volunteering teaching graduate students the hands-on research techniques that our lab uses
- 50 hours community service across various student organizations during undergrad.

You'll definitely have to cut the list a little if you don't have a LoR from a dentist, I think a fair amount of schools want that nowadays.

I remember receiving some of my secondaries days after submitting last June, and tho interview invitations are extended starting June I got mine from LECOM in September for a January interview.

Wow, ZERO hours for community service/volunteering when you applied? Damn. But you eventually got in, so congrats regardless!
As an OOS student attending NYU, how much in loans are you planning to take? I'm sure it's a ridiculously high number.

Still considering adding schools at this point...but not sure how to prioritize them since I don't want to apply to too many due to the $$$.

Thanks again.

 

[ajj70]

Outside of anatomy, those are generally pretty easy science classes anyway and having not taken them at your other school, maybe they were harder at the state school? You don't really know one way or another. The UG school you attend has little influence on the overall decision process. Your DAT is respectable and your EC are good so you should still get interviews. The rest is up to your interview skills.

 

[Blistex000]

Outside of anatomy, those are generally pretty easy science classes anyway and having not taken them at your other school, maybe they were harder at the state school? You don't really know one way or another. The UG school you attend has little influence on the overall decision process. Your DAT is respectable and your EC are good so you should still get interviews. The rest is up to your interview skills.

Yeah, I guess I get what you're saying. It's just that when you look on my state school's website, it says, "... Some very important factors that are taken into consideration are where you went to school, the courses you took and how many courses you took each term, and how well you did." That just made me a bit curious. I want to email them and ask, but that doesn't seem like a professional question to ask. I'm definitely not gonna make excuses during my interviews, but at my small private liberal arts school where classes had 20-25 people max, we had more discussions and exams were always essays and short answers, whereas at my state school there were no discussions and all exams were simple and all multiple choice, which I felt was an easy way out for both students and teachers who had to grade those exams. Thus IMO, my main school was definitely harder than my state school. I'm sure my state's dental school has that idea to a certain degree, but I was wondering if anyone else knows about this for other dental schools.

But thanks for your advice!