I took the DAT today and did very well (score report at bottom)
Here is how I did it.
Just a little background about me..
I am on my second gap year after graduating undergrad with a 2.9 GPA
I got a D in ochem my first go around, but retook it in the summer and got an A
I have taken around 12 extra classes at a post bacc school to raise my GPA and have gotten mostly A's in those
A bad grade in a course does not define you. I don't want to sound cliche but this is the truth... don't let it define you. You're better than it
The key to getting a high DAT score is taking the proper steps and organizing a plan. It is very important to do research about which materials to use for which subjects, and to understand HOW you should study for each subject. Treat each subject like a test of its own.
There is no shortcut to getting a high score. It takes hours of grinding. If you wish to go into the dental profession you must realize that long hours of studying is your reality. It's just about how you approach it and balance it with other things to keep you sane and happy/healthy. This is why not everyone can be a doctor...but if you're reading this then you know deep down that you can
For the DAT:
Short(er) study sessions with QUALITY study hours is way more valuable than long unproductive study sessions. It is vital that you make a time log and fulfill the hours that you set as a goal for that day (break it into subjects)
Time and record your "quality hours" using a timer. Quality hours are the hours that you spend actually studying. I would pause my timer whenever I got up to go to the bathroom, went on my phone, social media, etc. Then start the timer when I began studying again. This is quite possibly the most important piece of advice I can give to someone. It seems unimportant but it is so so important. The time log is the best way to keep a schedule going and prevents you from losing track of how long it has been since you last worked on a particular subject in recent days.
Study materials for the DAT by subject:
Here is what I used to study. After I list these materials, I will go on to explain which are the most important and most representative of the actual DAT by subject (in my opinion). Keep in mind that I took the test once so just because these materials worked for me doesn't mean they will work for everyone's version of the exam. But they probably will
Biology (26)
DAT Bootcamp 120pg notes
Bootcamp bio bites and question banks; the videos are helpful as well
Bootcamp practice tests
DAT Destroyer
Dr Romano's Dynamite Bio review (~550 pager)
Armando Hasudungan Anatomy and Physiology youtube videos
General Chemistry (23)
Chad's Videos (free)
Bootcamp question banks
Bootcamp practice tests
DAT Destroyer
GenChem Destroyer
Organic Chemistry (30)
Chad's Videos (free)
Bootcamp question banks
Bootcamp practice tests
DAT Destroyer
PAT (20)
Bootcamp question banks and generators
Bootcamp practice tests
RC (23)
Bootcamp RC Academy videos
Bootcamp Practice tests
Reading a science article or two a day
QR (20)
Chad's Videos (free)
Bootcamp QR Academy
Bootcamp question banks and practice tests
Math Destroyer
These are all of the materials I used in my DAT journey.
However, some were more effective than others and more representative of the actual exam:
Biology
It's important to get a good solid background of bio before trying to move onto the Destroyer book.
Armando Hasudungan's youtube is a GREAT place to start for the anatomy and physiology stuff. He is so talented at what he does, you should really check him out. He does a lot of med school stuff that you dont need to know for the DAT, but he also does more general info about the different body systems that are great to watch before moving onto Bootcamp and Destroyer for bio.
In terms of what info is relevant for the exam, priority goes as follows: Bootcamp bio bites > Bootcamp 120 pg notes > Romano's Dynamite bio review > Destroyer
Overall, I would say the bio bites are the best bang for your buck. LEARN THESE. Then move onto the bootcamp question bank and practice tests
GenChem
Chad's Videos are super important to start out on. I cant expect anyone to just be able to jump into Destroyer questions without having a solid gchem foundation. Dr Chad is probably the best teacher I have ever had in my life, hands down. He is such a pleasure to learn from, you wont be disappointed. Gen chem destroyer is probably not worth it as the questions are harder than what you'll get on the exam. DAT destroyer is a solid material with lots of practice problems. It is important to realize that majority of the questions on the actual DAT are more conceptual rather than computations. This is why Bootcamp's question bank and practice tests are the best material for this section and are the most representative of the actual exam. Dr Mike is a great teacher, he really is.
Priority ranking: (start with Chad's videos, or Mike's) Bootcamp > Destroyer
OChem
Once again, Chad's videos are sooo good. Dr Chad kills Ochem. He is truly an astounding teacher. Start with these then move onto Bootcamp.
Destroyer OChem questions are not very representative of the actual exam. Bootcamp and Dr Chad will suffice here. If you have the Destroyer books then it is worth going through the reaction pathways he has in the explanations as well as the "40 must know Ochem reactions" in the very beginning. The questions in Destroyer are just super difficult and not necessary. The explanation videos on Bootcamp are very very good...whoever that blonde kid is that does the Reaction Bites explanations is fully responsible for my 30 in Ochem
PAT
Bootcamp is good... just gotta practice this stuff early and do a little bit each day
The hole punching on the actual exam is easier than some of the Bootcamp problems they give you in the practice tests
For pattern folding, the most valuable skill you can attain is looking at the shapes of the individual pieces and seeing if they are present in the key given. Mental folding is not the most important skill here, but it definitely helps for some of the problems.
RC
Search and destroy till I die. Know when to skip a problem if you just cant find it. Guess and move on. Then come back if you have time or if you find it when doing a different problem. I got a little lucky here since they gave me an article that I was familiar with already. That's why it helps to read an article or two a day to keep the doctor away.
QR
Bootcamp explanations are gold. The guy who does them is actually amazing at explaining at breaking everything down into simpler terms. I love that guy
Math Destroyer book is solid... Rewrite the explanations in your own handwriting in a way that is easy for you to understand and see quickly. That way when you go over it again then you can go through the questions much faster than having to flip back and forth between the problem and explanation in the back of the book.
Im pretty upset with the 20 i got since I did math early and often. I was scoring 22 on the Bootcamp practice tests. If I got another question or two right in this section I would've gotten a 25 AA
I also had to piss so damn bad.
I decided to make this post since it was super helpful for me at the very beginning of my journey to get a feel of what materials are useful for each subject. I would read posts of people who got like 26's and 28's and it just drove me so much to want to get a good score. Especially given my poor college GPA, and my D in Ochem, I wanted to prove that I am capable of scoring in the top percentile of test takers.
It's fitting that Ochem was my highest score
So to answer your question, no a bad grade doesn't not define you. And yes you can get a 24 too
I cant wait to answer some of your questions
Happy studying!
Best,
Michael
Here is how I did it.
Just a little background about me..
I am on my second gap year after graduating undergrad with a 2.9 GPA
I got a D in ochem my first go around, but retook it in the summer and got an A
I have taken around 12 extra classes at a post bacc school to raise my GPA and have gotten mostly A's in those
A bad grade in a course does not define you. I don't want to sound cliche but this is the truth... don't let it define you. You're better than it
The key to getting a high DAT score is taking the proper steps and organizing a plan. It is very important to do research about which materials to use for which subjects, and to understand HOW you should study for each subject. Treat each subject like a test of its own.
There is no shortcut to getting a high score. It takes hours of grinding. If you wish to go into the dental profession you must realize that long hours of studying is your reality. It's just about how you approach it and balance it with other things to keep you sane and happy/healthy. This is why not everyone can be a doctor...but if you're reading this then you know deep down that you can
For the DAT:
Short(er) study sessions with QUALITY study hours is way more valuable than long unproductive study sessions. It is vital that you make a time log and fulfill the hours that you set as a goal for that day (break it into subjects)
Time and record your "quality hours" using a timer. Quality hours are the hours that you spend actually studying. I would pause my timer whenever I got up to go to the bathroom, went on my phone, social media, etc. Then start the timer when I began studying again. This is quite possibly the most important piece of advice I can give to someone. It seems unimportant but it is so so important. The time log is the best way to keep a schedule going and prevents you from losing track of how long it has been since you last worked on a particular subject in recent days.
Study materials for the DAT by subject:
Here is what I used to study. After I list these materials, I will go on to explain which are the most important and most representative of the actual DAT by subject (in my opinion). Keep in mind that I took the test once so just because these materials worked for me doesn't mean they will work for everyone's version of the exam. But they probably will
Biology (26)
DAT Bootcamp 120pg notes
Bootcamp bio bites and question banks; the videos are helpful as well
Bootcamp practice tests
DAT Destroyer
Dr Romano's Dynamite Bio review (~550 pager)
Armando Hasudungan Anatomy and Physiology youtube videos
General Chemistry (23)
Chad's Videos (free)
Bootcamp question banks
Bootcamp practice tests
DAT Destroyer
GenChem Destroyer
Organic Chemistry (30)
Chad's Videos (free)
Bootcamp question banks
Bootcamp practice tests
DAT Destroyer
PAT (20)
Bootcamp question banks and generators
Bootcamp practice tests
RC (23)
Bootcamp RC Academy videos
Bootcamp Practice tests
Reading a science article or two a day
QR (20)
Chad's Videos (free)
Bootcamp QR Academy
Bootcamp question banks and practice tests
Math Destroyer
These are all of the materials I used in my DAT journey.
However, some were more effective than others and more representative of the actual exam:
Biology
It's important to get a good solid background of bio before trying to move onto the Destroyer book.
Armando Hasudungan's youtube is a GREAT place to start for the anatomy and physiology stuff. He is so talented at what he does, you should really check him out. He does a lot of med school stuff that you dont need to know for the DAT, but he also does more general info about the different body systems that are great to watch before moving onto Bootcamp and Destroyer for bio.
In terms of what info is relevant for the exam, priority goes as follows: Bootcamp bio bites > Bootcamp 120 pg notes > Romano's Dynamite bio review > Destroyer
Overall, I would say the bio bites are the best bang for your buck. LEARN THESE. Then move onto the bootcamp question bank and practice tests
GenChem
Chad's Videos are super important to start out on. I cant expect anyone to just be able to jump into Destroyer questions without having a solid gchem foundation. Dr Chad is probably the best teacher I have ever had in my life, hands down. He is such a pleasure to learn from, you wont be disappointed. Gen chem destroyer is probably not worth it as the questions are harder than what you'll get on the exam. DAT destroyer is a solid material with lots of practice problems. It is important to realize that majority of the questions on the actual DAT are more conceptual rather than computations. This is why Bootcamp's question bank and practice tests are the best material for this section and are the most representative of the actual exam. Dr Mike is a great teacher, he really is.
Priority ranking: (start with Chad's videos, or Mike's) Bootcamp > Destroyer
OChem
Once again, Chad's videos are sooo good. Dr Chad kills Ochem. He is truly an astounding teacher. Start with these then move onto Bootcamp.
Destroyer OChem questions are not very representative of the actual exam. Bootcamp and Dr Chad will suffice here. If you have the Destroyer books then it is worth going through the reaction pathways he has in the explanations as well as the "40 must know Ochem reactions" in the very beginning. The questions in Destroyer are just super difficult and not necessary. The explanation videos on Bootcamp are very very good...whoever that blonde kid is that does the Reaction Bites explanations is fully responsible for my 30 in Ochem
PAT
Bootcamp is good... just gotta practice this stuff early and do a little bit each day
The hole punching on the actual exam is easier than some of the Bootcamp problems they give you in the practice tests
For pattern folding, the most valuable skill you can attain is looking at the shapes of the individual pieces and seeing if they are present in the key given. Mental folding is not the most important skill here, but it definitely helps for some of the problems.
RC
Search and destroy till I die. Know when to skip a problem if you just cant find it. Guess and move on. Then come back if you have time or if you find it when doing a different problem. I got a little lucky here since they gave me an article that I was familiar with already. That's why it helps to read an article or two a day to keep the doctor away.
QR
Bootcamp explanations are gold. The guy who does them is actually amazing at explaining at breaking everything down into simpler terms. I love that guy
Math Destroyer book is solid... Rewrite the explanations in your own handwriting in a way that is easy for you to understand and see quickly. That way when you go over it again then you can go through the questions much faster than having to flip back and forth between the problem and explanation in the back of the book.
Im pretty upset with the 20 i got since I did math early and often. I was scoring 22 on the Bootcamp practice tests. If I got another question or two right in this section I would've gotten a 25 AA
I also had to piss so damn bad.
I decided to make this post since it was super helpful for me at the very beginning of my journey to get a feel of what materials are useful for each subject. I would read posts of people who got like 26's and 28's and it just drove me so much to want to get a good score. Especially given my poor college GPA, and my D in Ochem, I wanted to prove that I am capable of scoring in the top percentile of test takers.
It's fitting that Ochem was my highest score
So to answer your question, no a bad grade doesn't not define you. And yes you can get a 24 too
I cant wait to answer some of your questions
Happy studying!
Best,
Michael
Congratulations! Amazing scores.
