ADAT and GRE for applications to specialty programs?

[dentistrydmd]

Has anyone here taken the ADAT and/or the GRE in order to increase their chances of acceptance to their preferred specialty program? Were you able to get into the program you wanted to because of your score(s)?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

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[Big Time Hoosier]

I took the ADAT and scored in the 99th percentile. It was brought up at all of my interviews. How much did it actually help me get into peds? I have no idea. Was it worth the effort I put into it? No. My class rank was already in the top 5%. Would it have been worth the effort if my rank was only in the top third or top half of my class? Probably. I suppose it all depends on what else you’re bringing to the table. That said, an average score is going to contribute nothing to your application.

Big Hoss

 

[Lily7861]

I took the ADAT and scored in the 99th percentile. It was brought up at all of my interviews. How much did it actually help me get into peds? I have no idea. Was it worth the effort I put into it? No. My class rank was already in the top 5%. Would it have been worth the effort if my rank was only in the top third or top half of my class? Probably. I suppose it all depends on what else you’re bringing to the table. That said, an average score is going to contribute nothing to your application.

Big Hoss

If u dnt mind can u share ur study material?especially the statistics part?

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

If u dnt mind can u share ur study material?especially the statistics part?

I just read through Mosby’s NBDE reviews for Part 1 and 2 each twice over.

I took it the year before I applied, and the only reason I took it was because some of the programs I wanted to apply to were going to require it. However, they ended up dropping it as a requirement the year I applied. Schools are realizing that if they make it a hard requirement and only a small minority of people actually end up taking it, it really limits their applicant pool to select from. Some schools now just state if you went to a P/F school they “encourage” taking the ADAT.

Big Hoss

 

[FeralisExtremum]

I took the GRE. I think doing well more or less just checks one of the boxes that the schools are looking for - I don't think any program ever said "wow he did good on the GRE let's snap that candidate up" because it's only a small part of the larger application. Doing poorly might get you screened out.

The ADAT might be considered differently, but I never took it and most programs in my specialty don't use it yet.

 

[dentistrydmd]

I took the GRE. I think doing well more or less just checks one of the boxes that the schools are looking for - I don't think any program ever said "wow he did good on the GRE let's snap that candidate up" because it's only a small part of the larger application. Doing poorly might get you screened out.

The ADAT might be considered differently, but I never took it and most programs in my specialty don't use it yet.

How did you do on the GRE if you don't mind my asking?

 

[FeralisExtremum]

How did you do on the GRE if you don't mind my asking?

170V/165Q/5.5W

 

[bracketbuster68]

170V/165Q/5.5W

Madman

 

[Lady Potato]

I took the ADAT and scored in the 99th percentile. It was brought up at all of my interviews. How much did it actually help me get into peds? I have no idea. Was it worth the effort I put into it? No. My class rank was already in the top 5%. Would it have been worth the effort if my rank was only in the top third or top half of my class? Probably. I suppose it all depends on what else you’re bringing to the table. That said, an average score is going to contribute nothing to your application.

Big Hoss

Amazing.. I scores within the 84 percentile and I was very proud of myself lol

 

[UncleJoesVeneers]

I just read through Mosby’s NBDE reviews for Part 1 and 2 each twice over.

I took it the year before I applied, and the only reason I took it was because some of the programs I wanted to apply to were going to require it. However, they ended up dropping it as a requirement the year I applied. Schools are realizing that if they make it a hard requirement and only a small minority of people actually end up taking it, it really limits their applicant pool to select from. Some schools now just state if you went to a P/F school they “encourage” taking the ADAT.

Big Hoss

Same. Signed up because a few endo programs required it, then they dropped the requirement after I registered; nonrefundable, of course. I scored 95th percentile after just studying old NBDE books by the pool on the weekends for a couple months. YouTube videos for the biostats. My ADAT wasn't mentioned in a single endo interview this cycle. I don't think it had any influence on my interviews or acceptance. Complete waste of time and money, and a total money grab by the ADA.

 

[volleyball28]

Anyone interested in starting an ADAT exam study group via Zoom. Please email me at [email protected] or text me 702 209 9950. Please let me know what time zone you are in, what days and time you would like to study, and what materials are you currently using.

 

[CharlieAF]

I think it varies program to program. I had a department chair (not the PD, but chair for the growth/development dept) for a peds program tell me not to bother taking it. Ultimately I ended up not taking it. So far none of my interviews have brought that up as a negative.

I think it’s worth determining what programs are you top choices and see if you can find out how much they actually value it.