Anyone applying to Florida?

[gatorf150]

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I go to UF undergrad and will apply this cycle with a 3.9 GPA and 22 DAT. I think my grades are good but I really haven't done much in terms of volunteering, community service, shadowing etc. I have a great dentist back in my hometown who, when I'm home, lets me come in and spend the day with him. I have only done that a few times though. Does anyone know how important this part of your application is?

 

[JRogoff]

You have absolutly no chance of getting in with those scores.....






















J/k, you will get into any school with those scores, even with little expierence.

 

[nyla24]

I know quite a few people on the admissions committee. I think you have a really good chance with scores like that. It would be helpful to get some shadowing in, mostly so they know you know what you are getting yourself into. Good luck!

 

[ecdoesit]

you still have a great chance to get an interview.
so now it depends on ur effort to get some experience till interview comes.
i would shadow more dental offices and learn more about the field.
basically, if u feel ur weakness is at certain area, just work on that.
show adcom that u understand where u r weak at and improve. i think they like to see that.

 

[Sk8aBull]

First of all, UF gives interviews to ALL Florida residents, no matter what. Also, they show preference for students from their own school (of course). Also, you have great scores both GPA-wise and DAT-wise. As long as they like your interview, I see no problem with getting into Florida.

Part of me wants to go there, but I hear it is insanely cut-throat and there are no individual operatories for each student (as in each student has an assigned chair they go to each and every day). Is what I've heard true? Also I've heard that they don't care as much about their students and in general, the students are not happy. Just wondering if anyone else has heard these things or goes to UFCD and could provide us pre-dents with some knowledgeable insight.

 

[gatorf150]

Yes I have heard similar complaints about not having individual chairs. All in all most people are very satisfied especially state residents due to the cost. My kaplan teachers both were 3rd and 4th year dent students at florida and both said they would go here again. The only complaint was like you mentioned, the chair thing

 

[Teething Beauty]

Hi...

I will be starting at UFCDM this fall. I have some friends who are currently D1 students and they have never mentioned anything about the chair issue. Are you talking about the sim lab or the clinic???? I was under the impression that we have our own chair in the sim lab. All of my friends are very happy at UF. They all feel they made a great decision when they chose to attend UF. As far as the competition is concerned, I think that dental school in itself is competetive...regardless of where you decide to go.

Good luck to all who are applying this year!!!

 

[JRogoff]

^^^

They are talking about the clinic, because i hear the very same thing. I also hear that the lack of patients is so bad for the 3rd and 4th year students that they have to go to either Jacksonville or Tampa to meet graduation requirements. A graduate of UFCDM told me this, so it must hold some truth.

 

[3rdMolarRoller]

Very very true. I got my first shadow experience at the Jax clinic near shands. All the students were bitching that there is not enough pateints in Gainesville. What do you expect, its in the middle of no where. The drive to jax isn't too bad, roughly 1.5 hours at most but if you hit traffic...I feel bad for you!

UF is very cut throat bec they take high caliber students and that is just their nature. They will make sure they do good and don't care much for others. Also, the faculty and students at UFCD are usually at each others throats

But a big plus is that they have a VERY strong academic program and LOTS of research opportunities. On top of that is pretty cheap. But I wanted to be a GP so I decieded UF was not for me

And one last thing that really turned me off was the block exams...I would hate to take 3 exams in a row