big poppa question for you

[kidflip]

hey big poppa

Just wondering what kind of debt you are looking at in US dollars,what are your monthly payments going to be?

Also what kind of GPA's do they look for from Canadian applicants I'm going to assume it isn't as low as for the US residents (ie 3.11 etc)

Thanks alot Big Poppa

from a Canadian student at Western wanting to go into dentistry but knows he wont get in to any canadian schools

Thanks Again

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[Big_Poppa DDS]

Hi, I also went to western and could only get wait listed after 3 years of applying with an average in the mid 80's and an honors degree in physiology from western.

I think if you apply to private schools in the great lakes area your gpa can be lower and still get in. I applied to NYU, Marquette and Case Western Reserve. I only went to MU because it was my first acceptance and I couldn't afford to miss so much school and spend so much money on the interviews. I think if you have grades in the 70's you should be fine and a DAT of 17 - 18. Honestly, I think it is harder to score in the 20's on the canadian dat.

My debt is around 250 k canadian and I got the money through OSAP and private loans that my parents helped me with. I avoided Canhelp because the intrest was outrageous. As far as repayement, I can tell the associateship that I am being offered here in the US will be more than adequate to pay my debt. Trust me in that there are many opportunities in the US.

I think that because there are around 50 US dental schools, it is a lot easier to be accepted in the US. I think it is pretty ridiculous that a Western graduate with an honors degree and 88 average with 19 on the dat could only be waitlisted at Western and rejected totally at U of T without even interviewing at the time.

Good luck.

 

[kidflip]

Hey thanks alot Big Poppa for "all" of the great info. Ya I know exactly what you mean about Cdn schools, Its a shame because nobody(except a minority of say 2%) can really persue anything due to the crazy requrements. An 88 and 19 is really impressive, I cant understand what the hell happened! Oh well I'm glad you are persuing what you really wanted to. Just out of curiosity, is it really hard from an immigration point of view to start working in the US as a dentist. Additionally what are the associate salary ranges for dentists starting out in the US? Thanks alot Big Poppa, I just want to make sure I'm informed before I head down there.

I really appreciate all the help
Kidflip from Western

 

[Big_Poppa DDS]

All you need is a TN visa because of NAFTA and you can get that in 30 minutes at the border once you are liscensed. The minimum salary I've heard here in groups or associateship is 70k for new grads.

 

[DDS2006]

Hey guys, another UWO student here. I've already been accepted to a private East Coast dental school and have seen the bill, and as you know this is bigtime $$$ we're talking about. I'm applying to Western for a second time with the hopes of saving that cash, but I'm not too confident that I'm gonna get in. Big_Poppa, the cost of school down there is crazy, but you are saying we shouldn't worry too much because with the jobs we will get after we'll be able to cover it. I'm still worried though, also, is it possible to be able to come back to Canada and make enough to pay that amount off. I've got a relative with a practice who is pretty keen on me coming to work with him after I'm done, and I would definitely do it if I got into school in Canada, but I don't know if I will make enough coming back here. One reason I chose dentistry is to have a balanced life, I don't want to have to work like a dog for the first ten years of my career after just spending 8 tough years in school. This whole financial thing has even had me rethinking my career choice (don't worry, I'm not really gonna change it). I mean common, the amount of money they want us to spend on school is enough to buy a beautiful home for goodness sake. It's gonna cost me over 320K canadian to go to school in the states, I guess I'm just looking for reassurance that it will be money well spent. Also, in Massachussets, you can work as a dental hygienist in your third and fourth year. Big_poppa, you mentioned that AFTER you are licensed as a dentist you can work no problem in the states as a Canadian, however, what about when you're a student? Even though the school claims that students can earn extra money on the side, will I be able to work off campus as a Canadian student? This part-time work could be a huge help in decreasing my debt.
Anyway, sorry for writing such a novel, but this is constantly on my mind, and I haven't even started to spend that money yet <img border="0" title="" alt="[Frown]" src="frown.gif" />

 

[Big_Poppa DDS]

I worked on Campus when I was a sophmore. You have to get a Social Security number and get approval from the school. If you go to your office of International students they will be able to help you out.

 

[bad_hombre]

hey bp,

just out of curiosity, do dental practices recruit at universities, or does one have to go out giving out resumes? 70 grand US ain't bad at all... and with the lower taxes there it may be worth it.

 

[Big_Poppa DDS]

Marquette had a career fair, but some companies do come to the school and recruit. Also, 70k is the lower end most of my class is getting offered more than that. State dental associations have journals and advertisements with people looking for associates.