Business GMAT vs DAT

[Lethstang]

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Hello guys,

Ive recently opted for a career change. Long story short, Im a finance professional who would like to become a dentist. Im about to take the year of prereqs starting in january ( the year of chem, bio, physics etc) and plan on taking the dat and applying to dental school.

I hold an undergrad degree in finance, as well as an MBA. I received a 1420 on my SAT and a 680 on my GMAT. I keep reading everywhere on the internet how competitive dental school admissions are.

Have any of you made the jump from business to dentistry? If so, how did your GMAT score compare to your DAT?

Ive read that you should take the DAT a year before dental school application. Why so early? I should finish my prereqs in december and would like to take the DAT in january. Is that unrealistic? Will dental schools not look at my application until some time has passed after my DAT?

Thanks in advance,

Steve

 

[americanpierg]

Hello guys,

Ive recently opted for a career change. Long story short, Im a finance professional who would like to become a dentist. Im about to take the year of prereqs starting in january ( the year of chem, bio, physics etc) and plan on taking the dat and applying to dental school.

I hold an undergrad degree in finance, as well as an MBA from Notre dame. I received a 1420 on my SAT and a 680 on my GMAT. I keep reading everywhere on the internet how competitive dental school admissions are.

Have any of you made the jump from business to dentistry? If so, how did your GMAT score compare to your DAT?

Ive read that you should take the DAT a year before dental school application. Why so early? I should finish my prereqs in december and would like to take the DAT in january. Is that unrealistic? Will dental schools not look at my application until some time has passed after my DAT?

Thanks in advance,

Steve

I'd say the DAT is on par with the ACT in terms of difficulty.

 

[wantVCUdental]

Usually students get DAT done as early as possible, coming out of science backgrounds, most pre-dental students will have already taken everything that's on the DAT in their first or second year, so they take it early while everyhting is still fresh in their heads.

as for you, i think you should take it after you've taken the pre-reqs so the material won't seem as ridiculous.
good luck

 

[Vicviper]

as for you, i think you should take it after you've taken the pre-reqs so the material won't seem as ridiculous.
good luck

Definitely, the usual rule of thumb is to take the DAT as soon as possible after you take Ochem. I've got a friend in my dental school class who worked in finance for years, and he got in just fine after going back to school to finish the pre-reqs, so it's very doable.

Good luck!

 

[ZzZzSleepyhead]

Usually students get DAT done as early as possible, coming out of science backgrounds, most pre-dental students will have already taken everything that's on the DAT in their first or second year, so they take it early while everyhting is still fresh in their heads.

as for you, i think you should take it after you've taken the pre-reqs so the material won't seem as ridiculous.
good luck

Odd, I thought most ppl take it their 3rd/junior year before they submit apps or that summer of.

 

[sketo43]

I used to work in finance, and I'm currently applying to dental school. To give you an idea of the timeframe, here's what I did: after I left my job in June 2008, I took all the prereqs in one year (summer chem; then ochem, bio, and physics during the 08-09 academic year). I took the DAT in July, and now I'm interviewing at schools (to start in August 2010). From the time I left my job to the time I will begin dental school, over 2 years will have passed. I could have gotten an MBA in that amount of time, and I will still have 4 years of dental school. But for me, it's worth it.

You don't need to take the DAT a year before you apply. In your case, if you finish your classes in December, then you can take the DAT in the winter or spring, submit your application in June, and begin dental school a year after that.

I didn't want to go to business school, so I never took the GMAT, and I can't compare it to the DAT. But if you work hard in your classes, I think you will get in to dental school. Good luck with your career change!

 

[MowgliR]

I just started my soph year and im planning on using this summer to study for the DAT. Fresh out of ochem, gbio (took it a year later), and calc 2.

 

[loraindeniso]

hi there......

I'm deciding on my college major and i'm thinking of getting into pre-dentistry but i am quite intimidated by it. Im mostly scared of not doing so well on the D.A.T and then i dont get into dental school and so i wasted my college major and my time..

 

[americanpierg]

hi there......

I'm deciding on my college major and i'm thinking of getting into pre-dentistry but i am quite intimidated by it. Im mostly scared of not doing so well on the D.A.T and then i dont get into dental school and so i wasted my college major and my time..

Pre-dentistry is a really bad major to choose. Most schools don't even offer it as a major. You are severely limiting your choices by chooing pre-dentistry as your major, why not just choose any other science major?

 

[dreamweaver0885]

Hey Lethstang - I think my situation is the reverse of yours. I took the DAT and received all scores in the 20s except math, which I got a 16. I have not taken the GMAT yet

The math portion of the GMAT is nothing comparable to the ones on the DAT. GMAT questions are more straightforward and mind consuming. DAT makers take simple questions and twist it. Be careful. If the questions seems too easy to solve on the DAT, your solution may be wrong.

The Reading Compr. on the DAT is more of locate this correct fact in the passage and mark the correct answer. GMAT verbal has "implication questions". The DAT ones are veyr straightforward. "How many black keys are there on the piano keyboard (after having read the passage).

DAT has science, which I suggest Schaum's BIO, DAT TOP SCORE, DAT ACHIEVER, CRACK DAT PERCEPTUAL, CRACK DAT MATH, CLIFFS AP BIO. You need to learn Chem and orgo on your own (textbook etc...) You should be set with all this.

I'm planning to get an MS in accounting/MBA. I'm studying for the GMAT. I'm waivering on Dental school. Is the GMAT difficult, and do you have any tips on doing well. Thanks buddy!

 

[dreamweaver0885]

I agree with Americanpierg. Predental as a major is a bad choice. Go for something more applicable like bio, chem, math, english, accounting etc... You are severely limiting options with this field. I was a bio major, and with that you can find jobs if you don't get into dental school. Don't place all your chips into one career - that's my advice. Have a backup.

 

[alanan84]

I'd say the DAT is on par with the ACT in terms of difficulty.

The ACT? What are you talking about?

 

[superkc2004]

hey steve! it's great to see that there are more of us out there! i'm currently a finance professional making the switch to dentistry. there's just so much more to life than NUMBERS! anyways, i have not taken the GMAT yet, but just find those threads where they tell you the best resources to use to help you on your DAT. i'm studying 3 hours after work everyday, and i hope it'll pay off! cant wait - 12/18/09!

just curious, what made you decide to change?

 

[jay47]

The ACT? What are you talking about?

Not sure what they are talking about either. DAT is much more difficult in scope, depth, and difficulty of actual questions. Do NOT expect to coast through the DAT like I did on the ACT without studying, you will not do well at all.

 

[jj2chemastray6]

Hello guys,

Ive recently opted for a career change. Long story short, Im a finance professional who would like to become a dentist. Im about to take the year of prereqs starting in january ( the year of chem, bio, physics etc) and plan on taking the dat and applying to dental school.

I hold an undergrad degree in finance, as well as an MBA from Notre dame. I received a 1420 on my SAT and a 680 on my GMAT. I keep reading everywhere on the internet how competitive dental school admissions are.

Have any of you made the jump from business to dentistry? If so, how did your GMAT score compare to your DAT?

Ive read that you should take the DAT a year before dental school application. Why so early? I should finish my prereqs in december and would like to take the DAT in january. Is that unrealistic? Will dental schools not look at my application until some time has passed after my DAT?

Thanks in advance,

Steve

I have taken both the DAT and the GMAT. My BS is in Biochem from a Cal State School. I'm getting my MBA while applying to Dental School.

I don't remember my actual GMAT scores. I just wanted to get into one MBA program, and I did well enough for their standards. My math percentile was in the low 80s and and my English percentile was about a 70. My writing score was a 5.5. I didn't really study for this, other than reading up on how the math questions were phrased.

My DAT AA/TS/PA was 25/25/24. I studied about 6-7 hours per day for 2 months. The DAT is definitely more challenging than the GMAT.

 

[Shinpe]

Hello guys,

Ive recently opted for a career change. Long story short, Im a finance professional who would like to become a dentist. Im about to take the year of prereqs starting in january ( the year of chem, bio, physics etc) and plan on taking the dat and applying to dental school.

I hold an undergrad degree in finance, as well as an MBA from Notre dame. I received a 1420 on my SAT and a 680 on my GMAT. I keep reading everywhere on the internet how competitive dental school admissions are.

Have any of you made the jump from business to dentistry? If so, how did your GMAT score compare to your DAT?

Ive read that you should take the DAT a year before dental school application. Why so early? I should finish my prereqs in december and would like to take the DAT in january. Is that unrealistic? Will dental schools not look at my application until some time has passed after my DAT?

Thanks in advance,

Steve

It depends on which year you're trying to get in. If you're trying to start fall of 2010, it is VERY late to take your DAT in January. For one thing, you will have missed the deadlines for many schools if your app is completed that late. But if you're applying to get in fall 2011, you're more than early. Rule of thumb is try to take your DAT after you've taken prerequisites but before June. It's best to take it 2-3 months before June (that's when apps start) so that if you screw up, you have time to retake and still be early (you need 3 months between each attempt). I took mine in August which in itself is ab it late, but if I had screwed up and needed to retake I would have had to wait until November and would have been REAL late. Applications are rolling, which means that schools consider applications in the order that they come in.

Now for comparing GMAT and DAT. I have been recently looking at DMD/MBA programs and the format of GMAT, but I havent taken it yet. I wouldn't really say you can compare their difficulty level other than in the math topic. You have writing in GMAT, nothing like that in DAT. You have verbal (i believe like GRE but ignore my statement if that's wrong) which is alot about vocabulary and such but the reading in DAT is not about vocab really. It's about how fast you can read and retain information, no ridicilous words in DAT. Of course no sciences or perceptual ability in GMAT, which leaves math. And honestly, if you're coming from a finance background and were good with math in your undergrad (and are fast at it), the math portion of the DAT should not be challenging at all. In the long run, I'd say what you wanna do is very doable, and seems like you have quite a few months to get ready for DAT, so even if you're not too good at sciences, you can definitely improve with practice for most sections (bio needs just knowing alot of bio from different classes but reading the books you should be good).

Good luck

 

[Lethstang]

superkc,

I decided to change because i was a commodity trader. After a few years I realized that my unique job skill was being willing to bet on whether something will go up or down, and putting my balls on the line. I want something more concrete. My choice then became doctor, lawyer , or dentist. Doc is out..im kind of an airhead at times and I dont need peoples lives riding on the line everyday. Lawyer? There are a ton of out of work attorneys.

Dentistry allows me to

be a type of doc without making the split second life saving decisions on a day to day basis.

have my own business (im an mba type, i dig that)

have 20 hot, female employees (ive been to so many offices where every employee is a hot 20 something. Sign me up thanks.

Also it gives me another 4 years of school. I had my mid life crisis early, realized i liked college much more than I liked work, and Im thinking another 3 years would be fantastic. In the grand scheme of things, whats 3 years enjoying your youth in school compared to the 30 youre working in your career? (For the people about to interject that if im looking for a party then dental school is a bad choice...i went to a top 20 MBA program, I realize the rigors of higher level collegiate study...and I still found it less stressful and more fun than my real job managing millions of dollars a day).

Any comments on my thought process would be most welcome.

Steve

 

[The Anhedonia]

Also it gives me another 3 years of school. I had my mid life crisis early, realized i liked college much more than I liked work, and Im thinking another 3 years would be fantastic. In the grand scheme of things, whats 3 years enjoying your youth in school compared to the 30 youre working in your career?

perhaps you are referring to something else, but dental schools are 4 years in duration (except for UoP).

 

[Lethstang]

ya youre right. was thinking about law school.