Canadian Student

[Jerm174]

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Hi,
Im new to SDN and Im considering US dental schools for the future. Im in first year of undergrad in Biomedical Science at Ryerson University (Toronto). I have some questions regarding US dental schools:
1. Do US dental schools look at my undergrad school? Am I at a disadvantage for going to Ryerson University instead of, say, University of Toronto?
2. What GPA would be considered competitive in the US? My first semester GPA was on the low end, 3.0, so I am hoping I can get myself up before applying in the upcoming years.
3. What are some Canadian-friendly schools you would recommend I take a look at?
4. Relating to #3; is there any advantage to taking both the American and Canadian DAT, other than expanding my options?
5. Is shadowing a "thing"? How many hours would you recommend I do? Is it the amount I shadowed or what I learned from it (or claim that I learned)?
Thank you for your time!

 

[52massacre]

Hey fellow Canadian:

1. Not 100% sure but Yes I do think that US schools will take the school you did your undergrad in as a factor. Think about it...if somebody went to some no name University like Emily Carr, would that even sound credible to a professional school in another country.?

2. 3.0 is pretty low like you said. I would go try for 3.5-3.8 to be considered even competitive as an international student in a public school. With Private schools, I would still think 3.5-3.6 is competitive. There are obviously other factors aside from GPA

3. NYU, Case, Boston, Pacific, NOVA, Minnesota, Temple, Pittsburgh, Detroit Mercy, Buffalo, UPenn if you can get your GPA higher

4. I know some schools prefer to look at US DAT scores even if they say that they accept Canadian scores. I would love for somebody to confirm this.

5. You absolutely need shadowing. Depending on where you live in Canada, it might be easy or hard to find a position. Shadowing will give you 1) experience in a dental clinic and 2) potential reference from a dentist which you will definitely need for your applications. I think 100 hours would be pretty solid for most schools.

Cheers.

If you need any help, feel free to PM me.

 

[BlackThought]

4. I know some schools prefer to look at US DAT scores even if they say that they accept Canadian scores. I would love for somebody to confirm this.

Yea, it depends on the school. So I would contact each school directly and ask them specifically if they have a preference. I only wrote the Canadian DAT, so I applied accordingly. Schools like Columbia, for instance, significantly tend to prefer the American DAT even tough they "accept" the Canadian DAT. But schools like Penn, UDM, Case, Minn, Buffalo, don't seem to care. Now, how much they "care" about what kind of DAT you have may also be a product of how the rest of your application looks. Just remember that your DAT score is just one component of the bigger picture to the Admission Committees. Good Luck.

 

[Jerm174]

Hey fellow Canadian:

1. Not 100% sure but Yes I do think that US schools will take the school you did your undergrad in as a factor. Think about it...if somebody went to some no name University like Emily Carr, would that even sound credible to a professional school in another country.?

2. 3.0 is pretty low like you said. I would go try for 3.5-3.8 to be considered even competitive as an international student in a public school. With Private schools, I would still think 3.5-3.6 is competitive. There are obviously other factors aside from GPA

3. NYU, Case, Boston, Pacific, NOVA, Minnesota, Temple, Pittsburgh, Detroit Mercy, Buffalo, UPenn if you can get your GPA higher

4. I know some schools prefer to look at US DAT scores even if they say that they accept Canadian scores. I would love for somebody to confirm this.

5. You absolutely need shadowing. Depending on where you live in Canada, it might be easy or hard to find a position. Shadowing will give you 1) experience in a dental clinic and 2) potential reference from a dentist which you will definitely need for your applications. I think 100 hours would be pretty solid for most schools.

Cheers.

If you need any help, feel free to PM me.

Yea, it depends on the school. So I would contact each school directly and ask them specifically if they have a preference. I only wrote the Canadian DAT, so I applied accordingly. Schools like Columbia, for instance, significantly tend to prefer the American DAT even tough they "accept" the Canadian DAT. But schools like Penn, UDM, Case, Minn, Buffalo, don't seem to care. Now, how much they "care" about what kind of DAT you have may also be a product of how the rest of your application looks. Just remember that your DAT score is just one component of the bigger picture to the Admission Committees. Good Luck.

Thank you both for your replies!
Luckily I will have many opportunities to get shadowing experience. I was thinking of getting it all done this summer.
What about research? I've only heard of a few rare cases where first year students are accepted into research groups due to high academic success. I doubt I can get into any research program as of right now. Do you think my options will expand by next year? A young dentist, who studied in the states but is opening his own practice here in Toronto, told my father that his marks were never amazing, however his experience in dental related research proved a big factor in his acceptance into dental school. When is a better time to look for/participate in these research opportunities - during the academic year or during the summer?

 

[doc toothache]

Here's a little homework for you.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/2013-guide-mini-guide-to-dental-school-admission.942453/
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/2013-international-students-admission-statistics.1005151/

 

[52massacre]

Thank you both for your replies!
Luckily I will have many opportunities to get shadowing experience. I was thinking of getting it all done this summer.
What about research? I've only heard of a few rare cases where first year students are accepted into research groups due to high academic success. I doubt I can get into any research program as of right now. Do you think my options will expand by next year? A young dentist, who studied in the states but is opening his own practice here in Toronto, told my father that his marks were never amazing, however his experience in dental related research proved a big factor in his acceptance into dental school. When is a better time to look for/participate in these research opportunities - during the academic year or during the summer?

Yeah research is a huge plus and I would try to look for opportunities during the summer as it may be too overwhelming during the academic year. The more university education you have, the easier it gets for landing a research position. Dental research would be really cool, but I'm not sure how you would get this in Canada? But if you can its awesome. If you can't then that's fine too, just research something you like!