Canadian Students! Listen up!

[DeeDee]

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Hey all Canadian students applying to Dent! I am a Canadian resident myself and I'm just wondering whether we can all share some info on Canadian schools (i.e. U of A, U of S, U of T, U of M, etc.) even though this is mainly an American forum. Anyone interested, please respond. I myself have done extensive research on Canadian schools and have found out some pretty outrageous things. 😎

 

[MDP]

Count me in!! I'm currently a graduate student at McMaster U and I'm applying to a few US dental schools in addition to UofT, UWO and UofManitoba. I'd like to hear what info others may have picked up on these schools if anyone's willing to share.

Ciao,
MDP

 

[GoatBoy]

Although I am about to head off to an American Dental School I would be glad to offer any help I can on Canadian or American Dental schools.

 

[MDP]

I'd like to add to my inital post on this topic. As I said, I'm a Canadian who is applying to a few US dental schools...I'd like to find out more about people who have gone or are going this ordeal. Did you find that the American schools were receptive to Canadians or did they treat us differently (better or worse)? How tough is the immigration deal? Do the schools pretty much take care of your visa stuff or do you have to track down and fill out all the documents. What are the experiences of some of my Canadian peers who are currently studying at US schools and where abouts are you guys/girls studying?

Thanks for your replies...

MDP

 

[eleannaDDS]

More Canadians!!! I applied to dental school this year and will be attending UWO this fall. Although I actually only applied to the schools in Ontario, I have also researched the application process in the U.S. while deciding whether I wanted to further my education over the border. I would definitely be willing to help other Canadian predental students if I am able to do so. 🙂

 

[Lucus]

Elennadds did also apply to u of t??? Also what were your stats, as you got accepted into UWO, and by the way congradulations.

Thanksnull

 

[DeeDee]

Although my primary sites are set towards a Canadian school (mainly U of A), I'm beginning to also look at US schools as well, just in case my marks don't add up. My GPA is around roughly, a 3.3, with DAT (Canadian ofcourse) marks ranging from 15 to 18 (with 16 being my highest on the carving...I've written the DAT twice, and am going for a third attempt this November). I'm beginning to be a little doubtful about my chances here in Canada, even after I finish my 4th year. Would my chances be greater in the States? I heard private school tuition is a killer...how did you guys, who are going to the States, manage to come up with the funds, as loans are so little? 😕 😕 😕

 

[DeeDee]

Also, does anyone have info (in terms of average GPA accepted, number of spots for out of province and in province, etc.) on the following schools? University of Saskatchewan, University of Manitoba, and University of Alberta?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[GoatBoy]

Originally posted by MDP:
•I'd like to add to my inital post on this topic. As I said, I'm a Canadian who is applying to a few US dental schools...I'd like to find out more about people who have gone or are going this ordeal. Did you find that the American schools were receptive to Canadians or did they treat us differently (better or worse)? How tough is the immigration deal? Do the schools pretty much take care of your visa stuff or do you have to track down and fill out all the documents. What are the experiences of some of my Canadian peers who are currently studying at US schools and where abouts are you guys/girls studying?

Thanks for your replies...

MDP•

From my experiences, most of the Northeast private schools (probably the schools that Canadian students will have the best chance at) are very receptive to Canadian students. They dont discriminate agianst Can dtudents in any way - at least from what I saw. At each of my interviews (I went on 4) there were at least 2 or 3 Canadians at each one. The schools will usually help you to get a student visa, however, you will have to worry about coming up with the money to attend these schools as you dont qualify for American loans. But there are ways such as CanHelp, or CitiBanks program, etc. (these have very high interest rates).

 

[MDP]

Thanks for your reply Goat Boy. Could you fill me in on where you interviewed, what you thought of the interviews you went on (stressful, a breeze etc...) and what Northeast US private schools you'd advise a fellow Canadian to attend shall he/she have the chance. Thanks in advance,

MDP

 

[Canadian boy]

Im actually applying to Western, Toronto and Mcgill. Im also from MAC (MDP what year are you in?). DeeDee, my scores are actually very similar to yours... I have been researching this area for quite a while and am still confused on my chances.. Im thinking canada is a long shot, at least for me, so im applying to about 10 american schools. I've talked to my guidance councellor at Mcmaster we went over what schools I should be applying to. Basically he told me that american schools close to canada count on canadians for business and welcome them with open arms. He also suggested that along with applying to good schools, to apply to ones that should be a "sure thing" so if all else fails, theres still hope. As for canada, from what I understand, U of T is adding an interview component, but are taking out the essay so the weighting doesnt really change much. still 80% marks. I was also wondering if anyone knew how much extra activities such as dental research work or work in a clinic are looked at?

 

[MDP]

Canadian Boy, I'm a graduate student @ Mac in the Biology Dept. I got my BSc from UofWaterloo a few years back and am now working toward a MSc. What year and major are you?

Take care,
MDP

 

[ubcdmd2005]

Just thought I'd post this link to a current article about the demand for dentists in Canada over the next 5-10 years based on # of dental students vs. retirement rates and trends. All I can say is it looks good for anyone graduating in the next 10 years. Especially if you plan to stay in Canada and can resist those valuable US dollars down south. Its from the Canadian Dental Association's July/August 2001 Journal: http://www.cda-adc.ca/jcda/vol-67/issue-7/373.html . Also if anyone needs any info on UBC I know a fair amount. However, UBC does have all the stats and alot of info on their website.

 

[DeeDee]

Does anyone know which private schools in the States are the most lenient in terms of letting people (Canadians, specifically) in with a GPA like mine (~3.3)?
Also, I'm wondering if most of these schools would accept Canadian DAT? Canadian Boy, would you know? 😛

 

[GoatBoy]

The schools I would suggest applying to in the US are Tufts, Boston, NYU, Case Western, Temple, Michigan. Of these I interviewed at the first 4, and all the interviews went really well (I was accepted at all 4). Tufts is probably the most layed back of all the schools and NYU probably the toughest (but I heard that it has a lot to do with the interviewer you get). Tufts has the best facilities and NYU the worst 😀 . I would probably attend Michigan or Temple, mainly due to the cost of attending the others.

 

[DeeDee]

Goat Boy, can I ask you what your GPA and DAT scores were? You are a Canadian student, right? Did you apply to any Canadian schools? What happened? 😕

 

[GoatBoy]

I am a Canadian student, I went to U of T for undergrad. My GPA was ~3.4 both science and overall. My DAT's were 20 - 25. I did apply to only U of T and UWO. I wasnt expecting much from U of T and I was rejected from UWO as well. 🙁
However, my stats were considered to be pretty competitive for American schools.

 

[Canadian boy]

DMP, im going into my 4th year of Biochem at Mcmaster. Dee Dee, actually they schools I am applying to are very similar to the list that Goat Boy listed, along with buffalo and U Penn. If I do get into the states, but not into canada, I am not sure if I should go and get a crazy debt, or if I should try grad school in canada and try again the following year. Any suggestions?

 

[Lucus]

HI, I just also went to McMaster University for my undergrad. Last year I applied to 10 schools in the states and u of t. I was accepeted to a lot of my choices, including u of t.
However, I must say that out of all the schools I went to interview, Buffalo State Unviersity was the most advanced. The dental school was just amazing; the students and the facilities!
Its going to be a tough descision, between buffalo and u of t.

My stats were as follows.

Overall GPA 3.81
Science GPA 3.79

Dat Academic 21
PAT 19

Goodluck to everyone.

 

[GoatBoy]

Originally posted by Lucus:
•HI, I just also went to McMaster University for my undergrad. Last year I applied to 10 schools in the states and u of t. I was accepeted to a lot of my choices, including u of t.
However, I must say that out of all the schools I went to interview, Buffalo State Unviersity was the most advanced. The dental school was just amazing; the students and the facilities!
Its going to be a tough descision, between buffalo and u of t.

My stats were as follows.

Overall GPA 3.81
Science GPA 3.79

Dat Academic 21
PAT 19

Goodluck to everyone.•

Dude, are you crazy, that decision is a no brainer! Yes Buffalo may have great facilities and UofT's suck, but it will also cost many times more to attend Buffalo than Toronto, and Toronto is a more recognized school.

 

[DeeDee]

Canadian Boy, I'm in the same predicament as you. I'm going to be going into my 4th year of undergrad this year, and I was rejected by dent school twice already. Either I can apply to a school in the States and make it somewhere (hopefully), or I can go into grad school and apply while I'm doing my master's program. I think I'd rather do that than have a debt that'll take me forever to pay off. I don't even think my parents would be able to help me out that much.
Good luck with your decision. 🙂

 

[MDP]

Grad work is always a consideration for those wanting to make themselves more competative applicants for dental school. As a current graduate student at a big Canadian university, let me shed some thoughts on this issue:

1) Don't do graduate studies unless you really do like academics. The workload is surprisingly difficult and you will hate grad student life unless you're "into" your research.

2) Take caution as most dental schools (especially in Canada) will require a grad student applicant to finish their degree before matriculating into the 1st yr dental class. This becomes a problem for those that can't finish their degree in time (this happens quite a lot in research-based M.Sc. programs). Dental schools don't seem to care for graduate applicants who are only "using' graduate school to get accepted to dentistry and would quit their graduate position in a flash to begin dental studies.

3) Be prepared for a lot of ups and downs if you're pursuing a graduate degree...grad studies will challenge you in many ways that undergraduate work could never do.

4) Don't buy into the misconception that graduate studies is a breeze. What I mean is that if you really didn't like to study and didn't do that hot as an undergraduate, you probably won't excel at graduate studies unless you really reform your approach to academics. Think about it, the only thing worse than having ho-hum undergraduate grades is having ho-hum graduate grades!

I personally am one who pursued a graduate education b/c I thought I'd like to pursue a research-oriented career. I've given it my all and know that you can't just wing it in a graduate education. I've now decided to apply to dentistry b/c I'm no longer a big fan of the politics involved in research (I otherwise really enjoy it...except for the lack of $$$$)! So my take home message is do pursue graduate studies if you want to pad your CV for dental admissions BUT UNDER NO CICUMSTANCES neglect your graduate studies as it's not easy and they will turf you out of grad school if you can't cut the academics or the research...and that won't help your denta application much now will it?!!

Take care guys,
MDP

 

[MDP]

Grad work is always a consideration for those wanting to make themselves more competative applicants for dental school. As a current graduate student at a big Canadian university, let me shed some thoughts on this issue:

1) Don't do graduate studies unless you really do like academics. The workload is surprisingly difficult and you will hate grad student life unless you're "into" your research.

2) Take caution as most dental schools (especially in Canada) will require a grad student applicant to finish their degree before matriculating into the 1st yr dental class. This becomes a problem for those that can't finish their degree in time (this happens quite a lot in research-based M.Sc. programs). Dental schools don't seem to care for graduate applicants who are only "using' graduate school to get accepted to dentistry and would quit their graduate position in a flash to begin dental studies.

3) Be prepared for a lot of ups and downs if you're pursuing a graduate degree...grad studies will challenge you in many ways that undergraduate work could never do.

4) Don't buy into the misconception that graduate studies is a breeze. What I mean is that if you really didn't like to study and didn't do that hot as an undergraduate, you probably won't excel at graduate studies unless you really reform your approach to academics. Think about it, the only thing worse than having ho-hum undergraduate grades is having ho-hum graduate grades!

I personally am one who pursued a graduate education b/c I thought I'd like to pursue a research-oriented career. I've given it my all and know that you can't just wing it in a graduate education. I've now decided to apply to dentistry b/c I'm no longer a big fan of the politics involved in research (I otherwise really enjoy it...except for the lack of $$$$)! So my take home message is do pursue graduate studies if you want to pad your CV for dental admissions BUT UNDER NO CICUMSTANCES neglect your graduate studies as it's not easy and they will turf you out of grad school if you can't cut the academics or the research...and that won't help your denta application much now will it?!!

Take care guys,
MDP

 

[Lucus]

Goat Boy, I thought it over and I am going to attend U of T this fall..

Good luck with you future plans.

 

[Tabi]

Hey guys, boy I wish you guys were around last year when I was applying to dent school. IT would have been so great to share info and 'help' each other in the research process. Well, I stuck it out on my own and I'd love to share my experience. I'm one day away from moving to Boston (have decided to attend Tufts Dental) and I'm getting more excited/scared by the minute!
I applied to 10+ schools in the states plus U of A and UT in Canada. I got tons of interviews in the states ( had to turn down quite a few)and attended 5 interviews, all in the northeast USA. The schools I visited were Tufts, BU, UConn, Temple and UPEnn, all of which (surprisingly!) I was accepted at as well.
From my personal experience, I would say that the States are VERY receptive to Canadians, and that the schools are just generally a lot friendlier and welcoming than the Canadian schools. Mind you, I only interviewed at one Canadian school (UA-UT doesn't have interviews) but overall, I felt that the american schools really wanted me to go whereas the canadian schools were really 'snobby' and kind of cold towards their applicants. Although I did get onto a waiting list at a canadian school, i decided to go for the states mainly because their facilities are sooo awesome, the dental students are separated from the med students, there seems to be a lot more support (academic, etc.) from the school AND it's BOSTON!!! i mean, what can i say?
financially, it's been a bit of a juggle, having to decide between taking out a private loan in the states or imposing on my parents but in the end, i took out the max canadian loan (government money) and my parents are helping me out with the rest.
in hindsight, i should have really considered going to uconn since it is a great school and has way lower tuition but i wasn't quite satisfied with the way they teach their curriculum (a very personal preference, i still think they're a great school)

hope my babbling helps a bit....i'll try to check back once i've moved and everything

good luck to everybody!!

 

[DeeDee]

Hi Tabi,

Thanks for sharing your info. It helps to know that the States is receptive to Canadian students, but I just wish the tuition wasn't so high. So you got an interview at the U of A and then was placed on the waiting list? What happened, did you end up getting accepted there?

Would it be possible for you to tell me where you stood in terms of your GPA and Canadian DAT scores? Usually, I find that by finding out stuff like this, if I am in the same boat, then I too will have some hope left and potentially something to look forward to. I can tell you that my GPA is around a 3.3 and my DAT scores range from 15-18. What do you think?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. 🙂