Couple of Questions

[CM45]

Hi, I just finished my first semester of college this winter, and I plan to finish my undergraduate degree by 2013, so I just have a couple questions.

1.) Although I am still a freshman I am still nervous I might not be able to score good enough on the DAT to get into a dental school, so I was hoping someone could guide me to some good books that I could checkout at my campus library that could help me become more familiar with [FONT=verdana, geneva, helvetica]physics, general chemistry,biology and organic chemistry. I am hoping this will help prepare me for the upcoming courses over the next few years, and maybe help me stay sharp for the DAT when I do begin to prep for it.

2.) I should finish my pre-dental courses by the end of my junior year correct? Also when should I take the DAT, meaning, when I am a junior/senior, and what time of the year?

3.) When I go to ADA.org I don't see that their is a study guide and practice tests. Is this the chase, if not, can someone send me the official link to both. If there isnt a study guide how does one study for the DAT?

4.) I am also considering a DAT prep course. If I do decide to take a prep course should I take it the semester before I take the exam?

If there is anything else I might need to know please let me.

Thank you for any help
.

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[yuppers]

there is no need for you to study for the DAT until you had the courses.
you should be able to study up for the DAT in a matter of a couple months at most. Anymore than that and I wonder how you would plan to study for the NBDEs if/when you get into dental school.

 

[nze82]

Hi, I just finished my first semester of college this winter, and I plan to finish my undergraduate degree by 2013, so I just have a couple questions.

1.) Although I am still a freshman I am still nervous I might not be able to score good enough on the DAT to get into a dental school, so I was hoping someone could guide me to some good books that I could checkout at my campus library that could help me become more familiar with [FONT=verdana, geneva, helvetica]physics, general chemistry,biology and organic chemistry. I am hoping this will help prepare me for the upcoming courses over the next few years, and maybe help me stay sharp for the DAT when I do begin to prep for it.
Here are some of the books that will help you prepare for the DAT:
1)DAT destroyer (If you're not gonna buy anything else, make sure you have this book. It will help you tremendously). Here's where you can find it:
http://www.orgoman.com/datdestroyer.html
Keep in mind that this is not a study guide. It's a collection of sample problems, which you can use to practice for the exam.
2)Cliff's AP Biology-This will help you a lot for biology. It runs for about 11$ or so. You should be able to find it on www.Amazon.com
3)For O-chem I suggest using KAPLAN's blue book to review some of the basic concepts. When you got those concepts down, try to review your notes and text books to memorize as many reactions as possible. I believe you can purchase the KAPLAN book online. Otherwise, if you decide to take their prep course, they will provide you with the book.
4)CDP-This is a great computer software that will provide you with numerous sample problems for your PAT section. It's somewhat expensive, but it's well worth the money. They have different bundles (Some include 5 full-length PAT exams, some include 10, etc.). Purchase the one that you think will be most useful to you, considering the amount of practice you feel you need:
http://www.crackdat.com/
Additional Resources:
**If you sign up for the KAPLAN course, they will provide you with tons of online resources, which include workshops, quizzes, and of course three full-length exams.
**If you feel like you need more practice with full-lenghth exams you can purchase the following softwares. They run for about 50$ each:
1)TopScore:
http://www.scholarware.com/
2)DAT Achiever:
http://www.3tquest.com/
2.) I should finish my pre-dental courses by the end of my junior year correct? Also when should I take the DAT, meaning, when I am a junior/senior, and what time of the year?
Three solid months of studying will be sufficient to prepare you for the exam. So, starts studying 3 months before your exam. Try to study for the exam during a quarter/semester. when you're not taking many challenging classes at school. You want to focus on your DAT without having to worry about your school work. Visit Prometric's website to obtain some more information about how you can register for the exam and their blackout dates:
http://www.prometric.com/default.htm
3.) When I go to ADA.org I don't see that their is a study guide and practice tests. Is this the chase, if not, can someone send me the official link to both. If there isnt a study guide how does one study for the DAT?
Your best study guide to figure out how to study for the DAT can be found right here on this forum. Check the DAT discussions and you'll come across lots of helpful tips and advices.
4.) I am also considering a DAT prep course. If I do decide to take a prep course should I take it the semester before I take the exam?
I think KAPLAN's prep course lasts about 6-7 weeks. However, keep in mind that these courses alone are useless. You NEED to study at least 2 months on your own in order to review all the topics and practice. So, as I mentioned, you want to put in 3 solid months of studying in order to prepare for the DAT. You can devote the first month to your prep course, and after you're done with that you can use the next two months in order to study on your own.
If there is anything else I might need to know please let me.


Thank you for any help
.

Try not to freak out. This is a very stressful process by nature, and if you want to succeed you need to remain clam. I know it's a lot of info, but the good thing is that you're familiarizing yourself with it early on.
Hope this helped.
Best of Luck

 

[CM45]

Try not to freak out. This is a very stressful process by nature, and if you want to succeed you need to remain clam. I know it's a lot of info, but the good thing is that you're familiarizing yourself with it early on.
Hope this helped.
Best of Luck

Thank you very much, but I do have just a few fallow up questions.

1. so there is not a study guide for the DAT unlike the MCAT correct?

2. Should I take the DAT in my junior or senior year?

3. how long does it take to apply for dental school, and when should I begin applying.

Thank you for your help.

 

[nze82]

Thank you very much, but I do have just a few fallow up questions.

1. so there is not a study guide for the DAT unlike the MCAT correct?
I'm sure there is, but I'm not aware of it. So, I wouldn't be able to help you with this one.

2. Should I take the DAT in my junior or senior year?
Many say you should take it during your junior year. Personally, I think you should take it during your senior year. Why? By then, you've taken more upper division classes, and you'd simply have a broader view of various topics. This is specially true about biology. Although many would say 2-3 semester of bio will provide you with all the info for the DAT, I strongly encourage you to take additional anatomy, physiology, ecology, etc. classes in order to score higher.

3. how long does it take to apply for dental school, and when should I begin applying.
The entire processes takes roughly one year. The application cycle opens on June 1st every year. So, let's say you want to start dental school on Fall 2010, then you apply on June 2009.
Thank you for your help.

Good Luck

 

[CM45]

Good Luck

thank you