Hi everyone, I used to read breakdowns a lot, and now that I am done with my DAT, I would like to share my point of view.
Scores:
PAT: 21
QR – 20
RC – 17 (This is low, but English is not my first language; I know they say low RC usually shows that you won't do well in dental school, but I have a 4.0 GPA, which means I can read and understand, but not as fast as an English speaker let alone after exhaustion of taking Bio, GenChem, Orgo, and PAT).
Bio - 23
GC - 26
OC - 26
TS - 24
AA - 22
Background:
I am a non-traditional student and have had to re-learn everything since my last science class was about 4-5 years ago. I started studying in Jan 2023 by studying for three full days and working three days, and in the middle of March, I stopped working and started studying full-time.
Materials I Used:
1) ANKI: It was a very new thing to me at first; I didn't like it at all because I am an old fashion person that wants to read her notes and doesn't like flashcards either! However, I stand by the people who pushed me to use Anki! I made my own Anki cards (which helped me to give it a chance), and I forced myself to use them.
I usually would call it a day by doing Anki because, at that point, my brain was tired and didn't want to learn new things, but the repetition helped me immensely.
2) DAT Booster: This program is the most representative of the exam and cheaper than other platforms.
a) I enjoyed their new Biology Videos and the Biology Cheat sheets. Booster practice exams were very similar to the actual exam. The Biology info from Booster is what you need for the exam, and you don't need to know all the little details about everything.
b) QR practice exams were very, very similar to the actual exam. So Booster is all you need for QR. At some point, I stopped doing BootCamp QR because they were so hard that was discouraging me.
c) PAT: The Booster keyhole was much more complicated than the exam, but it prepared you for the actual exam. I liked their generator and used it all the time. Also, I liked how I was able to change the timing for each subject when I was using the generator. I was shocked to see I got 21 on PAT because I used to cry my eyes out for not understanding PAT, but I practice PAT every day first thing in the morning, 10-20 of each section, which helped me a lot. So trust yourself and Practice; the more, the better.
d) Chemistry: very representative of the exam. I would say Booster had some Questions with complicated calculations, which the exam didn't have, but it still prepared me not to get cut off guard during the exam.
e) Reading: those 20 min practice tests were beneficial since I am terrible at reading in a short amount of time.
3) DAT Bootcamp:
a) Biology: I liked their high-yield Bio notes, but they would be better if They were less detailed. Some videos from their Bio were too detailed. I still say Booster was my number one choice for Bio. Booster will provide you with enough information you need to know for the exam.
b) PAT: I enjoyed using the generator on my phone whenever I had free time and couldn't access my computer. However, the Bootcamp Hole-Punch Questions were too complicated compared to the actual exam.
c) Chem: I enjoyed Mike's Videos. I would say his Gen Chem's better than the Organic. I felt Mike did a great job for Gen Chem; very detailed, but it wasn't as detailed for Organic. Chad's Youtube videos were the best way to understand the Concepts. And I watched all of his videos, so I highly recommend them.
d) QR: It wasn't my cup of tea, so I stopped using Bootcamp QR. I felt they were too complicated compared to the actual exam.
Thank you:
I would say a big thank you to both Booster and Bootcamp teams for replying to my questions at any time (weekends, holidays, etc); I know I probably made them go insane with my crazy PAT questions.
Ending Advice:
Looking back, I gave myself too much time for studying. In May, I was just over the whole thing; all I wanted to do was take the exam! So, one thing I would have done differently would be to take the exam in May, not June.
I highly recommend making your own study schedule with the goals you want to achieve each day. I used to read on Facebook that people study 8-10 hours a day, and I used to push myself to study the same amount, but it doesn't matter how many hours you study. As long as you are retaining information, that's all matters. Quality is the key!
Around March and April, I was so burnt out that I just wanted to finish what I had for the day without retaining anything, or I would feel guilty if I went out for 1 hr. I was going crazy! But don't do this to yourself. Instead, give yourself some "Me time". You deserve to take a break once in a while as long as you have a plan for it. For example: whenever I took my full-length test, after the exam, I used to write down the subjects I needed to review based on my score, and then the day was for me to do anything besides studying. Then, the next day would be studying until the next full-length test to take another break.
I highly recommend talking to someone. I was fortunate enough to have a friend who went through the same process. She used to hype me up and push me to take mental breaks. So if you don't have anyone to vent to or talk to, I am here for you guys! You can message me anytime.
Lastly: If you don't mind paying, I would suggest getting all the resources out there, but looking back, I would go with Booster and Chad's videos alone rather than getting all of them.
Good Luck
Scores:
PAT: 21
QR – 20
RC – 17 (This is low, but English is not my first language; I know they say low RC usually shows that you won't do well in dental school, but I have a 4.0 GPA, which means I can read and understand, but not as fast as an English speaker let alone after exhaustion of taking Bio, GenChem, Orgo, and PAT).
Bio - 23
GC - 26
OC - 26
TS - 24
AA - 22
Background:
I am a non-traditional student and have had to re-learn everything since my last science class was about 4-5 years ago. I started studying in Jan 2023 by studying for three full days and working three days, and in the middle of March, I stopped working and started studying full-time.
Materials I Used:
1) ANKI: It was a very new thing to me at first; I didn't like it at all because I am an old fashion person that wants to read her notes and doesn't like flashcards either! However, I stand by the people who pushed me to use Anki! I made my own Anki cards (which helped me to give it a chance), and I forced myself to use them.
I usually would call it a day by doing Anki because, at that point, my brain was tired and didn't want to learn new things, but the repetition helped me immensely.
2) DAT Booster: This program is the most representative of the exam and cheaper than other platforms.
a) I enjoyed their new Biology Videos and the Biology Cheat sheets. Booster practice exams were very similar to the actual exam. The Biology info from Booster is what you need for the exam, and you don't need to know all the little details about everything.
b) QR practice exams were very, very similar to the actual exam. So Booster is all you need for QR. At some point, I stopped doing BootCamp QR because they were so hard that was discouraging me.
c) PAT: The Booster keyhole was much more complicated than the exam, but it prepared you for the actual exam. I liked their generator and used it all the time. Also, I liked how I was able to change the timing for each subject when I was using the generator. I was shocked to see I got 21 on PAT because I used to cry my eyes out for not understanding PAT, but I practice PAT every day first thing in the morning, 10-20 of each section, which helped me a lot. So trust yourself and Practice; the more, the better.
d) Chemistry: very representative of the exam. I would say Booster had some Questions with complicated calculations, which the exam didn't have, but it still prepared me not to get cut off guard during the exam.
e) Reading: those 20 min practice tests were beneficial since I am terrible at reading in a short amount of time.
3) DAT Bootcamp:
a) Biology: I liked their high-yield Bio notes, but they would be better if They were less detailed. Some videos from their Bio were too detailed. I still say Booster was my number one choice for Bio. Booster will provide you with enough information you need to know for the exam.
b) PAT: I enjoyed using the generator on my phone whenever I had free time and couldn't access my computer. However, the Bootcamp Hole-Punch Questions were too complicated compared to the actual exam.
c) Chem: I enjoyed Mike's Videos. I would say his Gen Chem's better than the Organic. I felt Mike did a great job for Gen Chem; very detailed, but it wasn't as detailed for Organic. Chad's Youtube videos were the best way to understand the Concepts. And I watched all of his videos, so I highly recommend them.
d) QR: It wasn't my cup of tea, so I stopped using Bootcamp QR. I felt they were too complicated compared to the actual exam.
Thank you:
I would say a big thank you to both Booster and Bootcamp teams for replying to my questions at any time (weekends, holidays, etc); I know I probably made them go insane with my crazy PAT questions.
Ending Advice:
Looking back, I gave myself too much time for studying. In May, I was just over the whole thing; all I wanted to do was take the exam! So, one thing I would have done differently would be to take the exam in May, not June.
I highly recommend making your own study schedule with the goals you want to achieve each day. I used to read on Facebook that people study 8-10 hours a day, and I used to push myself to study the same amount, but it doesn't matter how many hours you study. As long as you are retaining information, that's all matters. Quality is the key!
Around March and April, I was so burnt out that I just wanted to finish what I had for the day without retaining anything, or I would feel guilty if I went out for 1 hr. I was going crazy! But don't do this to yourself. Instead, give yourself some "Me time". You deserve to take a break once in a while as long as you have a plan for it. For example: whenever I took my full-length test, after the exam, I used to write down the subjects I needed to review based on my score, and then the day was for me to do anything besides studying. Then, the next day would be studying until the next full-length test to take another break.
I highly recommend talking to someone. I was fortunate enough to have a friend who went through the same process. She used to hype me up and push me to take mental breaks. So if you don't have anyone to vent to or talk to, I am here for you guys! You can message me anytime.
Lastly: If you don't mind paying, I would suggest getting all the resources out there, but looking back, I would go with Booster and Chad's videos alone rather than getting all of them.
Good Luck
