Thanks for the reassurance guys. You are very helpful. Would anyone know of a list of schools that would overlook the PAT section. I will go ahead and apply this round while re-studying for the DAT to boost up my scores just incase.
Do you guys know if they will put a hold on my application if I plan to retake the DAT during the application season, or will I proceed without notifying them? Thanks!
I'm sure I'm not going to win any popularity votes with what I'm about to say, but this is what I've seen:
A PAT score of 15 sounds "mediocre," and that's putting it nicely. Paired with a QR of 17 and a RC of 18, I think you have no choice but to retake. I know QR and RC rank probably the lowest in terms of relevance, but the point is that you have THREE sub-20 scores, and your other scores are low 20's. If you had a couple mid- to high-20 scores, things might be different, but even then a score of 15 would give pause.
I'll also tell you that I don't think ANY school will come out and tell you, "Sure, a 15 PAT is no big deal." Obviously, they're going to be deliberately vague with their answer because it absolves them of any potential cases of "Well, you said it would be ok with my other..." blah blah blah blah.
I'm not trying to be mean or rude, but I think the fact that your scores gave you pause enough to have to question whether or not you should retake gives you your answer. And let's also not forget: Assuming you get an interview, chances are better than decent that you may be asked about your low score. Why did you get it? What happened? If your reasoning is that you didn't have time to prep again because you had to watch your kid, I would be willing to bet that any and every ADCOM would deny you admission. If you can't commit to prepping for a retake, what's going to happen when you're coming upon exam periods and you have a 5-in-5 schedule? Or when you have to prep for your boards? You will not get lenience on account of your family. NO admissions committee will give you a pass "because you have a kid." (Let me interject at this point and tell you that I have THREE) Your mentality should be that you have to show the ADCOM's that you can not only perform, but EXCEL in your academics in spite of your family.
My logic behind saying "in spite of" (because I know it sounds harsh): In your interviews, you will always hear "Oh you have a family. That's good. Family keeps you grounded. It gives you perspective and motivation." But the real truth is that if you have a wife/child/whatever and there is a "question mark" anywhere on your app, the assumption will be that your wife/child/whatever must be a hindrance, because if you can't handle undergrad courses with that "distraction," then how on earth are you going to handle a rigorous course of professional study?
If you have a wife and child and you are serious about pursuing a career in dentistry, then they need to support you 110% AND YOU NEED TO SHOW IT. If I were you, I would retake and I would make it a point to bring EVERYTHING up to 20+ and KILL your PAT. Then your strong improvement in scores would be a real plus and you could show any ADCOM that your first DAT was just a fluke.
