Dental School Connections

[NicoPresto]

Since the threads on this are over ten years old I wanted some new advice on this issue. I have some professional connections who work at three dental schools and was wondering the extent that that can help? Do dental schools function based off of connections that aren't just from donors? Such as: friends who are faculty members, family who are faculty members, siblings who currently attend the school, parents, neighbors who are faculty....Anything. I'm taking a poll as well so that other readers on this site can benefit from whatever is generated from this thread. If you have personally had a positive experience with connections helping you achieve acceptance into dental school feel free to share below. If you disagree about connections helping, share as well.

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[Agret]

Honestly, everything helps. You'll be hard pressed to find out how much it helps, but it sure won't hurt your chances to know people.


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[stoopidmonkeycatdog]

I have a good friend of mine who knows the director of admissions at the school I'm attending this fall, and when I mean know I mean very close family friends.

It has made no difference, especially because using their connection would have been very unprofessional. When he had his interview he said that was awkward because he was just like "hi _____, how are you?" And then they got started lol. He still hasn't been accepted but we'll see

 

[blablabla1]

I have no idea whether it helps with getting into dental school itself but I've heard from people saying it definitely helps with residency.

 

[NicoPresto]

I have no idea whether it helps with getting into dental school itself but I've heard from people saying it definitely helps with residency.

@blablabla1 i actually need to PM you regarding what you told me but I'm unable to. I can show you that he was offended from what he told me privately

 

[predental21250]

Yes, especially if you have family members that volunteer/work at the school..

 

[NicoPresto]

Friends as well?

 

[predental21250]

Those that are saying No don't understand how the real world works, and dental school isn't any different.

 

[super frank]

If they're on the admissions committee, sure. Otherwise, no.

 

[stoopidmonkeycatdog]

Those that are saying No don't understand how the real world works, and dental school isn't any different.

I think this is hilarious. I actually had someone who my mom helped out act like she could get me into Baylor because she worked at the school in the past. She was a dental assistant. Simply being associated with the school does not give an individual enough weight to have you enrolled.

"In the real world" the best indicator of success is a positive endorsement and approval from someone who had already achieved it. This is why connections matter, because if someone who has accomplished enough to have weight in their industry respects and likes you enough they can help you out.

Just knowing someone who volunteers or works for the school doesn't help you, even if they're a dentist.

 

[stoopidmonkeycatdog]

If you think about it what is an interview if not an accomplished individual trying to get to know you in order to provide an endorsement.

If they know you before hand it simply streamlines the process and is less prone to a mistaken endorsement due to unrepresentative presentation at interviews.

 

[NicoPresto]

If you think about it what is an interview if not an accomplished individual trying to get to know you in order to provide an endorsement.

If they know you before hand it simply streamlines the process and is less prone to a mistaken endorsement due to unrepresentative presentation at interviews.

What if you have an interview that goes really well and still no acceptance

 

[stoopidmonkeycatdog]

What if you have an interview that goes really well and still no acceptance

If you think your interview went really well and you didn't get accepted, it's possible that it didn't go as well as you assumed.

It's also possible that while you performed well, other people performed better and were given priority at the moment, but you might be in consideration.

It's also possible that by "my interview went well" you might mean "my interview was mistake free" which doesn't mean the interview left a lasting impression on the interviewer. I think it's a common misconception that as long as you don't present any red flags it was a good interview, if you aren't memorable in a positive light it wasn't a good interview either, just not a bad one.

Those are simply my opinions though!

 

[predental21250]

I think this is hilarious. I actually had someone who my mom helped out act like she could get me into Baylor because she worked at the school in the past. She was a dental assistant. Simply being associated with the school does not give an individual enough weight to have you enrolled.

"In the real world" the best indicator of success is a positive endorsement and approval from someone who had already achieved it. This is why connections matter, because if someone who has accomplished enough to have weight in their industry respects and likes you enough they can help you out.

Just knowing someone who volunteers or works for the school doesn't help you, even if they're a dentist.

I'm not talking about a low level individual such as a dental assistant. You contradicted yourself in your last 3 sentences though.

 

[stoopidmonkeycatdog]

I'm not talking about a low level individual such as a dental assistant. You contradicted yourself in your last 3 sentences though.

I know you didn't mean a dental assistant, but you said someone who works or volunteers, which is a category they fall under so I thought it was funny and relevant to bring her up.

How did I contradict myself I genuinely can't see it

 

[Faux]

I have a good friend of mine who knows the director of admissions at the school I'm attending this fall, and when I mean know I mean very close family friends.

It has made no difference, especially because using their connection would have been very unprofessional. When he had his interview he said that was awkward because he was just like "hi _____, how are you?" And then they got started lol. He still hasn't been accepted but we'll see

I know someone that had a parent in the school(as pre-clinic faculty) but got rejected first time around. They retook the dat and I think they got in.

 

[blablabla1]

Like I said earlier, I think the connections seem to make a difference for residencies rather than admission into dental school itself.

I remember when I was at UPenn a D4 was telling me how great it was that the school required an externship in the D3 or D4 year (I forget which). Some students used the externship as an opportunity to go overseas, but many others used the opportunity to go work at the location of a residency that they were interested in being in and all those UPenn students stated how valuable it was for people at those residency programs to know who they are before they even applied.

With residency programs being such a small number of people, it makes sense that there's less room for error (don't want to take in the wrong people, because each wrong choice gets magnified). If the admissions people already know the abilities, personality, etc of the individual applying, then there's less chance for error on their part.

 

[setdoc7]

A personal connection will not overshadow poor grades/low DAT. It can only help an otherwise well qualified candidate. And there are still no guarantees.

 

[NicoPresto]

A personal connection will not overshadow poor grades/low DAT. It can only help an otherwise well qualified candidate. And there are still no guarantees.

This seems to not be always true because I know some people with LOW stats getting in by means of connections

 

[NicoPresto]

This seems to not be always true because I know some people with LOW stats getting in by means of connections

*****However, it may be also due to a strong upward grade trend among other things on the applicant's resume, such as clinical experience, etc.

 

[predental21250]

I know someone that had a parent in the school(as pre-clinic faculty) but got rejected first time around. They retook the dat and I think they got in.

Do you go to MD?

 

[DOC YANKEM]

The endodontist I work with graduated from Stony Brook and still teaches at Stony Brook, Columbia and NYU for the past 8 years. Her brother applied to Stony Brook in January and got accepted. I'm sure her brother was smart with above average statistics and application. However, January is significantly late in the application cycle. Clearly she had something to do with this lol.

Usually grades dictate whether you specialize or not, but in some dental schools honors are not given academically. In my opinion, connections and social networking goes a long way after graduation.

 

[TheSandlapper]

I'll tell you a story a local dentist told me. He said that while he was a dental student one of his class mates had graduated from a fairly unknown school that didn't have a reputation for being rigorous and on top of that her grades weren't exactly spectacular. Now, that's not exactly a deal breaker but this girl also had MULTIPLE dui's. Turns out her father was the go to endodontist in the state at the time. Aside from her incredible "connection" how can you explain a person with average grades from an easy school along with a concerning criminal record getting in?

 

[Faux]

Do you go to MD?

No, and the person I'm talking about isn't from my school anyway.

 

[predental21250]

No, and the person I'm talking about isn't from my school anyway.

I only only because I know this happened at MD