Dentistry Mentoring Thread

[Dr. Dai Phan]

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Hi Dr. Phan,

I'm an upcoming junior for undergrad and I want to pursue dentistry. I'm a little late because I did buisness for a bit. I'm planning to take my DAT next summer (before senior year) and apply for first batch after I graduate. I'm not sure if it's better to apply as soon as early, but I want to finish my pre reqs, raise my gpa, gain more experience to be more competitive. In addition, I don't wanna spend so much money applying next summer, apply for third batch depending when the DAT scores get processed and not have as solid gpa as I would after senior year.

I think I have a good plan, but I'm just not sure if applying a bit later would hurt me. Any insight?

Thanks

Hello,

You are not late at all. In fact I applied to DS when I was in graduate school after my BS in aerospace engineering. I would apply after I get my DAT score and complete the pre reqs. That way you can be prepared to take the test as well as evaluating your competitiveness. You are still young so there is no need to rush. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hello Dr Phan,
You are doing a wonderful job of helping people.Your help is acknowledged. Kindly guide me through some of my problems:
I am an International dentist and I would like to practise dentistry in USA. next year. My husband is on J1 visa.
1. Knowing the difficult and time consuming pathway to obtain license in US. what do you recommend going for DDS or AEGD, GPR ?AEGD and GPR being relatively easy pathway what would be the difference on the practise ground( availability of jobs)
2.To cope up with the basic requiremnts of the exam i.e the experience and expenses what do you suggest one should go for, Research( difficult ot obtain), MPH,MHA( addition of expenses, not sure about the experince part) Dental assistant(how much does it add on the experience?)observership or any other option that you would suggest.
3.What would be the procedure to search for research opportunities
4.Would a J1 visa status affect getting into any of the above mentioned scenarios
Your help is appreciable
Regard

Greetings,

To answer your questions:

1. Dental residencies in general dentistry such as GPR, AEGD are easier to obtain for international students than speciaties. I recommend this route as it gives you a good background in US dental training.

2. If you are taking about bench exam, then you need to find programs in the US that offer this kind of hands on training. If you want experience, then do AEGD.

3. To get research oportunities, you can pair up with a faculty when you are doing your residency or get a job as a DS faculty member. On the second option, you are required to do research if you are a tenured track faculty.

4. I am not familiar with J1 type visa. Sorry.

Hope this helps. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

1...PL give list of university who are giving admission to DDS IN USA , BDS passed students from INDIA?
2...FEES AND DURATION FOR ADVANCED PROGRAM?
3...ALL criteria for admission like NBDE PART1, TOFEL and other all criteria considered for admission?

pl reply on my mail;
[email protected]

Hello,

For this, you need to contact the schools directly as each has its own admission criterias for international graduates. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hi Dr.Dai Phan,

It took me quite long before I could decide that dentistry is a career that can give me what I am looking for as I can have a comfortable lifestyle and feel rewarded by directly making a little difference in everyone's life. However, I could not be happy for too long to recognize that being a chronic hepatitis B carrier might stop me from practicing dentistry. I got it when I was little.

I have been searching school and state guidelines regarding this issue but so far everything seems vague and troublesome. I really appreciate if you can you help to shed some light for me in this concern as I feel discouraged now.

Thanks Dr. Dai Phan

Anh

Greetings,

You need to check with the school/state licensing but as long as you practice safe dentistry, you should not pose a risk hazzard to your patients. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Dear Dr. Phan,

I am choosing between a newly accredited school and a more established one. I may or may not want to specialize in the future. The established dental school would be great for that since it has all the specialities and great name. The newer school however does not and the clinical experience is still to be seen since there is no D3 or D4 years yet. However I feel that being part of a newer school will help me with more opportunities and be able to be taught a wonderful education with the amount of potential the newer school has. But then I don't know if it would help me specialize in the long run either.

Greetings,

It does not matter if the school is a year old or 30 years old as all must meet accreditation requirements. At the same time, neither will give you a better chance or less of specializing in the future. It is all what you make of yourself while in school. Go to a school with cheapest tuition and live in a city with lowest cost of living. Minimize the amount of debt as much as you can. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Dr. Phan,

I just made a AA 20 TS 20 OC 20 GC18 BIO 22 RC 24 QR18 and PA 16. Should I retake the DAT? My college GPA is a 3.3, but its from 2005. I have been in the military since.

Hello,

Your PA is a little bit on the low side but others are good. You should contact the school/s and ask if you are competitive or not to apply. They should be able to tell you as well as your GPA from 2005. Look at the entering stats and apply to the schools that has similiar entering stats like yours. I would say you have a good chance except for the schools with really high entering GPA/DAT. Good luck! DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hi, I have a question regarding my career. This will be my 2nd time applying this for dental school. My highest DAT score AA is 17 TS 18 and my overall gpa is 2.96. My excuse is that I didn't really know what I wanted to do in college and didn't fully apply myself but decided to stay with my science degree. I only realized I wanted to become a dentist after working full time at a job I didn't enjoy, many volunteering hrs at the dental clinic, and soul searching. What would you suggest for me to be more competitive if I don't succeed in getting to any schools this cycle? Do you recommend grad school? Post bacc program? Trying to find a job related to dentistry? Military?

Greetings,

Looking at your stats, I would say you will have very difficult time getting accepted although there are some exceptional cases. Practically, you need to do what you need to raise your GPA and your DAT score. I recommend you get an MS (this advanced degree will be a plus for you) so your GPA is at least 3.4 and study hard to get the DAT of at least 19. Finding a job related to dentistry or joining the military won't do anything to improve your credentials. If you want a DDS, you need to stay in school and do well. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Dear Dr. Dai Phan,
Greeting for the Christmas and the upcoming holidays.
Sir, I am an international dentist from India and is a green card holder here in US. My GPA is low with a GPA of 3.29. I have a masters degree in "Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery" with a GPA of 4. I applied to Boston University for the 2014 cycle but no reply till now, so I doubt my chance. Sir, kindly do let me know if there is any hope for admission in a DDS program with the above mentioned GPA. I would be obliged if you could guide me as what I can do to improve my GPA. Thanking you.

Greetings,

From what I understand, you have a BDS degree with a OMFS specialty from India and now is applying as advanced standing at BU? If you are not succesful in gaining admission, you should contact the school directly and ask for the specific reason(s). Getting admitted as advanced standing in US schools is quite competitive and depending on several factors. The school that you apply to will be able to answer your inquiry. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Any one can give me suggestion about my DAT score and do I have any chance to get accepted to dental school? Here is my DAT score:


Took on 12/9/2013

PAT: 20

RC: 17

QR: 17

BIO: 21

GC: 17

OC: 19


AA: 18, TS: 19, PAT 20

nsGPA: 3.04, sGPA:3.06


I am a dental hygienist and working at public setting dentistry for the past 5 years. I have 3000 hours of volunteer. I know my GPA and DAT score below average, so I plan to take classes in coming semester to gain my GPA. My question is do I get any chance to accept to dental school. I applied 5 schools this cycle but I know it’s late. So, my goal is to apply really early next year. Do I have any chance to get accepted? Do I have to retake DAT? Any suggestion would help. Thanks

Greetings and Happy New Year!

If you look at the entering DAT/GPA data for the 2012 class published by the ADEA, it is around 19/3.5. It is important to know this is an average calculation meaning there are people on the right and left of the bell curve. Your DAT is OK but your GPA is on the low side. However you are a RDH so that will work well for you. I would go head and apply (avoid the schools with really high stats and apply early) and at the same time enroll in a MS program to enhance your GPA. The extra degree will certainly be a plus for you. If you are able to get your GPA to a 3.4, you should be able to gain admission. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hi Dr. Phan,
I'm not sure if this question has been asked already, but what is your least favorite part about dentistry? And what was your least favorite part about dental school?

Greetings and Happy New Year,

Unrealistic expectation from some patients is what I like least about dentistry. My specialty involes complicated reconstructions and in many cases, artifical substitutes cannot and will not be able to perform like living tissues. This is so true when you have defects that involve the soft palate and beyond. Another example is complete denture therapy where patient expects them to function like hearing aids, eye glasses in which that is not the case. I can make beautiful dentures but it is up to the patients if they are able to adapt to them at all. Wearing dentures is quite different from wearing eye glasses and for some, they cannot accept this fact. Regarding dental school, it is the sheer amount of materials thrown at you and you are expected to master in short amount of time. Yes, we all made it through but it is not a heathly enviroment to learn and to be in. After you graduate, ask yourself how much you retain from the first two years and I can assure you it is less then 50%. I believe dental schools will be much more enjoyable and productive if it is spread to 5 years and cut out some classes that are of no use to the practice of dentistry such as biochemistry, microbiology and so forth. These classes should have been already taken in the undergraduate years and there is no need to repeat them again. Other than that I really enjoy my profession and that is why I am such an avid mentor for students seeking career in dentistry. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Dear Dr. Phan,
Thanks for your great responses to all the questions and happy new year. I posted this before regarding my decision in changing my career from electrical engineering to dentistry. But I mostly asked about the dentistry income. I am still searching about all the aspects of dentistry. However I have taken 9 credits of the prerequisite courses in Spring 2014. I have two questions. I appreciate it if you would answer me. Firstly, because I work full-time right now as an electrical engineer I don't have enough time to go to school in order to take the prerequisite courses so I started taking the courses online in my city college. My question is that will online courses lower my chance to get accepted to a dental school? I know that UCLA for example doesn't accept online courses. My second question is about the courses in dental school. I have Master's degree in electrical engineering with 3.7 GPA. As I am searching about every aspects in dental school I see that some of the students are complaining about the courses' difficulties in dental school. So I am worried if I can be a good dental student and after that can I be a good dentist? I am happy to see that you got your BS in engineering. So how do you compare engineering courses to dental courses?
Thanks,

Hello Mary,

If you truly want to become a dentist, you must make sarcrifice to make your goal comes true. That means you may need to quit your current job so you can enroll full time at a four year university or take evening classes. Avoid community college and online because not only they may not be acceptable but it does not look very good in my opinion. With so many people applying with excellent credentials, you need to strengthen your stats and that means doing well with your prerequisites at a four year college and make the average score on your DAT at least. GPA wise you are golden. If you do what I suggest, you should be able to gain admission. Now that is the easy part because once you are in DS, it is a different animal.

Engineering examinations are about taking a principle and solve a problem presented in front of you. Dental examinations are about having the ability to recall information correctly. The difference is between having the ability to solve rather than the ability to recall facts. Of course in the later years, you will be required to formulate treatment plans, come up with diagnosis and those will require critical thinking as well. What I am saying is that in DS, the style of studying is different. If you are blessed with "photographic memory" then the first two years will be easy for you. Can't really say that with engineering classes I assure you.

Once you are accepted in DS, your chance of failing out is slim. The people who left DS are ones who either realized dentistry is not for them, ones who do not have the ability to recall facts accurately or the ones that do not process hand-eye coordination to do well on pratical labs. I can tell you failing out is more of an exception rather than the norm.

Dental school classes are not hard at all. What is hard is the sheer amount of materials thrown at you and expected that you retain them all. I am quite sure once you get in, you will do just fine. If you made it through EE, you will make it through DS too. No doubt. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Wow!

Do you still believe that? If any of you want a little more honesty. Ask me any question you like. I do my research too.
1. Highly respected? Somewhat respected would be more accurate.
2. Six figures isn't what it used to be. Firemen in New York City make $100,000 per year without any college. Don't forget the monthly student loan payment you will have to make. That bill alone could be thousands per month. This is not an exaggeration.
3. You will have plenty of free time for your family if you start a practice because, honestly, it will be hard to fill your schedule. Again, this isn't pessimism. It's honesty.
4. Favorable job outlook. Not a chance. The fact is that the dentist to population ratio is at an all-time high. Despite this, the Pew Charitable Trust a stated that there is a need for 10,000 more dentists in the country. As a result, more dental schools have opened. There are now more dental schools than ever in the history of the United States. Bottom line: Too many dentists are graduating with too much debt. Don't believe me. Fine, you'll find out for yourself but, only after racking up massive debt and spending years studying when you could have been pursuing something more lucrative and that requires less education.
5. This is true only if you don't specialize. You may not think you want to specialize now but, you will be very likely to change your mind later on down the road.

Greetings,

To answer your question. Yes, I do believe what I wrote until this day. This profession has given me so much joy and return and that is why I am an avid mentor for students seeking career in dentistry (and that is why this thread was created). Regarding your comments:

1. Yes, dentistry is a highly respected profession. Look around and see how many people with doctoral, professional degrees with 8 years plus of schooling having six digits income? In my experience, if you portray yourself professionally, place the patient's interest ahead of your own and have a passion in what you do, then you will be given the utmost respect along with the profession that you are in.

2. If you are a dentist and cannot pull in at least 100K before taxes, then something is wrong. You really need to look at how you practice dentistry. You may need to move or change the way you provide dentistry. Of course this cannot be said with new graduates but everyone I know either GP or specialists pulled in at least 150K plus after a few years. Even entry level faculty (tenured track) at dental schools starts at least 100K.

3. The job market is harder with today's economy but that is not to say dentists have poor job outlook. Until dental enrollment drops off significantly or dental schools start to close then I will believe.

4. This is the statement that you and I agreed on. Specialization takes additional years and debt. I know personally as I have done 6 years post DS. However, the return justified my investment. Specialization allows you to do what you truly enjoy with better income potential. That is a very good investment strategy in my view.

I do not expect everyone to agree with my statements. In every profession, there are who are so passionate about their career choices and at the same time, there are some who question of their decisions. If you feel the pre-dents should reconsider their career choices, then feel free to express your views in the pre-dental/dental forum as the purpose of this thread is for those who consider dentistry as their profession. I appreciate your considerations. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Dr. Phan,

I got a 3.7 in my fall quarter of Masters in Biomedical science program and I have submitted the update December 12, 2013. I still don't have an interview yet, do you suggest anything I should do? And I didn't understand what you meant by AC?

My Current Stats are :
undergrad og.p.a. 3.18 sci g.p.a. 3.11
graduate g.p.a 3.7

Biology: 21 (92.3%)
Chemistry: 20 (79.8%)
Organic Chemistry: 22 (90.4%)
Total Science: 21 (91.6%)
Perceptual Ability: 22 (93.4%)
Reading Comprehension: 19 (52.2%)
Quantitative Reasoning: 19 (91.2%)
Academic Average: 20 (87.6%)

Hello,

AC means Admission Committee. I hope you will get some interview invites soon. Good luck. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Do you have any advice for a student like me who is taking the DAT in 2 month a study schedule would help greatly thank you so much its much appreciated

How well you do depends on your ability to take the test as well as your science background. If you feel you are not yet prepared, then take it at later date. It is better to do well but at a later date than early with a poor score. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Dear Dr. Phan,
Do you think it is worthed to go to dental school even if i get accepted in an expensive dental school? A I posted before I have Master's degree in electrical engineering and earning 90k/yr. I am deciding to go to dental school because I think dentistry is a money maker career. And I like it as well. But my most concern now is that: am I going to make a good money after graduation while having dental school debt and losing 90k income? Everybody is telling me that it is not a good idea to leave this income and go for a difficult major like dentistry while it is not guaranteed that you make more money than what you are making right now. But I think my income will be more and it is high likely to have my own practice and making even more.

Hello Mary,

Dentistry is an income POTENTIAL rather than guaranteed. Don't go into dentistry thinking you will net 200K a year because you may not. But if you do very well then you make net even more. Becoming a dentist means having debt (200K plus) but then you will be making more than you are making now. So you have to choose between 90K/year with no debt or six digit income with 250K in debt. It is not an easy decision for someone who already has an established career. You need to ask yourself if you enjoy your current job now and do you like dentistry as a profession. Give it some thoughts without thinking about the money at all. If you really want to change your career and enjoy dentistry, then go for it. Better yet, spend additional years doing residencies like OS, ortho, endo and financially, you should do well. Again, it is an income POTENTIAL for dentistry while engineeering is not. Go to a school that has cheapest tuition because you want to minimize the amount of debt to make your life easier down the road. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

So I've been wait-listed by NYU since Dec, and it's the only school I interviewed with. I called them today and the admission director asked have I heard back from any other schools. I told her I was rejected by 4 schools and is still waiting for 15 other schools to respond. She then asked me to be patient and she cannot change my status now, despite that fact that I told her NYU is my first choice.

Here're my stats: sGPA: 3.27, DAT: 22, PAT: 19. My ave gpa of senior year ( with upper level science classes ) is 3.75
Shadowing 100hrs, Research for 1.5 year, volunteering 280 hrs. And have been working as a dental assistant for the past 3 months.

Do you if it's still possible to get into NYU? Or should I consider reapplying already ? If so, would u suggest doing a post-bac program ? Or continue working as a assistant / in research ?to build up my résumé/ get more LOR??

Thank you very much!

Hello,

If you get rejected, you need to find out the reasons. Look at your stats, compare with the entering class stats and find ways to improve them. The main thing is your GPA is a little bit on the low side. Working as an assistant, doing reasearch or get good LORs are least likely to improve your chances unless your stats are improved. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hi Dr. DAI,
Do you have any idea how can I get an observership oppurtunity?!! What do I need to do & how to apply?!! I live at Cleveland OH, & I'm trying to find a residency program after I got done from part 2.. I've been told that an observership would support my application later on!!!

Hello,

Look into the Veterans Administration Medical Center and ask the Dental Service Chief if you can come and observe. This will allow you to see a wide range of procedures rendered to medically compromised patients. If allowed, go there and get a Visitor Badge. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hello Dr. Phan,

I just recently graduated and currently have a 2.99 cum. gpa with a 2.75 sci. gpa. I took the DAT this past summer and got a 19 AA, 19 TS, 21 OC, 19 GC, 17 Bio, 22 RC, 18 QR, and a 16 PAT. I'm definitely planning on retaking the DAT within these next couple of months and I'll be using some of the techniques/study methods mentioned in this forum. I also am planning on enrolling in a Masters of Biomedical Science in a year long program to improve both of my gpas (I'm aiming for a 3.5 or higher in the program). I'm obviously a bit worried that even with my masters I won't be able to get even an interview at a school, but at this point I can't think of anything else that I could do to improve my chances. With that being said, do you think that I should apply for this coming cycle and just indicate that I'm enrolling in a masters program, or should I just wait until I finish the program first? Are there any schools that you can think of that I should look into? I'm not terribly concerned about where I go to school, nor the price of the school simply because I know that I can't be picky whatsoever. Also, is there anything else you recommend that I do to improve my application from where it is now? I've got 200+ hours of volunteering/shadowing and I've been volunteering at a local community health program back home as a dental assistant every week, but can you think of anything else that would be beneficial for me?

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

Hi there,

You really need to get your GPA up by all means because you likely will not gain admission with sub 3.0 GPA. Master's program sounds good and try to improve your PAT section too. Forget about research or volunteering because stats are what get you in. I would not apply at this point because unlikely you will get any interviews. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hi Dr. Phan,

I'm a third year undergraduate at UCLA and my decision to go into dentistry is a recent one. My GPA is a 3.49 which I'm sure I can raise. I'm just beginning to volunteer at the dental school and am planning to shadow over the summer. Overall, I don't feel like I am a competitive candidate. I also have no research experience. My question is whether I should take the DAT by the end of this summer and apply in June just to gauge my standings? Or I was also thinking about enrolling in a dental assisting program at a cc after graduation and take the DAT the summer before. Also, do you think post bac programs are worthwhile?

Thanks,
-MP

Dear MP,

Your GPA is quite good and keep it up in your final year. Take a few practice DATs and see how well you do. Don't take it until you are ready. Forget about dental assistant school (there is no need for this) or post bac because it will not help you in anyway unless you completely tank in your final year. Remember that STATS are what you need. Take your time and don't rush. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hi Dr. Phan,

I'm a little worried about applying. I finished high school in China, then went on a semester at a university in China. Then my family moved to US. I went to a community college and then transfer to a four year university. I majored in Chemistry and minored in Math, and my overall GPA is 3.82 upon graduation and 3.96 at the community college. My major concern is that would the experience of attending a community college make me look bad? I have not yet taken the DAT, but my test is scheduled in late March.

Besides academics, I play piano, I do stone carving, I volunteer at the animal shelter and used to volunteer at the library and Chinese school. I used to be the TA for general Chemistry lab for a semester; my responsibilities include giving lectures, monitoring the lab, grading papers/quizzes. Besides, I have 100+ hours of shadowing.

Would you think I have a chance of getting into dental schools (my dream schools are NYU Columbia and UCLA)? I know a DAT score would be very helpful to this question. Assuming I get an average score, what would you say my chances are?

Thank you so much for reading this long message 🙂 Thank you and good luck with everything!

Sylviej,

As long as you graduated with a degree from a 4 year university then you are good. Check with the schools to make sure the courses taken at CC are allowed in your application. Your GPA is very competitive and you should do well on DAT. Learn to do the PAT section well and you should not have any issues. Avoid going to schools with high tuition or live in a city with high cost of living. Today's tuition is simply ridiculous and you need to minimize your debt. Forget about Ivy League schools (unless it is cheap) because they do nothing to advance your career or give you any edges to specialization. Asian parents like their children to go to IL schools so they can boast to their friends and this does more harm than good ( I am not directing this at your parents at all). Good luck! DP

 

[sylviej]

Sylviej,

As long as you graduated with a degree from a 4 year university then you are good. Check with the schools to make sure the courses taken at CC are allowed in your application. Your GPA is very competitive and you should do well on DAT. Learn to do the PAT section well and you should not have any issues. Avoid going to schools with high tuition or live in a city with high cost of living. Today's tuition is simply ridiculous and you need to minimize your debt. Forget about Ivy League schools (unless it is cheap) because they do nothing to advance your career or give you any edges to specialization. Asian parents like their children to go to IL schools so they can boast to their friends and this does more harm than good ( I am not directing this at your parents at all). Good luck! DP

Thank you very much for your encouragement and suggestions! As for Asian parents, you know them all too well 😀

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Would you say that being mechanically inclined is very important when considering becoming a dentist?

Greetings,

Dentistry is mostly procedures based that deals with millimeters so a person must process good hand skills to work in this "micro" enviroment. Another thing is having ability to solve problems. An example would be a person coming in with multiple missing teeth. Now you have to think of different options to restore the dentition and this will involve prostheses design, assesment of the anchoring teeth 's foundation, knowing what you can keep and what can be removed (elective extractions), restoration options and so forth... Repairing a broken tooth is easy but knowing when to restore a broken tooth or how to reconstruct the dentition that allows proper esthetics and function is another story. So in this regard, "mechanically inclined" is one of the requirements to become a good dentist. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hello Dr. Phan,

I will be starting dental school at UCLA this coming fall, and although I know it's way too early to start thinking about specialties, I started doing some research on each specialty so I have a better idea of what they do. During my shadowing experiences, I shadowed an oral surgeon who pretty much exclusively did implants. I initially thought that OMFS had a strong exposure to implants, but it seems like OMFS, prostho, and general dentists can now place implants. I'm not certain yet as to whether the cancer and surgery aspects of OMFS interest me.

After researching prosthodontics, I knew I found something I'm sure I'll really like because I do have a strong interest in cosmetic dentistry. I also discovered your posts about maxillofacial prosthodontics and it sounds like a very interesting and fulfilling career. I am a little confused as to what a day in your life is like though. I imagine if you were just a prosthodontist, you could set up a private practice or go into academia. If you become a maxillofacial prosthodontist though, does that mean you have a private practice? Or would you be employed in a cancer center? Or both? Are there enough MP patients available for one to work full-time in a cancer center?

Finally, I found a couple of prosthodontics residency programs that require the GRE exam. Do you have any insights as to what it is used for and how well one must do on it to be admitted into a prosthodontics residency program?

I know none of these things will be happening anytime soon in my life, and I will most definitely work on keeping on open mind in dental school, but your advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Greetings,

Congratulations to your acceptance. Once you are in school, do well in all your classes because that will open doors for you down the road should you choose to specialize. A prosthodontist can have his own practice and/or get involved in academia. You should know that each one will demand lots of your time so if you are thinking about private practice along with academia, likely you will do this half or one day a week as part time faculty. As a MP, if you want to practice limited to MP, you either need to be employed in a cancer hospital that does a great deal of head and neck cancer surgery like Memorial Sloan Ketttering Cancer Center in NY or MD Anderson in TX or have steady referrals from these centers.

I find my work very rewarding because I am providing prostheses to restore function as well as giving back the appearance before patient had the surgery. This could be a set of dentures, an obturator to cover the palatal defect, an ear, a nose or all of these even fingers. In gaining entrance to prosthodontic residency, having the ability to do excellent clinical dentistry, demonstrate eagerness to tackle difficult cases and produce outstanding results will be far more important than having excellent GPA or Board scores. So if a person wants to become a prosthodontist, you need to demonstrate this trait early on while in dental school.

To become a MP, you need to do well in your prosthodontic residency because the MP Director will check with your Pros faculty/Director on your clinical skills, work ethics and personality. Because there are so few places that offer MP Fellowships and the limited numbers of fellows admitted each year (1-2 per year per program), the competition can be very intense. So if you are average or weak in your Pros residency, likely you will not be succesful in getting your fellowship. Becoming a MP requires planning and execution from day 1 and that is doing well in DS to get accepted to pros residency and then do well in that program to be admitted to a fellowship. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hi Dr. Phan,

Thank you so much for starting this thread.

I have a bachelor's in psychology, my cumulative GPA was a 3.2 upon graduation but I have a LOT of W's on my transcript. How do admissions committees look at W's? Are they as bad as failing?

I started a post-bacc last summer, and was doing well but then I got an F in Organic Chemistry I last semester. I'm currently retaking it; if I get an A, do I still have a chance of getting in to dental school? Is the F going to be a deal-breaker for me?

I've worked as a dental assistant for many years and I'm sure that this is the right profession for me. I really hope I can still get into dental school.

Thanks again!

Hello,

If you want to become a dentist, you need to improve your GPA and do well on your DAT. As long as you get a GPA of at least 3.5, DAT of 20 and have shown an increasing trend of your stats despite the F and W's, then you will have a chance. Anything can be achieved if you are willing to work hard. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hello,

I am a senior at graduating senior at Spelman and I really want to go into dentistry but my chance to getting into anywhere are slim to none. I applied Howard and Meharry and haven't heard a response back. I don't even think I would be able to get into a formal post bacc or a master's program. I have a low GPA and I took the DAT this past week and It was below average. I am now thinking that taking informal post bacc is my best route to getting into dental. I kind of feel embarrassed by not being able to excel or get into anything as it relates to post bacc. I am at the point where I just want to give up, burnt out. I feel like I was forced to major in Biology(which I HATE, I wanted major in psychology or music and do pre-reqs (money=parents). I have everyone (advisiors, grad school friend) doubting me and I am starting to think that I can't. I just feel dumb, because I am going to one of the most elite schools and all I have is a degree w/o any honors to show for it. This semester, I feel is going better academically, maybe because I graduating, I really didn't apply to any summer programs out of embarrassment and doubt. I personally want to just disappear to somewhere, get a job medical related and focus on applying to dental school, taking the DAT, take all of my pre-reqs that I got C's in over again and maybe upper level in that order starting this summer. I think that I am really hard on myself due to pressure from family and outside people. What should I do? I know this is what I want to do but should I redo my pre-reqs or focus on taking upper level courses in the future?


Thank you,

Hi there,

If you truly want to become a dentist, then hit the books and study hard. Enroll in a Master's program is a good idea but make sure you do well and follow it through. Or else it will become another useless degree for you. Forget about what other people think and don't let pressure from anyone affects on how you want to live your life. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hello,

I am still a freshman in college and I want to know what I must do to get into dental school. I currently have a 4.0, doing research, shadow dentists and volunteer. Could you let me know about how many hours of shadowing and volunteering I need and what else I must do?

Thank you!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile

You can post this inquiry on the pre-dental forum and you will get lots of help regarding shadowing requirements. You are on the right track and if continue to do so, you will gain admission. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hi Dr. Phan,

I am graduating with PhD degree and plan to apply for dental school. I am a little worried about the fact that I will not have LOR from my PhD mentor will hurt my application. I will get letters from my other committee members. So my question is, based on your experience, how important that letter is for admissions.

Thank you!

Greetings,

Having advanced degree like yours will demonstrate to the AC that you are mature and will be able to handle the rigors of professional school. When a person reaches this far in their education, LORs become much less of an issue other than fullfiling the application requirement. This will not be a problem for you. Unless you are at odd with your mentor, the person can easily write a generic letter even if he/she knows nothing about the dental field . However, if you don't have a good relationship, forget about it. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Dr. Phan,

I am a current third year dental student and I have become really interested in a career in maxillofacial prosthodontics. I have been researching programs and was hoping you could give me an idea of how competitive an applicant I am what I might be able to do to increase my chances of getting an interview. I have listed some of my credentials below:

-Class rank: right in the middle (around 3.1 dental G.P.A.)
-Boards: Passed first time
-Oklahoma Academy of General Dentistry Board Member
-Class President
-Kid's Day committee member (Kid's Day is a student run day event that provides free dentistry for Oklahoma children)
-Bridges to Access committee member (a yearly conference aimed at extending health care)
-Completed a research project
-Planning on going on an externship to a prosthodontics program in May
-Received a four year academic scholarship to dental school

Part of the reason I am asking your advice on this is to help me decide which programs I should look into doing my externship at. I have currently been in contact with a few programs, but I am not sure how competitive I will be for some of them.
Any help you could offer would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Greetings,

First you need to complete a residency in prosthodontics and do well so you can be accepted in the MP fellowship. Concentrate in getting good clinical grades and complete more restorative cases than required. Externships are not needed. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hi Dr. Phan,

I just wanted to say thank you for all your helpful advice. When I first began looking into a health career, your thread really inspired me. Being a first generation Vietnamese American, I always questioned whether or not I was capable of serving a patient population outside of the Asian demographic. Your personal experiences definitely gave me hope and was one of the main reason why I decided not to care too much about my background, but instead focus on working hard to produce the best dentistry possible.

I came onto SDN 4 years ago and I can't believe I will be matriculating this fall.

Thanks for everything!

Congratulations and good luck! DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Are summer classes at a community college fine?

I would avoid CC classes as they are not viewed favorably by the AC. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hello Dr. Phan,

I would like your advice on whether or not applying this cycle is a good idea, or if I should postpone for next year.

Background
I graduated in 2012, GPA 3.52, on a premed track. I worked in research and biotech for one year which I found to be unfulfilling. I started to reconsider my interests in health, relocated, obtained a tutoring job, and did volunteering and took CC classes to fill the rest of the time. I will admit that my initial direction was towards medicine, partly for prestige. After recent reassessment as to why and what I like about a career in health, I realized that dental would be the better path for me and need some insight on pursuing dental school, if you could please.

Regarding LORs
It has been a couple of years since I completed my undergraduate studies and I will be unable to ask those professors for LORs. My plan was to ask one of my current CC professors, as well as a professor from a course I will take in the summer. I hear CC courses are not looked at favorably, but I do not know what other academic LORs I can obtain. What would you advise in this situation? Also, I will begin shadowing an orthodontist very soon. Can I submit a LOR from him, or should I additionally shadow a general dentist for the LOR?

Regarding the DAT
I am currently not engaged full time, so I was planning on starting studies for the DAT now and aim to test in ~10wks. I am pretty rusty in terms of the material, but am able to invest at least 15hours a week to studies for an approximate total of 150hrs. Do you think this will be a sufficient amount of time to prepare? I realize this must be quite a subjective question.

Regarding application
An early application is stressed by all! I am wondering if I can be a relatively early/competitive applicant if I obtain the aforementioned LORs by the end of July and take the DAT (with a hypothetical good score) by the end of June.


I would really love to start school fall 2015, but I do understand that doing a good, thorough job is nearly always better than doing a hasty one. I am just very excited to start this journey! Please let me know what you think; your mentorship is greatly appreciated.

Greetings,

I am glad you consider dentistry and I hope it will be a rewarding field for you as it is for me. Regarding your questions:

1. LOR : If you cannot get letters from university professors, then try to get from others. I do not know if there are any requirements when obtaining LORs but if there is none, then obtain from the people who know you personally and can write POSITIVE letters on your behalf.

2. DAT : I cannot answer this question because I do not know how well prepared you are. There are people who spend a year preparing while others only need three months. You should do a few practice DATs and see how you fare. It is much better to wait a year to prepare and do well rather than rush and do it poorly. Take your time and don't rush.

3. Application: If you have good DAT score and all the required LORs, then why not give it a shot?

I hope this is of some help to you. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Dr. P,

Would you be willing to share the current job outlook for MP's? To the best of your knowledge, does it appear that the demand for MP's is in private practice or hopsital/university settings? There seems to be so little information on current job openings for MP positions. Could you perhaps shed some light on the opportunities for MP's?
Thank you for your insight, I know we all appreciate it!

Hello,

As a maxillofacial prosthodontist, your area of specialty will be doing complicated reconstruction cases both intra and extra orally. MP is NOT a specialty but a sub-specialty of prosthodontics. MP's scope of work can be full mouth reconstructions, difficult crown & bridge cases, dificult denture cases, prosthetic eyes, nose ears for patients who had head and neck cancer or fabricating oral appliances for patient with speech problems. A maxillofacial prosthodontist therefore is NOT only limited to extra oral prostheses but can do everything that a regular prosthodontist does. Therefore, a MP does NOT need to be in a hospital setting to practice his specialty. However, if one only wants to practice EXCLUSIVELY in the field of MP, then he/she needs to be near or in a Medical Center that deals with Head and Neck Cancer. If you open your office doing only MP, you will soon be broke! Thanks the Lord that although oral cancer is a very serious disease, it is not common. All MPs I know even in Medical Centers (cancer centers) have their fair share of regular patients too.

It is true that many GPs do the more complicated cases but there are plenty of them who would not want to be bothered with such complicated jobs. Thus, these patients are referred to the prosthodontists. You should also know that prosthodontists don't just sit around and wait till some GPs feed them patients. That is a myth. Prosthodontists advertise and get their patients just like any other restorative dentists do.

If you think about specializing in pros. you need to have above average class rank, board scores and demonstrate ability to excell in restorative procedures. You must also show you have the eyes for details and enjoy tacking difficult restorative challenges. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hello Dr. Phan,
First of all thank you for dedicating your time to help all of the pre-dental students in this forum.
I am new to this forum and all of the application process to American dental school so SDN is super helpful.
I just have a few question for you.

I am a Canadian citizen so I am an international student.
Accordingly, I am trying to apply for the internationally-friendly schools (such as NYU, BU, U Penn, etc..)
1. Since I am an international student, What GPA and DAT scores are usually considered okay?? (I am a bit concerned with my GPA)
(I know that there are no SAFE score since numbers are not the only factor to the admission but I just want to know the general sense.. All of the statistical numbers are for both domestic and international student so it is hard for me to get a sense..)
2. In my undergraduate year, one of my semester was as a part time student because I had to drop some courses. (but I did take summer courses to make up for it..) Does this factor penalize me a lot? My third and fourth year is full course load..
3. What was your biggest difficulty during dental school and during your career as a dentist so far?

Thank you and have a great day!

Hi,

1. To get an idea of what GPA, DAT scores needed to be considered competitive, you need to contact the school(s) directly. Ask them the average entering stats for international students. Also inquire on how my applications they had for how many seats available.

2. Dropping a few courses here and there is no big deal. If you show upward trend, these will not be a factor.

3. My biggest difficulty in DS was trying to adapt to a new style of learning as I just graduated with a degree in engineering. Memorization was not one of my strengths at all. As far as career goes, I could not be happier and that is why I am such an avid mentor for students seeking careers in dentistry. And why this thread was created for you all. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Dr. Phan

I have a PhD in engineering. I have been successful in my degree in terms of accomplishments and publications. I like my field, although do not love it.
It may seem pretty much odd to ask how does it work to go to dental school at this point? What I am concerned about is is there any exceptions that I can benefit from i.e. get the pre-requisite courses waived, etc. ?

It was my dream to practice my own profession, especially dentistry that deals more directly with community.
I may elaborate more on my situation, though.

Thank you

Hello,

Changing career when you are already in one and established is a very difficult decision. You will have to take into the account of lost wages for at the next 5 years, the debt you will accumulate, whether or not the new salary will justify your move. The killer deal is that you will never know how well you will do in dentistry. There are many dentists who do very poorly while some who do extremely well. Last night at a party, I spoke to my close friend whose son in law just graduated from DS four years ago (GP), raking in some serious cash and and on his way to have all his student loans paid off soon. As for me, I am still paying off my loans, not rich by any stretch of imagination but I have a very comfortable life style.

If you net 70K a year as an engineer, little or no debt and now say fast forward 5 years later, you net 100K but then you will end up 300K in student loan. Without thinking any further, that would be a disasterous financial move but what if you do well and net 175K with possible upward trend then that 300K loan is not that bad after all you see?

If you have no problem with your current job, financially stable, see no future potential lay off, then it is up to you to decide if you want to play the cards. You may have lots to gain as well as lots to lose also if you tank your practice. However, keeping your sanity is above all. If you hate your current job and can't wait for the weekend to come, are under stress all the time, going bald much faster than you anticipate, then please by all means switch.

Unless you graduated decades ago, it is possible that you may still use some of your classes as the pre-reqs. However expect to spend a year or two preparing for the DAT as well as taking the other required pre-reqs. It took me one year after my BSAE to complete everything while going to school full time. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

What do you think of my post on why dentistry sucks?

http://bloggerdds.weebly.com/

Greetings,

I read your blog "Dentistry Sucks" many times over and each time, I feel the pain for both of us. I am sorry that you have to go through such unpleasant experience in this profession. It is clearly from your post that dentistry is not a right career for you while I couldn't be happier. I am going to comment each of your points for the benefit of the OP and other readers.

1. “Dentists are poor"- This statement is true for those who could not capitalize on the earning potential of dentistry. This is rather an exception than the norm. The average dental school debt is 250K and the average practice startup cost can be quite high. However, if a person takes a 500K loan in addition to the student loan and only makes 100K, then he had bought in a practice that is clearly way above his ability to handle financially. I will only take up additional debt if I am able to consistently net enough to make a nice salary for myself after all were said and done. Do you know that typical entry level faculty salary at dental schools starts above 100K for assistant professors? In public health system, entry level general dentists start also well above 100K mark with no overhead cost. For specialists, expect mids 100's and some institutions offer debt reduction incentives to boot. Again, no private practice overhead cost to worry about.

2. "Stress kills you"- This statement can be applied to any profession when one does not know how to deal with the situation or take the steps in preventing it. While I was in DS, I wanted to become a pedodontist. But after my first pedo patient who vomited all over me not to mention being a moving target while I was trying to do a block, I said to myself that "no more is no more". I now only work with geriatric patients who are calm, collective, appreciative who often calm me down when I am under stress. In your case, if pedo is not your forte (and pedodontists have my utmost admiration and respect by the way), then don't treat pedo patients. Dentistry is a profession that you can choose to practice it any way you like. If you are required to see 15-30 patients a day, then quit your job and seek somewhere else like in the public health system where profit is not the prime directive.

3. "Dentistry is disgusting"- I am quite surprised on why you did not see this as a problem for you while considering dentistry ? If you prefer to practice in a "clean" environment, then change the way you run your practice by limiting the procedures that you are willing to do. You can focus your practice by doing dentures, cosmetic procedures or going back to school and become an orthodontist. Again this profession allows you to do what you prefer to do.

4. "Physical trauma"- It can be if you do not know the right way to practice dentistry. I on the average see 16 -20 patients a day and I always squeeze easy procedures between the difficult ones so I don't get tired or burn out.

5." It's getting worse" – I don’t think so. Unless dental schools start to close and the applications start to decrease in great numbers, the future is very bright in dentistry. The fact that there is way more applications than available seats in DS speak for the popularity of the profession.

6. “Any hopes”? – Yes. I believe that if you change the way you provide dentistry and seek the employment that allows you to do dentistry the way you want to practice, I think you will find this career very rewarding as it is for me. There are many options out there and I will be happy to help you in any way that I can. This is a wonderful profession. It really is only if you know how to take all of the advantages it has to offer. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

hey Dr. Phan!

I really appreciate you taking out the time to help out the struggling lot of us 🙂

I had a few questions for you. I am an international dentist. I've applied to a bunch of schools this cycle for the Advanced Standing Program (2 yr DDS). Ive given my part 1 and 2, done a few research work already.. in the middle of a paper still. I live in Dubai but received my degree in India, which is where I am allowed to practice atm. Any suggestions as to what I should do while waiting for a school to respond? I've applied to a perceptorship program at UCSF but that only starts in September. I have a good few months to kill.. Id really like some advise here.

Look forward to your comments.

Well, I know exactly what I would do if I were you. I would certainly use this time to enjoy the beautiful beaches in Dubai. I see those crystal azure emerald water on the Net and I hope someday I can go there for a visit. Enjoy it while you can because once you are in US dental schools, you won't have much time to do anything else. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Wow! I did not expect such a quick response. It made me feel better already. Thank you very much!

You are welcomed and I am glad to be at your service. DP

 

[Loving123]

Hi,

1. To get an idea of what GPA, DAT scores needed to be considered competitive, you need to contact the school(s) directly. Ask them the average entering stats for international students. Also inquire on how my applications they had for how many seats available.

2. Dropping a few courses here and there is no big deal. If you show upward trend, these will not be a factor.

3. My biggest difficulty in DS was trying to adapt to a new style of learning as I just graduated with a degree in engineering. Memorization was not one of my strengths at all. As far as career goes, I could not be happier and that is why I am such an avid mentor for students seeking careers in dentistry. And why this thread was created for you all. DP

Thanks🙂

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hello
Thanks for the comments;

I am just graduating this Spring. I am not sure if I am going to hate my job, BTW! Burt as you said, and as it is obvious, if dentistry makes me happier, that I am trying to figure out, I will definitely go for it.
Financially: I would not say a PhD in engineering, is getting less than $100, even in the southern states. That is right, I do not have loan. But what about the practice after DS? If I am going to make a good progress, and even just out of DS make a good money, probably the loan would not shows up that much. I see, in some job posting that even for new graduate a good salary is offered, for dentists.

Regarding the pre-req: I have taken a good collection of Math and Physics and English courses(back in College) . However, I am not sure about the Biology, Organic Chemistry,....

Thank you

Greetings,

Regarding the salary, I am taking about the net amount, the amount after taxes and taxes/overheads for dental practice. If you net at least 100K as an engineer, that is really good and to make the switch worthwhile, you have to net at least 150K to justify for the lost use of the PhD degree, lost years of studying and accumulation of new debt. If you do well in your practice, then the 300K loan is no big deal but if you struggle, then you will end up worse and once you leave the field of engineering for 6-8 years, it is pretty darn hard to get back to it again. I always tell people who have an established career, considered to make a switch and this is my advice. That is going into a high end specialty to ensure that you will end up with a good salary. The big three are oral surgery, orthodontics and endodontics. With very few exceptions, these specialists do very well with much lower overhead costs compared to GPs. The problem is these specialty programs are very hard to get in and you may end up as a GP instead.

Beware about the ads in the journals about the salary offered to dentists. Unless the salary is guaranteed, you will need to know what is required of you to get such a salary. A practice may gross 500K as advertised but it is entirely possible the net take home is only 100K or even less if the overhead is high (typical 65-70% in dentistry).

Dentistry is income POTENTIAL and really the sky is the limit. However, if a person already has an established career with good salary, the decision then is much more difficult than someone with nothing in their pockets. As I mentioned before, unless the person is unhappy with the current job, the switch deserves some careful planning and execution. If you go into dentistry, pick a school that has the lowest tuition and live in a city that has the lowest cost of living too. Avoid schools that cost 400K or more as that is simply ridiculous. I hope I have helped you in your decision. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hi Dr. Phan,

I've been reading through your dentistry mentoring thread and have learned a lot already from your advice to others.

I'm thinking of changing careers to do dentistry. I graduated 4 years ago and work in open heart surgery as a perfusionist. But I have had a passion for dentistry since I first discovered it was something I possibly do when I was in college. Like you said in other posts, it is risky to leave a comfortable career especially when I'm not sure if I will be able to get in to a dental school, but if it's what I want to do I feel that I should take that risk.

I guess the main thing right now is trying to figure out if I have a chance of getting in. My ogpa is 3.6, my sGPA is 3.2, I haven't taken the dat yet since I still need to take orgo. I'm just nervous about being able to jump into these classes again after 4 years. I started looking at my gen chem material again and feel like I have forgotten it all. I still need to take orgo 1 and 2, a second bio, biochem and microbio. My plan is to do orgo 1 and bio first. But my question for you is do you think jumping into orgo will be impossible for me? Should I just review all my gen chem on my own? And also before the dat do you think I'll be able to relearn all my chem and QR section on my own by using dat study materials? Also osu said they don't have an expiration on length of time it's been since taking prereqs but on a website of another school it said 3 years. Do you know if a lot have those restrictions? I feel as if I can only find that information by calling each school directly.

I assume to be competitive I should try to raise my sgpa, observe a lot, write a very good ps and get two lors, correct? Any other advice for me?I really want to goto osu by the way.

And also with being someone who is changing careers, do you think that will be something in my favor already working in the medical field?

Thank you so much!

Hello,

If you really want to do dentistry then go ahead and work toward your goal. Your SGPA is on the low side but should be easy to improve after you finish all the pre-reqs. If you feel you are weak in general chem then I go ahead and retake it. That will not only help your GPA but prepare you for the next level as well and you should be able to get an A on this. This is a journey and take your time to do well in your classes. There is no point of rushing to save a year and end up with a bad grade. You should contact OSU to inquire the expiration dates for your classes. What really matters are your GPA and the DAT scores. This is what seperates one applicant from others. LORs, good PS are easy to obtain while the first two are not.

Your experience in the medical field will not hurt you at all. However be prepared to explain why you do not consider medicine but take a detour into dentistry. The reason you gave me is more than a valid decision. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

)

Dear Dr. Phan,
First of all, thank you for devoting your time to SDN forum despite your busy schedule.

I am writing to inquire about asking interviewers questions during the interview. With reference to post #39, you mentioned briefly about asking question around question using your strengths. I can’t agree with you more that this is a good way of establishing an engaging conversation. And I would like to seek your advice in that aspect.

For example, if a school is in the midst of establishing a new program for their dental students to work with geriatric patients, what could potentially be the “what will your facility be able to provide me” sort of question to ask them?

In my 2 years of shadowing a general dentist, I have worked with a large number of geriatric patients since they make up 90% of our patient pool. And based on my observation, most of their oral related problems stem from having dry mouth. Thereafter, Sjogren syndrome began to pique my interest as I began reading up more about dry mouth.

My question is if I am interested to be involved in a research to produce artificial replacement for saliva (A research program that the school does not currently have, but since they are incorporating a new program that targets geriatric patients, I would assume that performing a research in that area is not entirely not feasible).

How then, do I formulate a “what can your facility provide for me” sort of question without coming off as overly confident.

My 2nd question is, sometimes toward the end of an interview, if asked “What else would you like to add to inform the adcom” Do you have any advice on how to answer this sort of question other than reiterating your strengths or telling them why you think you are the most ideal candidate?

Thank you in advance, and I look forward to hearing back from you Dr. Phan!

Sincerely,
Sgprean

Greetings,

An important thing to know at the interviewing process is not trying to produce a right answer. By doing so, you put yourself on the spot and most often, you end up appearing nervous and unconfident. Just imagine yourself in a bar talking in a relaxed atmosphere and the answer will come naturally. In regard to your inquiry, this is how I will answer the questions but remember that your answers should come from you and not by anyone else's.

1. I look forward to seeing patients in the school's new geriatric program. As we know, geriatric patients often present a wealth of challenges to a provider not only of their systemic conditions, a variety of medications they are on but also a number of restoratives difficulties. I hope that I can take part in this clinic to make me a better provider. ( You can elaborate on this further).

2. If time allows, I would like to take part on doing research with a faculty. I find doing a research in developing artifical saliva to be intriguing and captivating. I would like to know if anyone in the school has interest in this aspect of investigation?

3. I am very motivated to becoming a dentist and I hope that I will be given a serious consideration. I have thought very carefully about my choice of career and from my credentials, I am confident that I will do well in your program. I look forward to the possibility of being a graduate of your school in the future and I thank you very much for your time today and considerations. (By saying this, you remind the A/C that your heart is set on becoming a dentist and they can be assured that you will successfully complete a program. By thanking them at the end, it shows that their time is very much appreciated by you and this often will make a positive impact on their perception of you).

Good luck and I hope you will gain acutance in your quest. DP

 

[sgprean]

Greetings,
An important thing to know at the interviewing process is not trying to produce a right answer. By doing so, you put yourself on the spot and most often, you end up appearing nervous and unconfident. Just imagine yourself in a bar talking in a relaxed atmosphere and the answer will come naturally. In regard to your inquiry, this is how I will answer the questions but remember that your answers should come from you and not by anyone else's.
1. I look forward to seeing patients in the school's new geriatric program. As we know, geriatric patients often present a wealth of challenges to a provider not only of their systemic conditions, a variety of medications they are on but also a number of restoratives difficulties. I hope that I can take part in this clinic to make me a better provider. ( You can elaborate on this further).
2. If time allows, I would like to take part on doing research with a faculty. I find doing a research in developing artifical saliva to be intriguing and captivating. I would like to know if anyone in the school has interest in this aspect of investigation?
3. I am very motivated to becoming a dentist and I hope that I will be given a serious consideration. I have thought very carefully about my choice of career and from my credentials, I am confident that I will do well in your program. I look forward to the possibility of being a graduate of your school in the future and I thank you very much for your time today and considerations. (By saying this, you remind the A/C that your heart is set on becoming a dentist and they can be assured that you will successfully complete a program. By thanking them at the end, it shows that their time is very much appreciated by you and this often will make a positive impact on their perception of you.
Good luck and I hope you will gain acutance in your quest. DP

Thank you Dr. Phan!

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hello Dr. Dai Phan! Pre-Dent here......I was wondering if you could read the thread I posted in the Dental forums called "5 Reasons For Choosing Dentistry", and give me your thoughts on what I have written. I would greatly appreciate it if you could reply to me on that thread! Thank you so much! http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/5-reasons-for-choosing-dentistry.1075055/

See my replies on your original thread. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hi Dr. P,
would you please tell me what should I do in my case. My DAT score : AA:18, TS: 19; PAT: 20 ( no section below 17) . my oGPA: 3.12 , sGPA: 3.2. I am going to apply in this June, 2014,and con't taking 8 more science credits in summer ( these courses i have to take at CC because they fit with my working FT schedule, would it be ok to take at CC?). My GPA wont gain much, but I also got accepted into MBA program infall 2014. My question is when I apply in June, should I mention that I will taking MBA courses in fall 2014. Would it help eventhough my grade cant transfer until in Dec, 2014. MBA is not related to any science classes so my plan to take couple sciences courses while doing MBA.. or should I just taking on post bac and not enter MBA program. I would do whatever it take to gain admission to dental schools... I know my GPA is low and my DAT slightly below average. What is your suggestion? Im a RDH for 5 years and have 3000 hours of community service.

Greetings,

As you probably know, your GPA is below the entering average but you are already a RDH which is a big plus. Unless you plan to do something with your MBA in case you can't get in, I would take additional science classes to bring your GPA up. The second route probably will save you some tuition money than entering a formal Masters program I would assume and your MBA courses won't do any good in improving your sGPA. There is one thing to consider though. You need to calculate your overall/science GPAs to see how many classes with A grades can bring you to at least 3.5 GPA. If you do need all the courses in the MBA program to achieve your goal then go ahead and do the MBA. If not, then just take addtional science classes as needed. Avoid CC courses as they are not viewed favorable by the AC. Your DAT is within the average so I would not retake it. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hello
I'm studying for DAt test in canada. My background is in graphics and design, thus i have to spend next year studying pre required courses. However to test my self and to get the best out of my time (i'm 32) i have already started studying from DAT preparation books such as, "kaplane DAT" I guess my questions are: do you recommend any specific, book or practice test? And, dose the exams change often? My book is published in 2012.
Thank you
Cheers

Hi,

You can do a search on the Net for user reviews and yes, exam questions change from time to time. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hello Dr. Phan
does being a urm student coming from a poor family gives me a bit of a advantage over other students?

Hello,

I am afraid not. Your situation may make an interesting PS but financial status is not a qualifier. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Question on how to practice "waxing"?
Hi Dr. Phan, first of all I would like to thank you on behalf of all pre-dental students but mainly myself, for your exceedingly generous guidance on this thread and this forum. Even with your busy schedule, you found time to provide thoughtful and comprehensive replies to all our questions! I am a pre-dent student applying this 2014 cycle. I heard that during the first year in dental school, some D1 students have a hard time "waxing" teeth and some even either got kicked out of dental school or quit because their hand-eye coordination was found wanting, and they did not make it. I believe my "manual dexterity" is good, I sew and make jewelry, and I have worked in biology labs dissecting small matters under microscope. I would like to know how I can practice "waxing" (whatever it means, my understanding is that you take a piece of wax and fashion it into a specifically identified tooth, a bit like sculpting, but the precision is in the millimeters - am I correct?) to see if my ability is up to par. I have so far spent over $3000 in application fees this cycle before any interview expenses, but if I find out in my first year of dental school that I cannot "hack" sculpting teeth, it would be a very expensive process for me to drop out. I really appreciate your feedback and guidance on this. Thanks a million. Sissi.

Greetings,

I appreciate your kind comments and I am honored to be at your service. Let me say that manual dexterity is something that many predents tend to worry for nothing. This is a learned skill and everyone with VERY few exceptions will make it through. Sure there are some who failed on this aspect but this is a rare exception so you do not need to worry. There is nothing you can do now because waxing is something that can be taught and learned in dental school classroom only. I would certainly relax as much as you can now because once DS starts, you will be very busy more than you can imagine. But if by then you have difficulty in waxing, let me know and I will help you! DP

 

[Sissi Romy]

Greetings,

I appreciate your kind comments and I am honored to be at your service. Let me say that manual dexterity is something that many predents tend to worry for nothing. This is a learned skill and everyone with VERY few exceptions will make it through. Sure there are some who failed on this aspect but this is a rare exception so you do not need to worry. There is nothing you can do now because waxing is something that can be taught and learned in dental school classroom only. I would certainly relax as much as you can now because once DS starts, you will be very busy more than you can imagine. But if by then you have difficulty in waxing, let me know and I will help you! DP

THANK YOU for everything!

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

did you ever struggle with deciding between med and dental, what pushed you to pursue dental? thank you in advance for your input 🙂

Hello,

When I considered a healthcare field of more than 23 years ago, I decided on dentistry in a very unusual manner. You can read about it on my profile page. Luckily for me, it was the best decision of my life and that is why I am an avid mentor for students seeking career in dentistry. And that is why this mentoring thread is created. DP

http://www.studentdoctor.net/2007/0...inh-phan-dds-ms-maxillofacial-prosthodontics/

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Dear Dr. Dai Phan
Is dental school extremely hard?Is the learning material hard to grasp.

Greetings,

For me dental school was BRUTAL in my second year because of the sheer amount of materials to memorize and projects to complete. The material itself is easy but the huge amount make it tough to master in a such a short time. I have very good clinical skills thanking to my history of building plastic models since I was 5 so I breezed through my third and forth. Other than the second year, dental school was easy for me. DP