DO vs Dental

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Concur. Instead of brazenly stating an opinion I at least attempted to make some sense of items that were remotely comparable. I agree, my method certainly isn't the best (some would argue illogical, in fact), but it was an attempt.

Your method was probably the closest that can be done.
 
I think you are missing a very key point here... How easy it is to get 80 percentile in the DAT compared to the MCAT?
Oh, I have never made the claim that the DAT is more difficult. I certainly think the MCAT is more difficult. However, this had no influence on my choosing dentistry over medicine.
 
Oh, I have never made the claim that the DAT is more difficult. I certainly think the MCAT is more difficult. However, this had no influence on my choosing dentistry over medicine.

The MCAT is what probably stop most people from getting into med school--not GPA IMO... Both dental school and DO are not easy to get in, but one can argue if you can get into either one, you are probably an above average college student...
 
The MCAT is what probably stop most people from getting into med school--not GPA IMO... Both dental school and DO are not easy to get in, but one can agree if you can get into either one, you are probably an above average college student...
Truth. They say C's get degrees. Well, that is true, but [too many] C's will not get one into a professional healthcare program.
 
Oh, I have never made the claim that the DAT is more difficult. I certainly think the MCAT is more difficult. However, this had no influence on my choosing dentistry over medicine.

As a test, I probably would have made the same conclusion (however, I have no right to since I have not taken both exams). One test can be easier than the other, however it does mean the curve is easier (the same thing with the mcat, some tests are harder than others). This is why percentiles are a better gauge when looking at what makes a good score. Even then, the comparison is difficult (different groups taking different exams).

Also, congrats on getting accepted!
 
As a test, I probably would have made the same conclusion (however, I have no right to since I have not taken both exams). One test can be easier than the other, however it does mean the curve is easier (the same thing with the mcat, some tests are harder than others). This is why percentiles are a better gauge when looking at what makes a good score. Even then, the comparison is difficult (different groups taking different exams).
My percentiles were taken from the 2009 ADA manual, which were the most recent I could find. DAT no longer uses percentiles.
 
As a test, I probably would have made the same conclusion (however, I have no right to since I have not taken both exams). One test can be easier than the other, however it does mean the curve is easier (the same thing with the mcat, some tests are harder than others). This is why percentiles are a better gauge when looking at what makes a good score. Even then, the comparison is difficult (different groups taking different exams).

Also, congrats on getting accepted!
Thank you!!! Pitt was a reach for me (you can see my scores compared to the average scores for Pitt earlier in this thread). I am so happy and honored.
 
Actually, I decided to accept my DO offer at a school that has MD range stats. my gpa is up there and only my mcat is lacking. If I really wanted MD, I could've just retaken and applied next cycle. haha so much for trying to win that one..

You on the other hand, i feel sorry for. There is clearly an anti-DO or DO is less than MD sentiment in your head. ah well, you've chosen dentistry over DO that was your decision.

With every post you make, my opinion of you becomes more and more lessened. I'm not arguing for DO>DDS or DDS>DO, but your attitude towards dentistry really seems to stink. It seems like you believe a lot of dental school applicants are med school rejects (or that they decide not to apply to med school because it's more difficult to gain acceptance), and that if anyone argues against your beliefs, they're just bitter.

"Wheter these kids get in or not i have no idea, but my only point was they they'll have an easier time, generally, getting into ANY dental school than ANY DO."

So... getting into Harvard dental is easier than getting into the "worst" DO school? ("generally" is an oxymoron here).

By the way, I thought it was a fact that DO is "less" than MD (hence the lower admissions stats and difficulty to gain residency after graduation).

Please get off your high horse, thinking that physicians are worth more than every other health profession, and that you could get into an MD if you "really wanted to." The fact is that you did not get in and settled for DO this cycle (hence Dipdoc did "win" that one).
 
Truth. They say C's get degrees. Well, that is true, but [too many] C's will not get one into a professional healthcare program.

Gonna have to respectfully disagree with you there . . . one quick glance at the pre-pharmacy forum and you will see what I am talking about! 2.6' GPAs, 50%ile PCAT's are being accepted by the BUNCH. A lack of regulation standards by pharmacy school accreditation boards is bringing pharmacy practice way down, real fast. 🙂

Anyhow, with regard to the whole thread - it was pretty inevitable that this conversation was turning into "my profession is better than yours." Can't we all just agree that dentists and physicians are both unique and vital providers to patients? To each, his/her own.
 
Gonna have to respectfully disagree with you there . . . one quick glance at the pre-pharmacy forum and you will see what I am talking about! 2.6' GPAs, 50%ile PCAT's are being accepted by the BUNCH. A lack of regulation standards by pharmacy school accreditation boards is bringing pharmacy practice way down, real fast. 🙂

Anyhow, with regard to the whole thread - it was pretty inevitable that this conversation was turning into "my profession is better than yours." Can't we all just agree that dentists and physicians are both unique and vital providers to patients? To each, his/her own.
It is sad that pharmacy schools have gone that route... It is a very respected profession, but it seems like the organization are unable to control expansion of pharm school... As a result, salary might take a big hit. I hope it does not get to the level of law school where graduates are unable to find job...
 
The MCAT is what probably stop most people from getting into med school--not GPA IMO... Both dental school and DO are not easy to get in, but one can argue if you can get into either one, you are probably an above average college student...

Most DO schools MCAT averages seem to be around between a 26 to 28, there are a few schools that have higher averages.

Still Dental vs DO is comparing an Apple to an Orange.
 
Anyhow, with regard to the whole thread - it was pretty inevitable that this conversation was turning into "my profession is better than yours." Can't we all just agree that dentists and physicians are both unique and vital providers to patients? To each, his/her own.

That's the irony of our arguments in these threads---we were all in 90% agreement from the get go anyway.

But somewhere deep down---underneath the egalitarian facade---most of us weighed the pros and cons of different professional programs...even if it was just for a moment. At the end of the day we decided or re-decided on one path and said "this is worth the great personal cost to get there." On one hand we know that they're all necessary/interesting/difficult in their own ways, but on the other we can't think that our very specific choice and sacrifice is given away so inconsequently. So I think we've all got a chip on our shoulder, even though we agree mostly. Not because the goods are so different---it's just that the cost is so high and personal.

But that's one thing message boards are for---to get out those obscured thoughts where the interpersonal stakes are lower. My main study partners are pre-med. Our top school choices put one of us in MD, DO, and DDS each. And it's more fun to self-deprecate dentistry around them rather than talk about GPAs and quality of life.
 
Most DO schools MCAT averages seem to be around between a 26 to 28, there are a few schools that have higher averages.

Still Dental vs DO is comparing an Apple to an Orange.
It is not a direct comparison... One can say it is easier to get into nursing school than PA even if the requirements are different...
 
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With every post you make, my opinion of you becomes more and more lessened. I'm not arguing for DO>DDS or DDS>DO, but your attitude towards dentistry really seems to stink. It seems like you believe a lot of dental school applicants are med school rejects (or that they decide not to apply to med school because it's more difficult to gain acceptance), and that if anyone argues against your beliefs, they're just bitter.

"Wheter these kids get in or not i have no idea, but my only point was they they'll have an easier time, generally, getting into ANY dental school than ANY DO."

So... getting into Harvard dental is easier than getting into the "worst" DO school? ("generally" is an oxymoron here).

By the way, I thought it was a fact that DO is "less" than MD (hence the lower admissions stats and difficulty to gain residency after graduation).

Please get off your high horse, thinking that physicians are worth more than every other health profession, and that you could get into an MD if you "really wanted to." The fact is that you did not get in and settled for DO this cycle (hence Dipdoc did "win" that one).

This. this is the problem. In this whole thread, you don't see MD = DO. Not that they are, but at the top half of DO schools, you're pretty damn close to lower tier MD. I already respected top dental schools (if you care too look at the dental forum where dipdoc posted another thread about this). The fact is that I did not get in and settled for DO. That statement is correct. But that proves NOTHING. i could also point out the fact is that most dental students "settled" for dental school as opposed to medical school. these are all just Conjectures.

EDIT: You will probably argue that compareing two diifferent professions does not hold the same weight as md vs do in the last sentence I wrote. My rebuttal: go outside of SDN and look around, ask around, become more realistic. Anecdotal or whatever, but I know many many people who choose DDS/DMD, PA, nursing, MD/DO, Optometry based on their interests AND the professions level of difficulty to gain admission. I personally know a couple of Pre-dental who claimed pre-med until later in college and "suddenly" decided dentistry interested them more. Not saying that is anyone here, but you'd be surprised at the average aspiring pre-med. DO is becoming more and more like MD, and that means, less people care about the initials.

TLDR Bottom line: it's all about self selection, for which in todays world, DO gains a higher caliber than dentistry.
 
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There is a reason the mcat is designed the way it is...as opposed to the pcat, oat, dat...
 
This. this is the problem. In this whole thread, you don't see MD = DO. Not that they are, but at the top half of DO schools, you're pretty damn close to lower tier MD. I already respected top dental schools (if you care too look at the dental forum where dipdoc posted another thread about this). The fact is that I did not get in and settled for DO. That statement is correct. But that proves NOTHING. i could also point out the fact is that most dental students "settled" for dental school as opposed to medical school. these are all just Conjectures.

TBH guys i wasn't dental bashing. you just need to understand that you guys, pre-dental sdn'ers, are probably the smart ones in dental schools going to top schools. There are some pretty dumb people going to dental school...

Aside from the bottom 10 or so DO schools, nobody is dumb.

You have contradicted yourself 3 times in just that post. You say that the problem is that I don't see MD as being equal to DO, yet in the following sentence, you say that they are not equal, so you yourself admitted that they are not equal.
The debate is not just between the top half of DO schools vs bottom tier MD. We're looking at the big picture here. As a whole, MD>DO in terms of difficulty of admissions.
"The fact is that I did not get in and settled for DO. That statement is correct. But that proves NOTHING."
It proves that you didn't get into an MD school and that you did in fact settle for DO. Just backing up Dipdoc's statement.

You said that you "respected top dental schools", then why would you even say that applicants would have a harder time getting into ANY DO school over ANY dental school? Way to go there, boiii.

Lastly, you want to point out the FACT that MOST dental students settled for dental school as opposed to medical school, yet in the following sentence, you call it "conjecture."
Are you "most dental students"? Do you represent "most dental students"? Have to spoken to "most dental students"? No? I didn't think so. Get off the mentality that "most everyone's" top choice is medical school. And if you don't get into medical school, you settle for anything "below" that. Get off the mentality that most pre-dents/pre-pharms/pre-X were all once pre-med's that decided not to pursue that path because they were scared of taking the MCAT or had too low stats to gain acceptance.
The fact that you can label people that enter certain schools as "dumb" shows how much you need to mature.

Congratulations on getting accepted to that DO school that apparently has similar stats to MD schools. But boiii, you are going to need to grow up a little. Eat a large serving of humble pie and realize that MD's and "above bottom 10" DO's are not at the top of the world, and that not everyone wants to be a physician.

So close to calling you a troll, but that doesn't even matter because I'm done with you.
 
You have contradicted yourself 3 times in just that post. You say that the problem is that I don't see MD as being equal to DO, yet in the following sentence, you say that they are not equal, so you yourself admitted that they are not equal.
The debate is not just between the top half of DO schools vs bottom tier MD. We're looking at the big picture here. As a whole, MD>DO in terms of difficulty of admissions.
"The fact is that I did not get in and settled for DO. That statement is correct. But that proves NOTHING."
It proves that you didn't get into an MD school and that you did in fact settle for DO. Just backing up Dipdoc's statement.

You said that you "respected top dental schools", then why would you even say that applicants would have a harder time getting into ANY DO school over ANY dental school? Way to go there, boiii.

Lastly, you want to point out the FACT that MOST dental students settled for dental school as opposed to medical school, yet in the following sentence, you call it "conjecture."
Are you "most dental students"? Do you represent "most dental students"? Have to spoken to "most dental students"? No? I didn't think so. Get off the mentality that "most everyone's" top choice is medical school. And if you don't get into medical school, you settle for anything "below" that. Get off the mentality that most pre-dents/pre-pharms/pre-X were all once pre-med's that decided not to pursue that path because they were scared of taking the MCAT or had too low stats to gain acceptance.
The fact that you can label people that enter certain schools as "dumb" shows how much you need to mature.

Congratulations on getting accepted to that DO school that apparently has similar stats to MD schools. But boiii, you are going to need to grow up a little. Eat a large serving of humble pie and realize that MD's and "above bottom 10" DO's are not at the top of the world, and that not everyone wants to be a physician.

So close to calling you a troll, but that doesn't even matter because I'm done with you.

Cool. you're getting really angry. You don't want to accept what i say because you think it's just my opinion. Get off sdn and please ask around. then come back and let us know what the average dental student is like vs the average do student. that should clear things up. As much as you don't want to admit it, while I at times openly belittle dental students (besides the top schools), you belittle DO too. You need to grow up, like dipdoc, too. At the end of the day , we all carry our opinions that are "wrong" or "immature" or "sterotypical". We just try to appear otherwise. But your's shows as much as mine does.

Goodluck to you as well.
 
Cool. you're getting really angry. You don't want to accept what i say because you think it's just my opinion. Get off sdn and please ask around. then come back and let us know what the average dental student is like vs the average do student. that should clear things up. As much as you don't want to admit it, while I at times openly belittle dental students (besides the top schools), you belittle DO too. You need to grow up, like dipdoc, too. At the end of the day , we all carry our opinions that are "wrong" or "immature" or "sterotypical". We just try to appear otherwise. But your's shows as much as mine does.

Goodluck to you as well.
Yawn; this Boiii is beyong repaired. He is the only one in this whole thread with preconceived notion of DO is better than the rest of the world. Can you immagine how arrogant he will be if he accepted to MD? No one can cure his ignorant. Grow up man; dentists and physicians are totally vital to the society. If you cannot realize that, once day maybe you will meet a horrible dentist and you can see how disfigure your face will be. Then you can tell me that physican job worth more than dentist.
 
This. this is the problem. In this whole thread, you don't see MD = DO. Not that they are, but at the top half of DO schools, you're pretty damn close to lower tier MD. I already respected top dental schools (if you care too look at the dental forum where dipdoc posted another thread about this). The fact is that I did not get in and settled for DO. That statement is correct. But that proves NOTHING. i could also point out the fact is that most dental students "settled" for dental school as opposed to medical school. these are all just Conjectures.

EDIT: You will probably argue that compareing two diifferent professions does not hold the same weight as md vs do in the last sentence I wrote. My rebuttal: go outside of SDN and look around, ask around, become more realistic. Anecdotal or whatever, but I know many many people who choose DDS/DMD, PA, nursing, MD/DO, Optometry based on their interests AND the professions level of difficulty to gain admission. I personally know a couple of Pre-dental who claimed pre-med until later in college and "suddenly" decided dentistry interested them more. Not saying that is anyone here, but you'd be surprised at the average aspiring pre-med. DO is becoming more and more like MD, and that means, less people care about the initials.

TLDR Bottom line: it's all about self selection, for which in todays world, DO gains a higher caliber than dentistry.

This is not true, you're stating your opinion as fact. You've already admitted that I was right about you not being able to get into MD school. You have no proof the most dentists wanted to be physicians. You sound bitter. Please move on.
 
I don't know about difficulty, but certainly DOs are better looking than both dentists and MDs.
 
Lol oh man this is pretty much only predental and dental students bashing me. Thats not biased right?

Some of you clearly believe that DO are MD rejects, and because your profession does not have a similar path and because you didn't want to become an MD for some reason, you are more competitive than DO students. Your probably the same ones who would perpetuate the DO is inferior to all MD if it came up in Convo.

I'll go on and become a lowly DO. That's fine with me. I hope in time you'll stop being so naive, maybe you'll go to a DO yourself.

NOTE: I NEVER SAID DO IS THE BEST. I clearly noted it had deficiencies in admissions.
 
Lol oh man this is pretty much only predental and dental students bashing me. Thats not biased right?

Some of you clearly believe that DO are MD rejects, and because your profession does not have a similar path and because you didn't want to become an MD for some reason, you are more competitive than DO students. Your probably the same ones who would perpetuate the DO is inferior to all MD if it came up in Convo.

I'll go on and become a lowly DO. That's fine with me. I hope in time you'll stop being so naive, maybe you'll go to a DO yourself.

NOTE: I NEVER SAID DO IS THE BEST. I clearly noted it had deficiencies in admissions.
You're the only one being defensive. You attacked first, we are well within our rights to respond. I provided you with statistics (that admittedly, I selected the criteria for, but I did try to be as consistent and fair as possible) from a random sample, which, while not a perfect measure, does indicate a correlation that contradicts your opinion. It could be extrapolated some more, but the results from the limited sample I used points to a conclusion that we on the dental boards had already assumed. I do not think all DO candidates are MD rejects. Anecdotally, I have a close friend at my school who has never had any interest in becoming an MD; he has been DO all the way and is applying next cycle.

You seem to have a serious chip on your shoulder about the matter and I'm curious as to why. DO is a very respected degree, and you will be a medical doctor with all the glory and prestige that comes with it. Congratulations. You have worked hard and have been awarded with the opportunity to have a major positive impact on people.
 
You're the only one being defensive. You attacked first, we are well within our rights to respond. I provided you with statistics (that admittedly, I selected the criteria for, but I did try to be as consistent and fair as possible) from a random sample, which, while not a perfect measure, does indicate a correlation that contradicts your opinion. It could be extrapolated some more, but the results from the limited sample I used points to a conclusion that we on the dental boards had already assumed. I do not think all DO candidates are MD rejects. Anecdotally, I have a close friend at my school who has never had any interest in becoming an MD; he has been DO all the way and is applying next cycle.

You seem to have a serious chip on your shoulder about the matter and I'm curious as to why. DO is a very respected degree, and you will be a medical doctor with all the glory and prestige that comes with it. Congratulations. You have worked hard and have been awarded with the opportunity to have a major positive impact on people.

I have no chip. My annoyance comes from your assumption that your numbers mean more than the fact that mcat>dat and self selection. In fact some of the dental posters here are just as "defensive and attacking" as me

Thank-you you will also have a rewarding And impactful and prestigioud job. Congratulations
 
You're the only one being defensive. You attacked first, we are well within our rights to respond. I provided you with statistics (that admittedly, I selected the criteria for, but I did try to be as consistent and fair as possible) from a random sample, which, while not a perfect measure, does indicate a correlation that contradicts your opinion. It could be extrapolated some more, but the results from the limited sample I used points to a conclusion that we on the dental boards had already assumed. I do not think all DO candidates are MD rejects. Anecdotally, I have a close friend at my school who has never had any interest in becoming an MD; he has been DO all the way and is applying next cycle.

You seem to have a serious chip on your shoulder about the matter and I'm curious as to why. DO is a very respected degree, and you will be a medical doctor with all the glory and prestige that comes with it. Congratulations. You have worked hard and have been awarded with the opportunity to have a major positive impact on people.

A good amount of my classmates are in DO school, mostly because MD schools have become so difficult to get into, maybe its the economy and more people are going back to school, or other things.

Most people I know if given the opportunity will go to an MD school over a DO. I have heard of a few circumstances where someone will go to a DO school in a big city versus an MD school in a small town, but most DO schools tend to be in small towns or distant suburbs of large cities.

That being said Dentistry and Osteopathic Medicine are different fields. I think Dental students work a lot harder than medical students during school, but afterwards medical doctors work harder and longer.
 
I have no chip. My annoyance comes from your assumption that your numbers mean more than the fact that mcat>dat and self selection

Thank-you you will also have a rewarding And impactful and prestigioud job. Congratulations
As if that is the largest barrier. My numbers indicate that more people who try to get into DO school get into DO school than people who try to get into Dental School get into Dental School at the same institution. My numbers would also indicate that a higher GPA is required to get into dental school than DO school at the same school while dental schools have no second chance mechanism, such as grade replacement to help bolster the GPA.
 
A good amount of my classmates are in DO school, mostly because MD schools have become so difficult to get into, maybe its the economy and more people are going back to school, or other things.

Most people I know if given the opportunity will go to an MD school over a DO. I have heard of a few circumstances where someone will go to a DO school in a big city versus an MD school in a small town, but most DO schools tend to be in small towns or distant suburbs of large cities.

That being said Dentistry and Osteopathic Medicine are different fields. I think Dental students work a lot harder than medical students during school, but afterwards medical doctors work harder and longer.
This is true, DO schools (at least the d-school component of the two DO schools I interviewed at) tend to focus on primary care in underserved areas. I think this is a great plan and could push out the midlevels who are clawing their way into what traditionally belongs to physicians.
 
As if that is the largest barrier. My numbers indicate that more people who try to get into DO school get into DO school than people who try to get into Dental School get into Dental School at the same institution. My numbers would also indicate that a higher GPA is required to get into dental school than DO school at the same school while dental schools have no second chance mechanism, such as grade replacement to help bolster the GPA.

Have you tired the mcat? Give aamc 11 a try and tell me what you think. I could do the same for the DAT 🙂
 
Have you tired the mcat? Give aamc 11 a try and tell me what you think. I could do the same for the DAT 🙂
I have not. Have you tried the perceptual component of the DAT? It's awkward and cumbersome at first, but through practice and strategy, it is certainly manageable. I assume the same could say for the MCAT. I could learn to take the test and all its intricacies, but I'm really not interested. Again, I have always assumed the MCAT to be a more difficult test than the DAT and have never stated otherwise.
 
I have not. Have you tried the perceptual component of the DAT? It's awkward and cumbersome at first, but through practice and strategy, it is certainly manageable. I assume the same could say for the MCAT. I could learn to take the test and all its intricacies, but I'm really not interested. Again, I have always assumed the MCAT to be a more difficult test than the DAT and have never stated otherwise.
Yes but you have assumed that the average DO Marticulant score is easier to achieve than the average dental marticulabt score. Which i don't believe at all just because the way the mcat is set up... Strategy and studying can only get you so far..
 
That's a lot of work lol, if someone else wants to take that offer I'd be more than happy to see if i'm wrong or not.

Also, the MCAT point is BIG. So many people deter from pre-med to pre-dental and/or other health professions bc their mcats are too low/they find it too difficult.

To all those saying dat>mcat, im curious, did you take both (practice or real thing) and do better on the mcat (percentile wise)?
Haha what a snob. Yes many people defer from med to dental. But do they actually get in ? Nop.

If you can't score a decent MCAT , and have bad stats , don't expect to get accepted into dental.

Also just because the MCAT is harder than the DAT, does not mean that it conceptualizes the acceptance difficulty between DO and DDS.


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Soooo many angry dental kids here. Feel like there is something to prove?
 
Haha what a snob. Yes many people defer from med to dental. But do they actually get in ? Nop.

If you can't score a decent MCAT , and have bad stats , don't expect to get accepted into dental.

Also just because the MCAT is harder than the DAT, does not mean that it conceptualizes the acceptance difficulty between DO and DDS.




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Yes. They do.
 
Soooo many angry dental kids here. Feel like there is something to prove?
Seeing as you just joined SDN on 12/2 , then I assumed you are just trolling. Good luck at DO school.


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Lol I'm done here, this is just sad. Believe what you will
 
This is like one of those PlayStation vs. Xbox arguments......
The DO's I work with have huge chips on their shoulder, and it looks like some of the students are no different.....can't we all just, get along?
 
This is like one of those PlayStation vs. Xbox arguments......
The DO's I work with have huge chips on their shoulder, and it looks like some of the students are no different.....can't we all just, get along?[/QUOTE]

TBH I agree, this thread is too long already.

In the end, some dental students think DO students are MD rejects, and some DO students (even MD) think dental students are "not cut out for pre-med." That is life. Unfair or not, its true.
 
TBH I agree, this thread is too long already.

In the end, some dental students think DO students are MD rejects, and some DO students (even MD) think dental students are "not cut out for pre-med." That is life. Unfair or not, its true.

We didn't assume you were an MD reject, that's information you told us. Either way you have a HUGE chip on your shoulder and have embarrassed yourself throughout this entire thread. Either you're a troll or you're really just that bitter. Let's it go, we all need to just move on.
 
There is an old saying, "arms curve in."
 
Hahahahahaha, this is hilarious.

Please, keep going. Dont let a doge stop you.
 
What does the winner win?

Debt and a professional degree?

How about the loser?
 
We didn't assume you were an MD reject, that's information you told us. Either way you have a HUGE chip on your shoulder and have embarrassed yourself throughout this entire thread. Either you're a troll or you're really just that bitter. Let's it go, we all need to just move on.

You only have other pre dental students agreeing with your points. How have i embarrased myself. This clearly predental getting offended and attacking me.
 
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