For perfect application!!

[tlek]

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Hey guys~
I want to hear some advices from you guys.
I am sophomore and pre-dental student.
I don't have much extracurricular activity, so i decided to work on that.
However, I do not know which one is helpful for my application later.
Please give me advice regarding that.
And also How did you guys get chance to work in research lab?
Thanks alot

 

[djeffreyt]

Perfect Applicant is

GPA = 4.0 or higher
sGPA = 4.0 or higher
DAT = 30/30/29 <---because a little imperfection, is perfection
Extracurriculars = shadowed every days since 5 at every specialty and general practice. Volunteered in both dental and non-dental ways for last 10 years. Hand built a dental clinic in Malaria-ridden Island off African southwest coast and convinced 10 outstanding dentists and specialists to move out there to provide free dental care.


But seriously...there is no perfect applicant. Schools look for students who, yes, are academically adept (and what that means for every school has slight variations since some schools weigh DAT > GPA and some care more for GPA, and some look more at school you attended or difficulty and scope of science courses you took, etc.). However, schools completely vary on the rest of what matters to them. The perfect student for UOP may never have done any research, while the perfect student for Harvard may have published 8 papers in the lab of a Nobel Prize winner. The perfect student for UW may be a student who has residency in Washington, while the perfect student for UNLV may be a BYU graduate. Each school is looking for someone who fits their school, and you can't be everything to everyone.


If all you're looking for is a bland generalization of a "perfect dental school applicant to apply to ANY dental school" then I think the best answer you can get is something like:

1) Get's straight A's or close in all classes
2) Shows an interest in at least one other school subject other than science
3) Has taken or done some kind of work that exemplifies hand-eye coordination or fine manipulation
4) Scores very high (above 20s) in all sections of DAT
5) Has shown leadership qualities (not just taken leadership positions) in both school and outside of school.
6) Did some form of research with undergraduate professors in professor's research labs
7) Has done 30+ hours of shadowing and or volunteering at dental clinics or offices
8) Has an upbeat personaility and strong conversational skills.

I mean, we could throw in arbitrary numbers and names of hobbies and subjects, but what exactly is the point?

 

[tlek]

I understand that...
I think i am too anxious about going dental school.
Thanks for your advice.

 

[litldime]

Hey guys~
I want to hear some advices from you guys.
I am sophomore and pre-dental student.
I don't have much extracurricular activity, so i decided to work on that.
However, I do not know which one is helpful for my application later.
Please give me advice regarding that.
And also How did you guys get chance to work in research lab?
Thanks alot

To work in a research lab, I would look up professors at your school as see if they are into research... then i would either make an appointment to see them and/or email them letting them know you were interested in working in their lab. I used the email method and I attached my resume to the email. If your school has an undergraduate research department, I would look at their website or check with them. I have friends who have asked professors whose classes they have taken if they could work in their lab... The best way to get a research position is to be proactive and ask...that's what I did

In terms of extracurricular activities, I would join a pre-health association and get involved. Try to be involved in a leadership role.

Volunteering is important. I would volunteer at a hospital, dental clinic etc. Also get some shadowing under your belt.

The more of all these, the better.

-ld

 

[tlek]

Thank you for the good info...

 

[MichaelSiu]

I'm in the same boat as you. I'm going to try and shadow/volunteer in the summer when I take off time from academics and pursue dental interests. Luckily our school offers two summer sessions so I can shadow/volunteer/research and then go back to school and maybe continue the research. Also, joining the Red Cross club, if you guys have a chapter, would be great because they offer a lot of fun volunteer opportunity. I've done one where we helped at a "THank you" party to patients that participated in research and I had a great time.

To the other SDNer's, what kind of research is helpful in the field of dentistry? Right now I'm looking into helping a professor that researches in evolution and ecology. Does it really matter?

 

[1992Corolla]

I had very little research on my app, but had other areas that were strong. It all depends on what you like. I DO wish I had some sort of research under my belt, but oh well.

Dig my sig for more info.