Getting into UOP

[Kownell]

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I have a quick question for those that applied to UOP?

As always, I know it's a crap shoot but here is my GPA:

CUM GPA 3.2
Sci GPA 3.1

I did my undergrad at an ivy league school and I was wondering where I fit into the UOP applicant pool. I have yet to take the DATs but I will be doing so very soon.

Also, I have lots of Molecular biology research under my belt. How will dental schools view this?
Is it a must that I work in a dental office and get some exposure? I have plenty of volunteer experience in a hospital. Pretty much, I'm a pre-med student thinking about going dental. I plan to apply this upcoming year.

Thanks for your help!

 

[tinker bell]

UOP specifically says that they want DAT to be 20 at least across the board. The higher your DAT is, the better your chance. It is extremely important that you have dental experience. Not only for gaining admissions, but only for your sake. If you find out that you hate dentistry, it will be sad to pay lots of money for it, and doing something you hate. Dental education is the most expensive kind. It costs the school about half a million to train a dentist. So, they do not want to take any chances with people who does not demonstrate any passion for the profession. The only way you can do so is to work at dental office, dental lab, do dental research, etc....

Research experience is always a plus. However, UOP is a clinical emphasize school, so they wouldn't give you much credit for your research work as they would with your dental office experience. In my mind, you'd have better chance with research oriented school.

UOP is expensive. So, make sure you know what you are going into, before you make commitment. 250K plus interest is not little.

Good luck with your application.

 

[Supernumerary]

Well UOP is one of the least picky schools when it comes to grades - you're about average. Just do well on the DAT, get around 40+hours of shadowing and you should be fine.

And now for some advice that you didn't ask for and which I am not qualified to give. (And you've probably heard it anyway.) But... here goes. If you're thinking of using dental school as your "back up" you should probably get some serious experience in the dental profession before sending in the applications. Dentistry is very different from medicine in a lot of fundamental aspects. This doesn't mean that a person who wanted medicine couldn't be happy as a dentist; it's just that they are not completely interchangeable.

There are many professions out there that provide a career more closely related to medicine than dentistry. Nurse, nurse practicioner, nurse anesthetist, PA, podiatry, etc... Basically, just do something where you'll be happy and not just because you can still be called doctor. But if you think you dig dentistry, more power to you. I'm pretty excited about it myself. 🙂

 

[juan7677]

Originally posted by tinker bell

Research experience is always a plus. However, UOP is a clinical emphasize school, so they wouldn't give you much credit for your research work as they would with your dental office experience. In my mind, you'd have better chance with research oriented school.

As Tink said, UOP is a clincally oriented school. However, I disagree with the statement that they won't give you much credit for research. As least for my case, my faculty interviewer was impressed with my research experience and emphasized that research was very important as well. So I think that you having done research is a big plus and they will recognize that.

 

[agutier3]

Having research experience is definately important in ANY school including UOP. Every dental school does research, no matter how clinically oriented they seem to be. Doing research (whether dental related or not) shows that you are going above and beyond your academic requirements and that you have an inquisitive mind and are capable of critical thinking/analysis.

If you are specifically interested in UOP, I would suggest that you show your "humanistic side" on your application. Meaning that you understand and can demonstrate the personal side of dentistry, along with the "technical" one. Show that you care about treating people and have a genuine compassion for patient's well-being. How do you do this? Well, one great way is to shadow/observe at a dental clinic! This is just my opinion.....from personal experience. I had a ton of experience dental assisting (both in private practice and at a dental school volunteering), and as such have had the opportunity to interact with many patients.

Granted, this will help you with any school, since it shows many facets of your understanding of the dental profession. Your GPA is like mine....so that shouldn't keep you from getting in. Make sure you do well on your DAT's and get involved in extracurriculars! They can't hurt....only help! Good luck.

 

[Kownell]

Thanks for all the replies guys! Your insights are very helpful!

Can anyone else add to the mix here?

 

[w3chen99]

My thoughts:

Research is good, but you don't need THAT much to really make a difference. Volunteer experience at a hospital isn't really that relevent - you need to spend lots of time with a dentist and develop a strong relationship with them. Be reliable and ask lots of questions and you will get a solid letter of recc from them.

UOP is a good school and I would definitely recommend it. I was extremely impressed with their facilities. Keep in mind that although costs seem high, it is countered by the fact that you get out one year early. Also, if you have a strong application, they will give you a nice scholarship which can really help in the tuition costs.

I think that all you need to work on now is maintaining your grades, scoring well on the DAT, and getting some volunteer experience in.

 

[agutier3]

Research is good, but alone will not get you in.

Get as much dental clinic exposure as possible so that you are sure dentistry is right for you. Assist, observe, volunteer, etc.

Dental schools are interested in investing in students who know absolutely sure they want to be in the dental profession.

Diversify your application and be well rounded. Don't leave any of the boxes in the application blank. Best of luck!

 

[Jone]

have any of you UoP'ers taken part in the army/airforce/navy scholarship, or do you know any UoP classmates that have done it?

 

[Bcat]

I accepted the army scholarship. I have a cousin that has finished school and is serving his active duty right now. PM or email if you have any questions.

 

[agutier3]

I will be applying for the airforce HPSP. I have a recruiter in N. Cali who I will be getting the application from. I believe applications are due in November. 😕