Graduated last year, but want to go back to school for omfs - help!

[jaejae87]

Hey guys. Thanks for taking the interest to help me out.

So, I graduated last year in 2016, and have been practicing as a GP. Oral surgery has always been in my deep interest even in dental school, but due to family issues and me not really minding general dentistry, I said 'ehh, let's try general dentistry and see where it takes me.'

Well, I regret making that decision. Not a day goes by without wishing I could go back in time and pursue omfs right after school. OMFS is just so much more interesting, and I feel like I have the potential to become a good OS. Also, being a GP is just hasn't been as rewarding or meaningful as I had expected it to be.

However, it is a bit late. I contacted my school's omfs chairman, and he said, he personally does not like to accept GPs into his program because "you can't teach an old dog new tricks," which really discouraged me. I will still apply but wanted some advice on how to increase my chances.

Stats:
- Age: 29
- Class rank: top 10% (6/65?)
- GPA: 3.8ish
- One externship experience
- Little extracurricular activities
- No research experience
- No scores for NBDE I or II (they were pass or fail)
- No CBSE scores

Plan 1:
- Wait until March of 2018 to take CBSE
- Try to get more externships before the application
- Apply for residency in Summer of 2018, and match for 2019
- Meanwhile, make money to survive the residency years for my family of 3

Plan 2:
- CBSE in March of 2018
- Apply for internships for year 2018
- Apply for residency in Summer of 2018, and match 2019? **(I have a question about this. In order to match right after internship, does it mean interns have to apply during their first few months of internships? How would internship help if this is the case - just the fact that one is doing an internship?)

What is really holding me back is the fact that I haven't taken CBSE. These days, most internships require CBSE - few that don't are in remote places my family (read wife) is not willing to move to. So, I feel like Plan 2 is hard to execute..

If you have any other opinions, ideas, w/e, help me out! Thanks in advance.

 

[vellnueve]

Stop bitching about being a year out from school, it's still very doable. Study for the CBSE, get an internship, do some externships, etc. there's no time to feel sorry for yourself if you want to get this done.

 

[sbdento]

I think you should go for it. Take the CBSE in March and submit an app. If you don't match then grab an internship some place and apply again the following cycle. Do a couple of externships in the meantime to get a feel for residency and which types or programs you'd like to apply to. Every program is different and every attending is looking for something different in an applicant. Some guys prefer residents fresh out of school but some places actually have a reputation for taking interns on a regular basis.

Your rank and GPA are good. If you can get a solid CBSE score you'll be set. The benefit for you is that you've tried to do gp and didn't like it. That 1 year of experience has given you a compelling reason for choosing OMFS- something you can speak about during your interview too.

 

[sgv]

Hey guys. Thanks for taking the interest to help me out.

So, I graduated last year in 2016, and have been practicing as a GP. Oral surgery has always been in my deep interest even in dental school, but due to family issues and me not really minding general dentistry, I said 'ehh, let's try general dentistry and see where it takes me.'

Well, I regret making that decision. Not a day goes by without wishing I could go back in time and pursue omfs right after school. OMFS is just so much more interesting, and I feel like I have the potential to become a good OS. Also, being a GP is just hasn't been as rewarding or meaningful as I had expected it to be.

However, it is a bit late. I contacted my school's omfs chairman, and he said, he personally does not like to accept GPs into his program because "you can't teach an old dog new tricks," which really discouraged me. I will still apply but wanted some advice on how to increase my chances.

Stats:
- Age: 29
- Class rank: top 10% (6/65?)
- GPA: 3.8ish
- One externship experience
- Little extracurricular activities
- No research experience
- No scores for NBDE I or II (they were pass or fail)
- No CBSE scores

Plan 1:
- Wait until March of 2018 to take CBSE
- Try to get more externships before the application
- Apply for residency in Summer of 2018, and match for 2019
- Meanwhile, make money to survive the residency years for my family of 3

Plan 2:
- CBSE in March of 2018
- Apply for internships for year 2018
- Apply for residency in Summer of 2018, and match 2019? **(I have a question about this. In order to match right after internship, does it mean interns have to apply during their first few months of internships? How would internship help if this is the case - just the fact that one is doing an internship?)

What is really holding me back is the fact that I haven't taken CBSE. These days, most internships require CBSE - few that don't are in remote places my family (read wife) is not willing to move to. So, I feel like Plan 2 is hard to execute..

If you have any other opinions, ideas, w/e, help me out! Thanks in advance.

You need to do a prelim year. There's a recent thread on here about an opening at Parkland. Programs (probably not Parkland) may have some flexibility in the CBSE requirements. It is best to call and at least ask.

Go to the bookstore and start reading First Aid. You NEED to register for this month's CBSE. I know the deadline has passed. I just sent you a PM on who to contact in order to request a late registration. Explain your situation and you may be able to register. My classmates have been able to register after the deadline. Try to do this first and then call up internship programs because when you request program directors to make an exception for you, you will at least have registered for the CBSE when you request a prelim spot.

I know of a couple people who have families (some with multiple children) and have completed 2 preliminary internships and have matched (post-match).

So you could do work as a GP this year and by May 2018 have applied for preliminary internship and PASS/Match. (The biggest problem at this point is that you may not even get a preliminary spot because some programs give preference to individuals who have at least applied in a past cycle. You will have not at this point.) By July 2018, you will start prelim and hopefully match on Jan 2018. This route makes you more unmarketable because now you're two years out as a GP. Get ready to be blasted with questions probing your dedication to this specialty on the interview trail. This is highly unrecommended.

Best thing to do is to do preliminary internships as early as you can.