Gunners as pre-dent?

[Bottle]

So the other day, I stumbled upon a crazy thread in pre-med section. They were describing gunners in undergrad and how they were competing. One of the stories that got stuck in mind is a gunner who messes with the lab data so that her partner get a B while she gets A.
The stories in there are way too extreme and I couldn't believe it. As freshman in his 2nd semester, I haven't seen or heard of anyone that crazy in our university. Maybe it's because of my university size, or pre-dent community being more friendly than pre-med, or perhaps I'm the gunner who can't spot himself.

Anyway, my question is, have you ever seen or heard a story about gunners in your university pre-dent community?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[SafetyDog]

That's absolutely crazy and downright wrong. I've never personally experienced this, and all my lab partners I've ever encountered have been , regardless of their career path.

 

[Combine33]

You will experience it once you and your fellow dents-to-be start taking upper level courses and prep for three DAT. Gunners don't stop there, what you describe and more happen once you're in dent school*

*Disclaimer: Gunner existence depends on class size and make up so you may not see it in dent school!

 

[Ultrafear]

I heard once dental school starts, gunners will try and break others hands as to leave them both defenseless and unable to continue with the curriculum of dental school. Happened to a friend.

 

[Jungerr]

I heard that gunners kill your family and force you to drop out of dental school. Also, I heard that they eat your babies.

 

[ThetaMoen]

I go to a top 10 public research university and I honestly have not seen this. However, before I switched to pre-dental I saw it a lot as a pre-med student. I remember being incredibly relieved when my biochem professor announced that our class wouldn't be on a curve so that the gunners wouldn't sabotage anyone's chances.

 

[blcopp]

From the posts I see on this site, I think people do not know the difference between a gunner and someone striving to get a 4.0.

 

[Glimmer1991]

From the posts I see on this site, I think people do not know the difference between a gunner and someone striving to get a 4.0.

Totally agreed.

 

[Bottle]

You will experience it once you and your fellow dents-to-be start taking upper level courses and prep for three DAT. Gunners don't stop there, what you describe and more happen once you're in dent school*

*Disclaimer: Gunner existence depends on class size and make up so you may not see it in dent school!

That's weird. I don't understand their desire to break others instead of just working on themselves. What's even weirded is that according to you, there will be a lot of them in dental school. Isn't ds is supposed to be relaxed and just pass your courses. And for those who try to specialize, I don't think anyone will accept crazy-gunner personality to their residency program.

Through-out my academic life, I have seen people who go nuts for couple of points, but I have never seen someone trying to destroy others.

 

[Bottle]

I heard once dental school starts, gunners will try and break others hands as to leave them both defenseless and unable to continue with the curriculum of dental school. Happened to a friend.

+1
Good one

 

[Combine33]

That's weird. I don't understand their desire to break others instead of just working on themselves. What's even weirded is that according to you, there will be a lot of them in dental school. Isn't ds is supposed to be relaxed and just pass your courses. And for those who try to specialize, I don't think anyone will accept crazy-gunner personality to their residency program.

Through-out my academic life, I have seen people who go nuts for couple of points, but I have never seen someone trying to destroy others.

I've seen grown men cry because that got a 90 not a 100! What you should take away from this thread is to not care and do the best you can!

 

[Combine33]

Adding to this, there is the case where person A asks person B a question. Person B will intentionally give A the wrong answer to gain the upper hand. Plus there are the people that are only around when it benefits them and are gone when there's no gain in sight.

 

[aqz]

P/F, problem solved.

At least in the classroom setting.

 

[aqz]

Adding to this, there is the case where person A asks person B a question. Person B will intentionally give A the wrong answer to gain the upper hand. Plus there are the people that are only around when it benefits them and are gone when there's no gain in sight.

I've never heard of the first one, but the second one is almost always prevalent.

 

[Combine33]

I've never heard of the first one, but the second one is almost always prevalent.

I've tested it myself. Very disheartening.

 

[aqz]

I've tested it myself. Very disheartening.

I won't believe it until it happens to me. That's just too sad.

Adding onto all the examples, those interviewees who put on their best facade and always say so and so school is their top choice at every school.

Should I have even went there?

 

[Combine33]

I won't believe it until it happens to me. That's just too sad.

Adding onto all the examples, those interviewees who put on their best facade and always say so and so school is their top choice at every school.

Should I have even went there?

It happens more often than we think! I don't think that really is part of it but you can spot people who have the possibility of being gunner by the way they show themselves at interviews. To be honest this assumption best more testing haha

 

[InspiredDDS]

Why wouldn't you tell every school that they are your first choice? Think of it like asking someone out. Would you tell them they aren't the best catch in the room but you'll take them on a date anyway?

 

[aqz]

It happens more often than we think! I don't think that really is part of it but you can spot people who have the possibility of being gunner by the way they show themselves at interviews. To be honest this assumption best more testing haha

I can imagine the judgment already.

Guy comes to class 10 mins early every day and sits in the front. Gunner.

Declines to go have a drink so he can study a bit more. Gunner.

Tries to find research on the first day of school, or better yet, during orientation. Gunner.

Jokes aside, I can actually imagine this to be the major cause of whatever class disunity there might be in dental school.

Why wouldn't you tell every school that they are your first choice? Think of it like asking someone out. Would you tell them they aren't the best catch in the room but you'll take them on a date anyway?

Dating is different, but let's just use that example. Imagine if you told someone they're the best catch in the room, take them on a date, and but end up committing to another person whom you also told is the best catch in the room. How do you think they would feel? Of course, adcoms probably won't be as personally miffed, but the moral is the same.

I don't think there's a right or wrong here, but it's the reason why I personally don't like lying about my top choice (sorry if describing it as "lying" offends anyone). What @Combine33 and I are saying is pretty much that gunners are people who don't really think about crossing these lines because they care more about their personal goals. Again, no right or wrong, especially since I'm personally sitting on only one acceptance and multiple waitlists, so maybe if I did say every school is my top choice, I would be in a better position.

 

[Bottle]

Adding to this, there is the case where person A asks person B a question. Person B will intentionally give A the wrong answer to gain the upper hand. Plus there are the people that are only around when it benefits them and are gone when there's no gain in sight.

That would've been understandable if it was a competition for interview/position or prize. But whats not understandable is gaining upper hand in undergrad course. I cannot think of any gain by messing with others grade.

 

[BYU4you]

Sabotaging someone's work to get an A is ridiculous. Someone wanting to so research and become an orthodontist or oral surgeon is admirable.
It's about how people strive to be the best not the if. There isn't a problem with wanting to lead a curve or wanting to get straight As. In fact for someone to want to be the top of their class isn't anything to hate someone over.

It's how they try to accomplish it and their attitude that is a defining factor. Not the end goal.

 

[Glimmer1991]

The folks who genuinely strive to do well are often pegged as "gunners," which is ridiculous.

Furthermore, people who strive to do well aren't necessarily losers or neurotic or conniving. Even using SDN as an example, I often find that people with the most "stellar" apps are those most willing to help others succeed. They might just be very good people who are efficient and have goals.

I agree with aqz about how people are unfairly assessed.

Especially at this point in life, those with high aspirations should be viewed with respect. I know people who are smarter and more efficient than me, and I just hope to be on their level one day! No jealousy or ill-will towards them in the least. People like this are often the subject of lots of unfair assumptions, though, and I hope this situation isn't present in dental school like it is in undergrad, or especially high school.

 

[CleverThought]

I think largely it depends on the environment the school sets up as well. My cousin is pre-med at a public university where grades are done on a true curve. He had a classmate take his anatomy practical in the middle of the pack, after answering his questions he moved the pins so they were identifying a different body part. Luckily this kid got caught, but my cousin has numerous other examples of occurrences such as this. When only a certain number of people can get A's, it puts a pressure on students.

My school, however, never has had an issue with "gunner sabotage". If everyone achieved a deserved A, everyone would get it. As a result, my class has study groups all the time and exchanges notes. But there are about 15 or so graduates in the pre-professional program, so we are all very close.

 

[Combine33]

The folks who genuinely strive to do well are often pegged as "gunners," which is ridiculous.

Furthermore, people who strive to do well aren't necessarily losers or neurotic or conniving. Even using SDN as an example, I often find that people with the most "stellar" apps are those most willing to help others succeed. They might just be very good people who are efficient and have goals.

I agree with aqz about how people are unfairly assessed.

Especially at this point in life, those with high aspirations should be viewed with respect. I know people who are smarter and more efficient than me, and I just hope to be on their level one day! No jealousy or ill-will towards them in the least. People like this are often the subject of lots of unfair assumptions, though, and I hope this situation isn't present in dental school like it is in undergrad, or especially high school.

While I do agree with you in that us matriculating dent students may get that label, we cannot go on and ignore that this does happen. Like I said earlier: don't fall for it, do the best you can, mind your own business.

 

[Illfavor]

I've never met a gunner...I couldn't beat. But really, I've never met one.