Hands on Art class Vs. Drafting/Architecture course

[Bullfan16]

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There's a chance I can get into a school this cycle...and my question relates to if I can get in versus waiting another year in addition to re-taking the DAT. I have heard architecture courses (introductory) emphasize Perceptual Ability. I know a few who have taken these courses and done well on the PAT. This class would be great to take, but, if I got in would be sort of useless, or would it???? On the other hand, I was also advised to take a ceramics-type of course to enhance manual dexterity (which also obviously increases spatial relations) and am planning to do so for the summer.

If I got in: Which is better to take?
If I dont get in: Should i take both, or just go over practice problems for DAT?; I know taking a course isnt always the way to go, but I seem to learn more in structured environments; I also know dental school isnt always structured and requires a great deal of individual effort, its just the PAT is driving me nuts.

Thanks

 

[Dr.SpongeBobDDS]

I don't see how a drafting course would really be that helpful. I know it gets you thinking about 3 dimensions and the way things fit together, but the PAT is waaay harder than most anything you are going to see in an intro drafting course. I would get the TopScore CD for practice and go with ceramics or sculpture all the way.

 

[aphistis]

Originally posted by Dr.SpongeBobDDS
I don't see how a drafting course would really be that helpful. I know it gets you thinking about 3 dimensions and the way things fit together, but the PAT is waaay harder than most anything you are going to see in an intro drafting course. I would get the TopScore CD for practice and go with ceramics or sculpture all the way.

I agree completely. Neither course will itself adequately prepare you for the DAT, but the solid art course will help out during lab work.

 

[Bullfan16]

Thanks for the input....I was going to add this before but I didnt have the time. The PAT portion is taken directly from a basic architecture/drafting/engineering/graphics design introductory course (in terms of the orthographic projections, the "block" questions, and paper folding questions). I see that both of you agree that this is pretty much only helpful for DAT, but by increasing your spatial relations skills, doesn't that basically increase your abilities in dental anatomy lab, and other course work or is the PAT just a way for adcoms to weed people out (meaning success on the PAT is independent of success in dental anatomy lab)? In the end, I guess this all depends if I get an acceptance letter....but if I dont I plan to re-apply very early and start the whole process over.