hard to get into specialty?

[japolloniac09]

is it true that most schools *consider* you for specialty programs only if you're in the top 10% of your graduating class? that would kind of suck especially if you're in a pool of p/f dental students, wouldn't it?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[LestatZinnie]

yes it is true that most schools only consider the top students in admission to specialty programs. However, if you establish very good relationship with the admissions you may be able to overcome that (as one of my profs said, the admissions will always take somebody they know first hand is competent then someone who they don't know, albeit with better stats).

i imagine that if you don't have good grades then going into the work force and then come back in a couple years may help?? any opinions on this?

 

[init4damoney]

If your school is a P/F, I would assume that your recommendations/NBDE scores play a big role in getting into a speciality program.

 

[Bcat]

is it true that most schools *consider* you for specialty programs only if you're in the top 10% of your graduating class? that would kind of suck especially if you're in a pool of p/f dental students, wouldn't it?

This has already been discussed extensively on other threads. If you want to know specifically how students place in specialties that attend P/F schools, call the schools and ask them. Harvard is pass fail and last year 34/34 placed in their specialty of choice. I know that UCONN students usually do well too.

 

[ItsGavinC]

And some P/F schools *still* rank their students.

I'm not saying Harvard or UConn do that.

Harvard is THE place to go if you desire to specialize, and they prepare their students precisely for that.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Originally posted by japolloniac09
is it true that most schools *consider* you for specialty programs only if you're in the top 10% of your graduating class?

Simply not true, because the top 10% of each graduating class wouldn't fill all the seats available by specialty programs.

Of course, many students who are in the top of their class might choose to not specialize.

But all in all, it depends on the specialty that you desire. Plus, specialties tend to run in cycles, so their popularity waxes and wanes from year to year. Ortho, though, always seems to be hot.

 

[blankguy]

Does that mean that if a top student turns down the opportunity to specialize that seat it will be one less student for the specialty for the year or will the next lower ranking student be eligible?

Do size of the specialty program vary from year to year?

 

[aphistis]

Blank, you have to apply for specialty programs the same way you apply for dental schools. Applications, interviews, on and on and on, just the same. You make it sound like specialty programs keep running tallies of every school's class rankings and blindly offer acceptances to everyone above a certain minimum class rank.

 

[dudelove]

Depends on the program and where it is. My PG program accepted only 1 person the year I applied and rotated so that there were 2 accepted the following year. I think this may have been due to funding as there is no tuition and you are given a stipend. Generally though the sizes of the PG classes remain the same. A school will find some way to fill all slots.

As for being in the top 10% of the class, that is not true. I can name off a handful of people in my dental class that were not even ranked near the top 50% who ended up in ortho, endo and oral surgery. I guess it helped that mr. 100 and something in the class was the president of the class and the endo people had connections. The omfs person still baffles me to this day because his personality was such a turn-off that I would think that the airline transporting him to the interview wouldn't have allowed him on their plane.

Originally posted by blankguy
Does that mean that if a top student turns down the opportunity to specialize that seat it will be one less student for the specialty for the year or will the next lower ranking student be eligible?

Do size of the specialty program vary from year to year?

 

[bcDDS]

Some programs have it as a requirement for application that you NEED to be in the top 10%, but those are few and far between. Some programs require you to be in the top 20% or 30%, so the take home point is that it varies depending on the program.
For the most part, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to class rank and specialization. People with a less than stellar class rank do get into competitive programs. Numbers help get you a look, but it boils down to the overall package. Does your CV reflect your dedication to the specialty, such as research and activities, etc? Does your personal statement reflect your understanding of the discipline that you pursue? Aphistis is right when he says the process is just like the D-school application. The main difference is that there are WAY fewer spots, so standing out as an applicant is THAT much harder. Having a poor class rank CAN be debilitating for your chances of getting an interview. There are always exceptions, but being an exception is simply such. If you plan to keep your options open, just do your best during your four years at D-school. That's all you can do. Programs will interview the applicants they are most impressed with. Most programs have no problems filling their slots because they get hundreds of applications to fill something like 4 spots. Just remember that even though it is tough to get into specialty, it's not really something that hard work and sacrifice cannot overcome.
One more thing. Dudelove mentioned something that is right on the money. If you have connections, that can mean all the difference in the world. As you know, connections help in any aspect of getting ahead in this world. But once again, this is not the norm. I want to be encouraging, but I don't want to sugar coat things either. I feel that it's a game, and you have to have a plan if you want to win. If you have the opportunity to choose one of the aforementioned schools that are P/F, think about how it fits in with your ultimate goals (refer to other posts about P/F and specializing). If you are in a school that has class rank and you want to specialize, start competing because the higher you are on the ladder, the better your chances.

 

[openwyd22]

dudelove,

Just wondering which dental school you attended?


bcDDS,

I read on an earlier thread that you practiced as a GP for a while and chose to go back and become a specialist. I never heard which specialty. Let me know which you chose and why. Thanks. Out.

 

[dudelove]

Tufts

Originally posted by openwyd22
dudelove,

Just wondering which dental school you attended?


bcDDS,

I read on an earlier thread that you practiced as a GP for a while and chose to go back and become a specialist. I never heard which specialty. Let me know which you chose and why. Thanks. Out.

 

[bcDDS]

I wasn't sure what I really wanted to do when I graduated from D-school, so I decided to go for a GPR. Going through school, I considered all the specialties at one point or another. Dental school ended up being survey course for me, and it was hard to know what each specialty was really all about. So I did my GPR and that's when my learning curve really took off. I would recommend a GPR to an aspiring GP, or somebody that just isn't sure what they want to do. A lot can be figured out in that year. I did a lot of everything that year, and I had the chance to figure out what I liked and what I felt lukewarm about. After my program, I went into private practice, hoping to become a jack of all trades. Didn't suit me, because I couldn't achieve the level of expertise that I wanted by spreading myself too thin.
So to answer your question, I chose to go into Endo, and I'll be starting my program in '04. I chose Endo because I really like it. I did a lot of Endo these past few years, and I find that no two cases are identical. The more Endo I did, the more variety of cases I saw. I realized that A LOT goes into successful endodontic treatment and although I thought I knew a lot about Endo, I really didn't know much. Endo can be really challenging, and being called on to salvage a tooth is something that I find rewarding. I'll miss the restorative aspects of dentistry, but I decided to become an expert in one discipline, rather than merely proficient at many differnt things. This is the way I find professional satisfaction. Some people like the variety of GP, and some like the focus of a specialty. You just have to decide what suits you best. Just make sure you like what you do. There really isn't any other reason you should choose a field, because I'll tell you this much. I was making more money in a practice that I couldn't stand to be in, and less money in a practice that I genuinely enjoyed. I quit the practice that paid me more and the tradeoff was peace of mind. It's a much better life to be able to wake up every morning wanting to go into work, rather than dreading it. Hope I didn't go overboard in answering your question.


bcDDS,

I read on an earlier thread that you practiced as a GP for a while and chose to go back and become a specialist. I never heard which specialty. Let me know which you chose and why. Thanks. Out. [/B][/QUOTE]