I created GetYourDentistOn.com as a free online mentorship site for pre-dental students! AMA!

[ilovekitkat]

Happy New Years Everyone!

My name is Dr. Katherine Loi. I am a current Army Dentist and graduate from USC Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry.

As an army dentist, I frequently get asked a lot of questions about how to become a dentist.

Using my own experience / frustrations during my pre-dental, I decided to create www.GetYourDentistOn.com to help answer some questions. This site is a free online resource to help mentor students and provide my own personal experiences to becoming a dentist and also improving your craft.

In the coming months we will be launching new articles, columns, and Q&As by myself and other industry dentists.

Congratulations to everyone entering Dental School in 2017, and good luck to everyone applying.

I hope you will find GetYourDentistOn.com helpful, and if you have any questions or comments please feel free to reach out!

I'm here to help answer any questions you may have!

Dr. Loi

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[Incis0r]

Thank you for joining, Dr. Loi!

 

[schmoob]

Hi Dr. Loi,

Thank you for taking the time to create this resource. There is lots of great information on your site that would help students along their journey.

There are a few aspects that folks may disagree with, though. Things have changed in the last 7 years. For example, I would highly discourage anyone from taking a Kaplan course for the DAT. There are new resources available, and the students who generally do well on the DAT these days usually have these resources in common.

I also have to disagree with you on discouraging folks on applying to out of state public schools. It is NOT impossible to get in. Yes the chances are reduced, but not impossible. Your Minnesota experience evidences that.

Other than that and a few other minor details, I think your website has great info. Thanks!

 

[Alpha Centauri]

How was your time in the Army by way of HPSP? Also off topic but if I apply to Air Force for hpsp, can I also add navy to the list or do I need to complete a whole other set of paperwork?

 

[DMDDDSHopeful]

Hi Dr. Loi,

Thank you for taking the time to create this resource. There is lots of great information on your site that would help students along their journey.

There are a few aspects that folks may disagree with, though. Things have changed in the last 7 years. For example, I would highly discourage anyone from taking a Kaplan course for the DAT. There are new resources available, and the students who generally do well on the DAT these days usually have these resources in common.

I also have to disagree with you on discouraging folks on applying to out of state public schools. It is NOT impossible to get in. Yes the chances are reduced, but not impossible. Your Minnesota experience evidences that.

Other than that and a few other minor details, I think your website has great info. Thanks!

I have to agree with @schmoob on this one. I know several people that have been accepted to public out-of-state dental schools. It's probably a 1-5% chance, but to say don't bother would be a total waste and a potential missed opportunity.

 

[predental21250]

I have to agree with @schmoob on this one. I know several people that have been accepted to public out-of-state dental schools. It's probably a 1-5% chance, but to say don't bother would be a total waste and a potential missed opportunity.

Where are you guys getting this info from? These numbers are way different than what the ADEA releases. Some public state schools accept half of their students from out of state, others accept almost zero, and many are in between.

 

[DMDDDSHopeful]

Where are you guys getting this info from? These numbers are way different than what the ADEA releases. Some public state schools accept half of their students from out of state, others accept almost zero, and many are in between.

It was in one of her articles on her website where it said not to bother applying to public schools if you are out-of-state. As far as numbers go, remember that each school has about 2,000-3,000 applicants (ballparking here!) and then you have a class size anywhere between 50-120. Even if half the class is OOS, and with a generous half of all applicants gettting an interview and half of that being OOS and offered an acceptance, that's 65/750 (used max numbers), which equals roughly 8%.

Also, ADEA reports higher numbers because schools tend to over admit knowing that not everyone accepts the offers made due to having multiple offers.

Edit for the math just in case anyone got lost:

3,000 applicants
Half OOS = 1,500
Half get an invite = 750

 

[schmoob]

Where are you guys getting this info from? These numbers are way different than what the ADEA releases. Some public state schools accept half of their students from out of state, others accept almost zero, and many are in between.

Yeah, that's what we are saying. It's ok to apply OOS.
It's all about research. Off the top of my head I wouldn't apply to state schoolS like NC or TX because they are not OOS friendly, whereas a school like UNLV is not as strict.
Don't quote me on those schools though, it's just to illustrate a point.

 

[ilovekitkat]

Since you are in the Army, did you do the HPSP, or were you a direct accession?

What motivated you to go Army over the other branches?[/QUOTE]

Hi Incisor,

1. Thank you for the questions. I signed up for a 3.5 year HPSP. At the time the Army was offering a bonus for serving four years so my Active Duty Commitment is 4 years. I will be honest and let you know that I did not think about joining the Army until my first day at USC Dental School. USC was costing me an arm and a leg in students loans, and I had to put my dental school issue of drills and dental supplies on a credit card. The HPSP students were opening up their boxes without a care in the world. This got me to researching the HPSP Scholarship and talking to recruiters.

I never would have predicted that I would be in the Army, but the Army dental students were just normal guys and girls. This encouraged me to apply.

If you have a chance to do the HPSP Scholarship I highly encourage it. I had a good experience.

2. I choose to join the Army while in Southern California. At that time the Air Force was not giving out anymore HPSP scholarship. It was between the Navy and the Army. The Army treated me top notch. I was very impressed whereas the Navy recruiter was difficult to get a hold. My roommate in dental school did the Navy scholarship and she was always envious of the toys, t-shirts, mugs, stethoscope that the Army recruiter gave me. My Army recruiter got me through the process very fast even when I needed a special medical waiver. The Navy recruiter was nowhere to be found at this point.. I was impressed with the speed so I went with the Army. You can't go wrong with any branch you choose. I personally didn't want to be "stuck on a boat" like all my Army HPSP Dental students peers, but it looks like none of my Navy colleagues were stationed aboard a ship.

For me I think it came down to my recruiter and who could get me a scholarship the fastest. I was in my first semester of USC when I applied and commissioned.

 

[Mad Jack]

It was in one of her articles on her website where it said not to bother applying to public schools if you are out-of-state. As far as numbers go, remember that each school has about 2,000-3,000 applicants (ballparking here!) and then you have a class size anywhere between 50-120. Even if half the class is OOS, and with a generous half of all applicants gettting an interview and half of that being OOS and offered an acceptance, that's 65/750 (used max numbers), which equals roughly 8%.

Also, ADEA reports higher numbers because schools tend to over admit knowing that not everyone accepts the offers made due to having multiple offers.

Edit for the math just in case anyone got lost:

3,000 applicants
Half OOS = 1,500
Half get an invite = 750

8% is hardly negligible. Plenty of MD schools are in that ballpark for applicants overall, so everything is a bit relative. If you've got the money to spend, it's worth the chance if your stats are competitive.

 

[ilovekitkat]

8% is hardly negligible. Plenty of MD schools are in that ballpark for applicants overall, so everything is a bit relative. If you've got the money to spend, it's worth the chance if your stats are competitive.

Exactly

Hi Dr. Loi,

Thank you for taking the time to create this resource. There is lots of great information on your site that would help students along their journey.

There are a few aspects that folks may disagree with, though. Things have changed in the last 7 years. For example, I would highly discourage anyone from taking a Kaplan course for the DAT. There are new resources available, and the students who generally do well on the DAT these days usually have these resources in common.

I also have to disagree with you on discouraging folks on applying to out of state public schools. It is NOT impossible to get in. Yes the chances are reduced, but not impossible. Your Minnesota experience evidences that.

Other than that and a few other minor details, I think your website has great info. Thanks!

Hi Schmoob,

Thanks for your reply. I am glad to know that my experience is helping some predents soon to be dentists. I wanted to create the website while I have time and give back to the predental community. SDN helped me a lot while I was a predent.

I agree with you on my resources also. I felt out dated when I discovered Dental Boot Camp by Ari. There are now many great resources out there. I am amazed.

When I was applying there was only Kaplan and Princeton Review offering courses. Now there are several resources.

What is/was your favorite resource for studying for the DAT?

I agree OOSDS are not impossible to get into, but they can be difficult for a non-resident. While at USC Dental School I had friends at UCLA Medical School that had out of state students, but the majority were state residents. I will have to write that correction into my blog. Thanks again!

Happy New Years!

 

[zomf]

Hi Dr. Loi!

Thanks for creating and sharing the mentorship site! It's concise and well-formatted while viewing it on my ipad. I'll be sure to check it out and pass it to my peers. As other SDN'ers have already pointed out, that there are other effective resources available now as cheaper alternatives to Kaplan Prep and I'm glad to see Destroyer and Bootcamp mentioned.

Did you decide to stay in the Army as a career officer after your HSPS obligation was fulfilled? If so, could you describe some benefits that the military had which private practice and corporate dentistry didn't have (in your opinion)?

Thanks!

 

[Likkriue]

Got into 2 OOS state schools just fine.

 

[schmoob]

Exactly


Hi Schmoob,

Thanks for your reply. I am glad to know that my experience is helping some predents soon to be dentists. I wanted to create the website while I have time and give back to the predental community. SDN helped me a lot while I was a predent.

I agree with you on my resources also. I felt out dated when I discovered Dental Boot Camp by Ari. There are now many great resources out there. I am amazed.

When I was applying there was only Kaplan and Princeton Review offering courses. Now there are several resources.

What is/was your favorite resource for studying for the DAT?

I agree OOSDS are not impossible to get into, but they can be difficult for a non-resident. While at USC Dental School I had friends at UCLA Medical School that had out of state students, but the majority were state residents. I will have to write that correction into my blog. Thanks again!

Happy New Years!

Hi Dr. Loi,

Thank you for your response and feedback. Also, I legitimately want to thank you for your welcome response to (my attempt) at constructive feedback. Things can often get pretty combative in these threads. Your response was nothing short of a class act.

My favorite DAT prep materials were Chad's, Destroyer, and Bootcamp. I also thought Feralis' bio notes were a fantastic resource. I also used the 2007 and 2009 ADA exams as a performance marker by taking the exams timed.
IMO, these are the basics for DAT prep. There are other resources available, but more does not always equal better. I believe if someone REALLY masters these materials, they will be prepared.
I know there is also Crack DAT, DATGenius, and TyJacob Notes. I hear good things about about the the latter two, and mixed reviews on CrackDAT. I have never used those resources so I cannot comment on them.
Whatever preparation recipe one chooses, the key is to take the time to study it front to back a number of times. Take the time to learn from the mistakes, because it's the mistakes that are doing the teaching.
Also, the creator of DAT Destroyer, Dr. Romano is an excellent resource. He makes himself available on SDN to help students as they prepare, which is incredible. This goes for Nancy as well.
These resources are a big part of DAT score trends. I believe that average scores have steadily been rising (I have not done the research to back up this statement; purely anecdotal), and it is my opinion that these resources are a major factor to these trends.

I hope this helps answer your question. Also there are many folks here who may agree, or may disagree based on their experiences so I encourage them to chime in.

Happy New Year as well!

PS: Being on a boat is not so bad.

 

[ilovekitkat]

Got into 2 OOS state schools just fine.

Hi kikkruie,

Congratulations on getting into two out of state schools. Best of luck in your future in dentistry! Where do you plan on going ?

You definitely showed me that it is possible. I will added an addendum to the article soon.

What schools did you get into ? What state are you from?

-Dr Loi

 

[ilovekitkat]

8% is hardly negligible. Plenty of MD schools are in that ballpark for applicants overall, so everything is a bit relative. If you've got the money to spend, it's worth the chance if your stats are competitive.

Thank you MadJack for these insightful numbers. I love to see figures. Very informative. Thank you for sharing.

Do you have an Econ background ?

 

[ilovekitkat]

How was your time in the Army by way of HPSP? Also off topic but if I apply to Air Force for hpsp, can I also add navy to the list or do I need to complete a whole other set of paperwork?

Hi Alpha Centauri,

I am a recipient of the Army health professional scholarship program. I had to apply for this as well as fill it forms and go through a medical exam with the Army. Once you are given the "okay," they offer you the scholarship you direct commission as a second lt.

You can apply to all three branches at once, but it is like applying to dental school. Every branch requires "their own paperwork". You need three transcripts. Three diplomas etc.

Correct. You need to complete a "whole new paperwork" that says the same thing...

I hope that helps.

-Dr Loi

 

[ilovekitkat]

Hi Dr. Loi,

Thank you for your response and feedback. Also, I legitimately want to thank you for your welcome response to (my attempt) at constructive feedback. Things can often get pretty combative in these threads. Your response was nothing short of a class act.

My favorite DAT prep materials were Chad's, Destroyer, and Bootcamp. I also thought Feralis' bio notes were a fantastic resource. I also used the 2007 and 2009 ADA exams as a performance marker by taking the exams timed.
IMO, these are the basics for DAT prep. There are other resources available, but more does not always equal better. I believe if someone REALLY masters these materials, they will be prepared.
I know there is also Crack DAT, DATGenius, and TyJacob Notes. I hear good things about about the the latter two, and mixed reviews on CrackDAT. I have never used those resources so I cannot comment on them.
Whatever preparation recipe one chooses, the key is to take the time to study it front to back a number of times. Take the time to learn from the mistakes, because it's the mistakes that are doing the teaching.
Also, the creator of DAT Destroyer, Dr. Romano is an excellent resource. He makes himself available on SDN to help students as they prepare, which is incredible. This goes for Nancy as well.
These resources are a big part of DAT score trends. I believe that average scores have steadily been rising (I have not done the research to back up this statement; purely anecdotal), and it is my opinion that these resources are a major factor to these trends.

I hope this helps answer your question. Also there are many folks here who may agree, or may disagree based on their experiences so I encourage them to chime in.

Happy New Year as well!

PS: Being on a boat is not so bad.

Thank you Schmoob for this insightful information. I am very happy to look into some of these materials. I am glad there is more great reasonably priced material out there. When I was taking Kaplan I remember finding several errors in the book and the exams. I would love to share your comments/responses on my Blog Section of GYDO. Would this be okay with you?

"I'm on a boat" is fun for a few days... not 6 months! There are pros and cons to every branch.... which is dictate a lot about location and $ the government decides on budgeting.....

 

[Likkriue]

Hi kikkruie,

Congratulations on getting into two out of state schools. Best of luck in your future in dentistry! Where do you plan on going ?

You definitely showed me that it is possible. I will added an addendum to the article soon.

What schools did you get into ? What state are you from?

-Dr Loi

Hi Dr Loi,

Im turning down offers to VCU Rutgers and Touro for Stony Brook. Im a NYS resident.

May I ask what you had to get medical waiver for via private messages? And how hard it is to receive those?

Thank You,
Likky

 

[Mad Jack]

Thank you MadJack for these insightful numbers. I love to see figures. Very informative. Thank you for sharing.

Do you have an Econ background ?

Nah. I'm just a medical student that has a fondness for statistics. I find they can provide a lot of perspective in the admissions process.

 

[schmoob]

Thank you Schmoob for this insightful information. I am very happy to look into some of these materials. I am glad there is more great reasonably priced material out there. When I was taking Kaplan I remember finding several errors in the book and the exams. I would love to share your comments/responses on my Blog Section of GYDO. Would this be okay with you?

"I'm on a boat" is fun for a few days... not 6 months! There are pros and cons to every branch.... which is dictate a lot about location and $ the government decides on budgeting.....

Sure, I don't mind. Honestly, I think there are way better recommendations and guides on SDN than what I just jotted down, Especially with DAT advice.
I think a better resource to publish or hyperlink would be @Scumbag_Steve guide, it actually got stickied! He put alot of effort into it, I think it is incredibly comprehensive and simply articulated better, I encourage you to take a look at that. The amount of effort he put into it for the benefit of others is something I think should be posted on your site (as long as he's cool with it)

And even 6 months isn't bad, it goes quickly. Plus you see some cool places. Each deployment seems to go faster than the last.
We werent always at sea. There was a chunk of a few months I didn't go out to sea a single time. But that's because the Navy couldn't afford to put gas in the tank.
Budgets, right?

 

[Scumbag_Steve]

.

 

[ilovekitkat]

@ilovekitkat nothing would make me happier than you putting that on your site. Please do! I feel like it falls on deaf ears a lot of the time, and want as many people as possible to be able to see it. If it even helps one single person successfully get accepted to dental school than it was all worth it.

Hi Scumbag_steve ,

I read your Ultimate Guide. It is very good, it contains a lot of useful information.

Thank you .

Dr Loi

 

[Toothout]

Got into 2 OOS state schools just fine.

Got into an OOS school, and with a non-competitive DAT, just fine.

 

[ilovekitkat]

@CallMeDoct what state are you from? Congratulations! What was your DAT if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Toothout]

@CallMeDoct what state are you from? Congratulations! What was your DAT if you don't mind me asking?

I'm from CT and UMKC has agreement with
Kansas, Arkansas, New Mexico and Hawaii.

 

[ilovekitkat]

I'm from CT and UMKC has agreement with
Kansas, Arkansas, New Mexico and Hawaii.

That is amazing! All the 2021 incoming dental students have opened up my eyes. I am glad the OOS applicants are going to be able to move to a new state for dental school and experience a new adventure. Congrats!

 

[ilovekitkat]

GetYourDentistOn has been featured in the Daily Trojan!

http://dailytrojan.com/2017/01/11/ostrow-alumna-launches-online-mentorship-program/

Happy Friday! No Ice Storms in Oklahoma... yet.

 

[ilovekitkat]

I just finished a Q & A for the Blog Section of GetYourDentistOn.com. Check it out. If you have any specific Q & As for me... please let me know.

https://www.getyourdentiston.com/blog/