messed up my DAT-some advice please

[vietho26]

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Hi everyone,

I just took my DAT this morning. I royally messed it up I was about to punch the computer screen in near the end.

My stats and scores are
GPA 3.7 major biochem, did two years of medical school and chose to leave and pursue an oral surgery career after starting my third year, my MCAT was 29 by the way.

DAT breakdown
AA 18
Perceptual 20
Quant 16
Reading 19
Biology 22
Chemistry 19
Orgo 16
Total Science 19

I ran out of time in the middle of GChem cause I had a mind bending contest with one problem that cost me 5 or 10 minutes and I missed the last 3 quests on ORGO. Next to that I took a 30 minute break and lost 15 minutes on the Reading portion. Never taken DAT before and this really made me think that computer exams really suck-the machine didn't crash but I have been taking paper exams most of my life.

Please tell what I can expect applying to Dental schools or asking for advanced standing with med school credits if I even get in with these lousy scores.

 

[D.M.D dude]

18/20, 3.7 -- I'd say those are a good combination of numbers, and you shouldn't have a problem getting in, even if you are applying this late. Just make sure you apply to some private schools just in case.

P.S. Why did you take a 30 minute break?

 

[D.M.D dude]

By the way, what made you switch from med school to dental school?

 

[vietho26]

I started a surgery rotation and met perhaps the best oral surgeon or one of two oral surgeons in Richmond, VA. He had his own dental office but came into MCV to do cleft lip repair for many patients and even did surgeries for indigent patients and agreed to pay half of the operations sometimes for patients.

Also, I have a younger brother in medical school too who is actually going to graduate as this is his fourth year. He had a traumatizing experience with the medical politics at MCV and I think I want to leave Richmond, VA when he graduates too. Next to that I really want to pursue an oral surgery career cause I really think I found my true calling after meeting and rotating with this one oral surgeon.

Thanks for your input too. I hope my DAT blunder this morning won't keep me out. I am sending out applications right now as I type this and am totally new to what dental schools require...meaning my letters or rec can only come from my rotation directors or physicians and not from college professors. The admissions director at some dental schools mentioned I am a unusual case but are willing to let me apply to their schools.

 

[mard]

I believe Columbia has an advanced standing for med students who have completed at least 2 yrs of US medical school. Here is the link:
http://dental.columbia.edu/education/physicians_meds.htm

 

[momowheels]

18/20 is fine dude. You should walk in, in no time with those scores

 

[PERFECT3435]

your scores of 16 for QR and Ochem is not gonna matter at all. i have said this to many and i still will say this to you as well, most schools do not care too much about ochem and QR.

i think you will be fine!
congrats on your great performance!!

 

[comatose]

Perfect, your stupid. Vietho, pay no attention to this *****. My guess is that most schools give equal weight to all sections of the DAT, and most people on this forum would agree with me. Overall, I think you did excellent. Congratulations! Good Luck!

 

[Comet208]

comatose,

do you know Perfect's Stats? his GPA is low but has similar DAT scores and he has been interviewing right and left. its not only the DAT and GPA that matter. like everyone else said, vietho should be in great shape with most schools. But his biggest challenge would be to convince the ad coms that he will NOT choose another profession after 2 years of dental schoool.

Comet

p.s: i hate personal attacks

 

[comatose]

Well comet, I wasn't personally attacking you, so why should you care? And second, Perfect is going around saying that MOST schools don't care about certain parts of the DAT, when, in fact, he is only talking about UCLA. I don't want him to lead these people into a false sense of security by believing that their low scores in certain sections doesn't matter. After all, many people on this forum have retaken the DAT because they scored lower than average on certain sections (namely the PAT, but other sections as well).

 

[Comet208]

comatose,

your original post wasnt targeted towards me, but i cant take people calling others names. Both you and Perfect are partially correct. Though higher the grades, better it is for the applicant, there are some schools who tend to forgive (or at times not bother too much) with certain parts of DAT as long as other grades seem presentable. A friend of mine is now a D1 at Uconn with 19/15 DAT/PAT and 3.2 GPA and she got in on Dec 1st! The average PAT scores of entering class for NOVA for 2003 was 16.9 ;and thats below average.

Overall, the OP got 18/19/20 and has 3.7 GPA; this is more than most schools ask for!

Comet

 

[PERFECT3435]

coma,

its ok to disagree/agree with people, but you still have to have some class when you approach others. i really hate to waste my time on arguing with immature people, but i just want you to know that i have been here on SDN way longer than you have and i have seen many many stats and scores and i am confident that i do not mislead people.

so, my advice to you is that you shoud just read and debate things if you want. i know i don't know everything, but trust me i know a lot more about how adcoms look at scores than you do my friend. i assure you again that schools do not look at all the sections of the DAT equally. heck, i scored 25 in ochem and it seemed like none of the schools that interviewed me even knew about that. that should tell you something.

hope you mature up and don't make the mistake of calling people names again.

 

[vietho26]

I believe perfect is right. Either way everyone here on this board are going to be health care professionals and we will all learn the business of caring for people. Of course medicine/dentistry require intelligent people with good academic stats but when it comes down to it it's your patients that count the most. One thing I surely saw in medical school is that the highest test or board scores don't amount to squat if you don't give a damn or care about people in a genuine manner. Thus I really appreciate everyone's help n advice here on this forum. I can already see that you will all become fine doctors and will really care to help your patients with wisdom and hard work.
We will all be in the same business of helping people and society will respect you when it comes to crunch time and real life.

 

[Rezdawg]

18/20 = "messed up my DAT"?

I need to get away from this place. This site makes me want to withdraw all my applications.